Over the years, my grandmother had a few things she whipped up every single Christmas. She always, always made fudge, a coconut cake for my grandfather, and jam cake. While she used the same recipes to make the fudge and coconut cake, she was notorious for trying a new jam cake recipe every year. And while we tended to like all of them, she was never satisfied.
I think my grandmother was picky about her jam cake because it reminded her of her childhood. She grew up in a cabin in Kentucky, the birthplace of the dessert (it’s often referred to as “Kentucky jam cake”). It’s so-named for the jam stirred right into the cake batter, most often blackberry.
For the uninitiated, it can seem like a strange combination. A spice cake is spiked with jam, either prepared as a layer cake or a bundt cake, and slathered with caramel frosting. Just trust me when I tell you it is delicious.
Most recipes you’ll find are in old church and community cookbooks. I found at least three jam cake recipes stuffed in my grandmother’s recipe box, knowing full well she wasn’t that pleased with any of them.
Délice Maison / Photo by Julia Gartland / Food Styling by Samantha Seneviratne
A Much Easier Take on the Classic
Most jam cakes start with a homemade cake base with jam added. The frosting is often a boiled caramel icing, which is delicious but also easy to mess up. No one wants to do all of that work and end up with a grainy, oily mess.
I set out to make the ultimate easy version of Kentucky jam cake. I naturally swapped the homemade cake for a boxed spice cake mix, saving lots of measuring and mess. I also baked it in a 9×13, so there is no precarious stacking required. Instead of fully stirring the jam into the cake mix, which can make it gummy, I swirled it in. I love that you get little pockets of sweet-tart jam.
For the frosting, I took a very delicious shortcut: store-bought dulce de leche. With rich caramel flavor and an indulgent creaminess, all you need to add is a bit of butter, salt, and powdered sugar for a knock-out frosting that takes about five minutes to make.
This cake tastes like Christmas to me, and I feel pretty certain my grandmother would have loved it, even if it’s not the most authentic. It has all of the flavors she’d look for in a jam cake with a fraction of the effort.
2 Quick Tips
Be gentle and sparse when swirling the jam or it all sinks to the bottom. It’ll still taste great if you go overboard.
The frosting is soft—easy to spread and creamy, but it doesn’t make for super neat slices. It will set up some in the fridge, so if you’d like neat slices, I recommend chilling for 30 minutes to an hour before cutting.
Délice Maison / Photo by Julia Gartland / Food Styling by Samantha Seneviratne
More Holiday-Worthy Cakes
