Southern Jam Cake - The Southern Lady Cooks (2024)

This delicious Southern Jam Cake is a classic and one of our most popular recipes. If you have never tried this one, what are you waiting for?!?! Its the perfect Christmas Cake and we make it every year.

If you love old fashioned cakes, you will definitely want to try this Vanilla Wafer Cake or this Old Fashioned Pound Cake

❤️WHY WE LOVE THIS OLD-FASHIONED RECIPE

This cake is very unique in the most amazing way. We often talk about “how did this cake come about” because it has so many wonderful spices, plus blackberry jam. It is topped with a delicious caramel frosting and made in layers or a 9X13.

This cake can be made in advance since it gets better with time. We make this cake a few days before Christmas and still enjoy it way after the New Year. We only have this cake at Christmas, and it’s a real treat and something our entire family looks forward to. It’s one of our many traditions.

🍴KEY INGREDIENTS

All-Purpose Flour – This is the flour we use and have never made it with cake flour.

White Sugar – Can’t make a sweet cake without sugar!

Oil – We use vegetable oil for this cake or canola.

Buttermilk – the fat content in the buttermilk is one of the things that makes this cake wonderful. We have never substituted and used any other milk.

Raisins – They are a great addition to this cake (but if you hate them you can leave them out)

Seedless Blackberry Jam – We have always used Smucker’s brand, it really does seem to mix in well and is very moist.

Spices – cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and ground cloves are a great combination in this cake.

Vanilla Extract – this adds a wonderful flavor and we have never used any other kind.

Pecans or Walnuts – we love it with pecans but have made it with both.

Eggs – this cake uses 3 eggs.

View the recipe card for Caramel Frosting Ingredients.

SWAPS

You can use strawberry jam in the place of the blackberry jam. My Aunt used to make it that way and liked it better. We are partial to the blackberry so we never make it that way.You can use any nuts you like in this cake, walnuts, pecans, black walnuts or leave them out altogether.

🍽️HOW TO MAKE

Even though this cake has a lot of ingredients, it’s not hard to make, which is one of the many reasons why we love it. The caramel frosting can be a little finicky at times but once you get it the correct consistency it’s easy too!

PREPARATIONS

One thing I always do when making this cake is get all the ingredients out and lined up on the counter. There are quite a few spices, vanilla extra, baking powder and baking soda, etc. so make sure you have it all out and organized. It will save you time and help to make sure you include them all.

COOKING STEPS

Step 1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray or flour 2 (9 inch) round baking pans. You can also make this in a 9X13.

Step 2
Put all ingredients into a large bowl except pecans and mix well on low.

Step 3
Increase speed to high until sugar is completely dissolved. Fold in pecans and pour into pans or 9X13 baking dish.

Step 4
Bake for 40 minutes or until the cake pulls away from the side of the pans. Remove cake from pans and add caramel icing.

Step 5
Let the cake cool and then add frosting.

Frosting Instructions:

Melt all ingredients except confectioner sugar on top of the stove. Remove from heat and add sugar. Stir or cool until it has a glazed look and is of spreading consistency. Spread on the cake.

⭐TIP

The caramel frosting is a unique frosting, and it will take a bit to get the right consistency. If the frosting is grainy, reheat it until all the sugar fully melts.

If you remove it from the heat and it’s grainy simply put the pan back on the burner and let it get hot while you continue to stir it. Make sure your powdered sugar is fresh and not old.

SERVE THIS WITH

This cake we make every Christmas and it has been a tradition in our family for many, many years. If you are planning to make this cake for Christmas and want to add some other great cakes to your dessert table, you may also love this Easy Five Minute Fudge.

❓FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

STORING AND REHEATING

I keep this cake covered in a cake pan. This cake will keep for a while.This cake will become more moist with each day. Which is why we make it in advance. I have never tried freezing this cake, but see no reason why you couldn’t.

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SERVING SIZE

This cake makes 10-12 servings depending on how you cut the cake. All serving sizes range and you will get more servings from the 9X13.

SCALE THIS RECIPE

You can easily double this recipe. We make 3 of these cakes at a time and you can also split the 9X13 into two 9X9’s. This cake is very versatile, always check so you don’t overcook it because all oven vary.

There are many comments on this recipe and if you have a question we haven’t answered please check the comments below. Many wonderful memories are included as well!

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