Quick and Deeelish Jam Cake With Caramel Frosting

Submitted by Aunt Yaya

"You can make this moist jam cake from a spice cake boxed mix AND the caramel frosting tastes like the old-fashioned penuche fudge....ummm ummmm. It is rich and buttery and oh so quick. You can make the cake ahead of time, wrap the layers well, and freeze for at least three weeks if you like. It will be the hit of your Christmas or Holiday Party!"

 

• Ready In: 27mins
• Ingredients: 14
• Yields: 1 cake
• Serves: 12

ingredients

• The Cake

• 1 (18 ounce) package spice cake mix (Duncan Hines)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1⁄3 cup applesauce (plain)
• 1⁄3 cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup blackberry jam (Smuckers)
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

• Frosting

• 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, 1 stick (NO substitutes or it will fail)
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1⁄4 cup evaporated milk (Pet)
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

directions

1. CAKE:

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Prepare three 8" or two 9" round cake pans.
4. Mix the cake mix and cinnamon together.
5. Add the buttermilk, applesauce, vegetable oil, eggs, and jam.
6. Mix thoroughly.
7. Fold in the raisins and nuts.
8. Pour batter into pans.
9. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes or until they spring back when touched lightly in the middle.
10. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan; invert cakes onto wire cooling racks.
11. Set aside and prepare frosting.

12. FROSTING:

13. Use the butter wrapper to grease the inside of a saucepan.
14. Over medium heat melt butter and brown sugar together; bring to a boil.
15. Stir and boil for 2 minutes exactly.
16. Stir in evaporated milk; bring to boil.
17. Remove from heat and add powdered sugar and vanilla.
18. Beat until smooth and creamy.
19. Not only do I double the recipe, but at the end I put it in a mixing bowl before it cools down and beat it with a mixer. When it starts cooling it will get thicker, so frost cake before it hardens.
20. I made seven of these yesterday, wrapped them in plastic wrap after they cooled, put them in cake boxes with a bow and a tag and they made WONDERFUL (and very appreciated) presents for family and friends.
21. Enjoy, and please let me know if you enjoy them as much as we do!

Reviews

[Libby B.]

Stores say Duncan Hines does not make 18 oz cake mixes any more. They only have 15.25 oz. Can I still make this cake without change to the directions? Made this cake twice and it is just great. Moist and delicious. Better than the long recipe by far. A definite keeper.

 

[pam s.]

can this be made several days in advANCE? if so any recommendations how to keep fresh as possible?

 

[mandabears]

omg!!! this is the best cake ever!!!! i have made this recipe 6 times since Christmas and it is always sooooooo delicious. the buttermilk and blackberry jam makes it so rich and incredibly moist!!!

 

[jujusmommy]

I don't actually like jam cake :), but I made this for Christmas because my Mom loves jam cake and she has regretted the loss of my Granny's jam cake recipe since Granny passed away 15 years ago. I like to cook but I very rarely cook from "scratch," so I went looking for a relatively simple recipe that wa well-rated, and found this one. I made it, and didn't tell my mother ahead of time that it started with a cake mix. She took one bite and declared it "the BEST jam cake I've ever had!!!" So I guess that's a pretty good endorsement. :) From my perspective, I thought this was a very easy recipe and I will happily make this a part of my Christmas baking tradition for my Mom's sake. I did not use the frosting recipe listed here; I used another Caramel Frosting recipe (#68208) on this site that I had made before. I also used Betty Crocker spice cake mix and a local farm's blackberry jam, and Sun-Maid's baking raisins (extra-moist). I used an 8 inch round pan and made 3 layers. It made a very pretty cake.

 

[GrandSky]

You Know I am making this - SOON! Sounds TOO GOOD to let go TOO LONG!