Blackberry Jam Cake

This was my first experience with jam cake, I've never even tasted one before. I have heard of them though. I actually have two jam cake recipes floating around in my cookbook collection that I have been meaning to try. Well, jam cake was mentioned to me a while back by my neighbor. He insisted that his Grandma makes the best jam cake ever and that he looks forward to every Christmas when she sends him one. When people speak like this about a recipe I always trust them. So I immediately knew that I needed to try this jam cake. I finally got the recipe and here I am (with permission) to share it with you! Boy, was I missing out on the whole jam cake experience... what a wonderfully yummy cake! It tastes exactly like toast with butter and jam. Not just toast with jam but, toast with jam and butter... yea know? I'm not sure how many of you eat toast like that. I know that I certainly used when I was a kid, so it's almost nostalgic. Honestly though, this cake has great flavor and is extremely moist. It uses blackberry jam traditionally but I bet it would work just as well with any other kind of jam as long as it is very smooth, not chunky or overly gelatinous. I think the blackberry works fantastic though. A word of advice before you tackle this cake though- prepare the pan really well for this. Spray just doesn't cut it. I had to make it twice because the first time half the cake came off with the bundt pan... for that reason I am not a huge bundt cake fan- it's always a gamble to get it out and they are so hard to butter and flour because of their shape. The best advice I can give is to use shortening to get all the nook's and crannies of the pan and then make sure each bit is covered with flour. Butter works too, but is 20% water, that is why I prefer shortening which is 100% fat- the crust on the cake is less gummy that way. So, please, if you make this cake and don't want to make it twice like I did... don't trust that spray!

I love taking pictures of cake crumbs... look how moist!

Blackberry Jam Cake
adapted from Jim's Grandma Weedn

1 cup butter flavored shortening
2 cups sugar
3 egg yolks
1 cup blackberry jam
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups pecans, chopped
3 egg whites, beaten to medium-stiff peaks

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Prepare bundt pan or tube pan with butter and flour. In a large bowl combine shortening, sugar, egg yolks and jam, beating until smooth.

2. Combine flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon in medium bowl. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour.

3. Fold in pecans then fold in 1/3 egg whites. Softly fold in remaining egg whites until no streaks remain. Bake 1 hr to 1 hr 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool at least 20 minutes before trying to remove from pan (see above paragraph for tips on turning the cake out easier).

Serving Suggestion: Feel free to spread some whipped topping on this cake- I did!