Another Vintage Cake

So...I checked it out again.  I just gotta break down and buy this book.  The cakes are delicious.

via Amazon

This time around, I had a specific purpose in making cake.  While searching for the tortillas I bought last week straightening my pantry, I found a jar of seedless blackberry jam the kids and I put up either last summer or the summer before.  I didn't label it which I usually do, but I'm pretty sure it's from early last summer.

Well, with like 2 1/2 jars of open jam in the fridge and 2 jars of cherry and 1 cran-grape in the pantry, I didn't think we'd get around to using this one so I wanted to make a jam cake with it.  And lo and behold, Vintage Cakes has a jam cake recipe.

Cake and some tea--a perfect afternoon snack

Jam cakes are traditional favorites and perfect for a vintage cake cookbook.  The jam isn't used as a filling between layers, it's used as an ingredient in the cake to add sweetness and density.  And while the traditional icing or glaze is a caramel or burnt sugar, Julie added a chocolate component to the mix.  Oh my!

So last night for desert we had Blackberry Jam Cake with Chocolate Caramel Ganache!  Oh My Heavens!

I was short on time yesterday (and short on pans) so I baked this up in a bundt instead of the 3 8-inch rounds Julie suggests.  So I also just glazed the cake instead of icing it and adding sliced almonds like she did.  Her's is much prettier.  But mine was devoured and sent to school to spoil some teachers today.

Julie's pretty cake

Luckily for you, I found Julie's recipe online at epicurious.com so you can make it tonight...  You won't be sorry.