Ingredients
Units
For the cake:
- vegetable shortening or butter, flour and parchment paper for prepping the pans
- 2 ¼ cups (270 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- ½ tsp ground cloves or ginger
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup whole buttermilk
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- 16 Tbsp (2 sticks/227 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (10 ½ oz) blackberry jam, preferably seedless, divided
- 1 cup (4 oz/114 g) finely chopped pecans (optional)
For the quick caramel icing:
- 12 Tbsp (1 ½ sticks/170 g) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
- ¾ cup (144 g) lightly packed light-brown sugar
- ¾ cup (144 g) lightly packed dark-brown sugar
- ⅓ cup whole milk
- 2 ½–3 cups (270-324 g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt, or to taste
To serve:
- 1 quart (32 oz/907 g) fresh blackberries
- 1 tsp confectioners’ sugar, for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F, with a rack in the middle. Generously grease and flour two 9-inch round pans. Cut parchment paper to fit in the bottom of the pans. Set aside. (Instead of layers, if you wish to bake this recipe as a Bundt like Cohen, it will need about 1 hour of baking time at 350°F.)
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, allspice, cloves or ginger, nutmeg and salt. Pour the buttermilk into a 2-cup glass measure or small bowl and stir in the baking soda. It will foam up slightly.
- Place the butter in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy, 1 minute. Gradually beat in the sugar until light and fluffy, 2 minutes more. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the vanilla. With the mixer at low speed, gradually add the flour mixture, alternately with the buttermilk, until just blended. Turn off the mixer. Stir in 1/2 cup of the jam and the pecans, if desired.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the tops with the spatula. Bake until the cakes are springy to the touch, 30-35 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and place on a wire rack to let the cakes cool for 15 minutes. Then run a knife around the edges of the pans, give the pans a gentle shake, and invert the cakes once and then again so they rest right side up on the racks to completely cool, 30 minutes.
- To assemble, carefully remove the parchment from the bottom of the layers. Place one layer on a serving plate and spread with the remaining 1/2 cup jam. Place the second layer on top. Set aside.
- To make the quick caramel icing, place the butter and both brown sugars in a medium saucepan over medium heat and stir until the butter melts and the mixture begins to boil, 2-3 minutes. Add the milk, stir and let the mixture come back to a boil.
- Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in 2 1/2 cups of the confectioners’ sugar, the vanilla and the salt. Whisk until smooth. If the icing is too runny, add another 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar. Do not add so much sugar that the frosting thickens and hardens. It needs to be smooth enough to spread. It will set as it cools.
- While it is warm, pour the icing over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Immediately place the blackberries on top and dust with the confectioners’ sugar, if desired. Let set for 15 minutes, then slice and serve.
Notes
- Instead of layers, if you wish to bake this recipe as a Bundt like Cohen, it will need about 1 hour of baking time at 350°F. Dust with confectioners’ sugar after it has cooled.
- This is the icing recipe my mother handed down to me many years ago. It is a lot easier to prepare than the old-fashioned method of caramelizing the sugar. This frosting has great flavor, dirties few pans in the kitchen and is ready in a snap.
- Prep Time: 50 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes-1 hour
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American