What is a Kentucky Jam Cake?

Dating back more than 100 years, a jam cake is a moist, flavorful spice cake made typically with blackberry jam covered in a caramel icing.

It's a classic! Recipes are passed down through the generations, and every family has their own special tweak. Our tweaks are adding cocoa and lavender!

Often saved for Christmas and other special occasions, but it's delicious any time of the year! It always brings the most money at cake sale fundraisers because it's just that good!

The jam cake is usually made as a layered cake, but it can also be made in a Bundt pan or even as a sheet cake to make it really easy.

Some recipes call for raisins and nuts, but I usually do not add either. If I'm trying to be fancy, I'll add pecan halves to the top for decoration.

The ingredient list is long, but it is not difficult to make this jam cake.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 8-inch round cake pans. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl sift together:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon allspice

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

Set aside.

With an electric mixer, cream together:

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup salted butter, softened

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add 2 large eggs one at a time beating well after each. Blend in 1 jar of Lavender Hills of Kentucky Blackberry Lavender Jam.

Add half of the dry ingredient mixture, then 1/4 cup buttermilk. Add other half of dry ingredients and another 1/4 cup buttermilk until blended.

Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10-15 minutes in pans placed on wire rack to cool. Then loosen cakes and invert onto wire rack to cool completely.

Caramel Icing

In a medium saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter over low heat. Stir in 1 cup light brown sugar and continue stirring for approximately 2 minutes until sugar dissolves.

Whisk in 1/2 cup whole milk and bring to a slow boil, stirring constantly.

Take off heat and stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Then whisk in 1 1/2 to 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup at a time until reaching the right consistency to ice the cake -- thick, but not lumpy. Allow to cool before attempting to ice the cake.

Assembly

If the cakes have domed, slice the dome off until cake is flat. Place one cake on the cake stand. Spread some of the icing on top of the base layer.

Place second cake upside down on top of base layer leaving the smoothest side as the top of your cake. Frost the top and sides with the remaining icing.

Use pecan halves to decorate the top, or chopped pecans around the sides if you're feeling fancy.