The Gift of Jam and Cake

The gift giving around Eliot’s Eats this season will seem a bit jam heavy but I have lots of jam and jelly to get rid of! 🙂

I also had some buttermilk left over from my last butter making session, so I wanted to utilize these two surplus ingredients.

That got me thinking about gift ideas and using what I had on hand.

I experiemented with a couple of different blackberry jam ideas this summer so I decided that when I gift a jar of the purple stuff, I would include a card with this delicious cake recipe on it.

Blackberry Jam Cake

2 c. sugar
4 farm fresh eggs
1 c. blackberry jam* (I used my Blackberry Port Jam.)
3 c. flour
1 1/4 t. cinnamon
1 t. baking soda, rounded
1 c. buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer.   Add eggs one at a time and beat until fluffy.   Add jam and continue to mix until combined.

batter

Look at this color.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon and baking soda.

Add flour mixture to mixer and beat; add buttermilk and  mix until combined.

Bake in a prepared Bundt pan for bake 50-60 minutes or until done.  (Or bake int two loaf pans for 40 minutes.)   I used mini loaf pans for this batch and backed them around 35 minutes.

*Any jam will work with this recipe.   Strawberry and peach is also especially good.

This post is kind of a two-fer today (two for the price of one) in the sense that this cake would make a great gift on its own. Your options with this recipe is also versatile.   Give the recipe attached to a half-pint of jam.   The half-pint is perfect for this recipe.   Give the recipe attached to a small loaf cake.   Or, give all three—the recipe, jam and a cake.

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Yummy gifts.

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This card is truly retro. My aunt gave me a Betsy Clark recipe binder in 1980 and I am still using some of the cards. (I have hoarded them.) 🙂

 

 

 

Get really creative with your recipe cards.   Use vintage ones (like my Betsy Clark one above), print off  some freebies (Pinterest has a lot to choose from), or use vintage post cards.

Stay tuned for more gift ideas and for other baking with jam recipes, click here.

In the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday, I want to give thanks that….drum roll….wait for it….ABIGAIL IS CANCER FREE!!!!!!!    I have spent most of the summer and fall trying to send tons of good thoughts and some virtual flowers (and bugs and cat pictures and crazy car photos) to Abigail as she battled cancer.   I am unable to totally put down in words my joy for Abigail and her family.    (You can read about her triumph here.)    Don’t you know that this family will have the best Thanksgiving ever!

20 comments to The Gift of Jam and Cake

  • Oh wow do I love that recipe card! I sometimes get so sad that recipe cards are fading out in favor of electronic recipe – tracking. Some of my very favorite, and most used recipes are still on recipe cards from family and friends and I treasure them!

  • Taking On Magazines

    I still have that blackberry port jam recipe bookmarked so I can make it. Now I have even more reason so I can make your cake.

  • That brave little girl has conquered cancer twice! I hope there is another party for her – she deserves it. What a trooper. I’m rejoicing with you, tears in my eyes. Also, I love your idea for gifting the jam with the recipe and the cake. That is just so special!!

  • Oh I am so happy for her, she is incredible 😀 – Best time of the year for sure!!!
    This jam cake sounds absolutely awesome, blackberry is one of my favourite flavours!

    Cheers
    CCU

    P.S I seem to have lost around 1000 subscribers on my blog and I don’t know how, so if you were subscribed, could you resubscribe please? it would really help me out!

  • A lovely gift package, Debra. So GLAD to hear that ABIGAIL IS CANCER FREE!!!!!!!

  • I am So glad to hear that Miss Abigail is cancer free!!!!! Talk a wonderful gift for the holidays! What a wonderful person you are for all of the support you’ve given her and her family all of these months. A big hug for you as well! A jam cake – I love that idea and yours certainly looks delicious!

  • I’m very happy to hear the news – I know her parents are cautiously optimistic. Since my husband had cancer nearly 10 years ago, when I hear the word it strikes fear in me for just a moment until I remember he is fine now and will be until he’s not. The Jam and Jam cake looks wonderful! I’m happy to tell you that I pinned your ‘how to make butter’ post back whenever you made it and boy howdy has that taken off over the last few days and it’s gaining speed! 🙂

  • Terrific news about Abigail! And thanks for bringing her situation to our attention so we could send good thoughts her way. And speaking of things coming one’s way, I’d love it if someone gave me a gift of jam! We’ve been giving mainly food gifts the last few years – everyone has more than enough “stuff” anyway, but no one ever has enough food! Well we do, but you know what I mean. 😉

  • This looks like a fantastic gift that would cause smiles and happy bellies!