1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons rum
1 cup of butter
2 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs, beaten
1 cup blackberry jam
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cup raisins (optional)
Brown Sugar Frosting (recipe follows)
Preheat oven to 325*F (160*C). Grease
and flour three (9-inch) round cake pans; set aside.
In a medium bowl combine flour, salt,
cinnamon, cloves and allspice together; set aside.
In a small bowl dissolve baking soda in
buttermilk, add the rum; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and
sugar. Add eggs, one at a time beating well after each addition.
Mix flour mixture into the creamed mixture
alternately with the buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending
with flour mixture. Fold in the blackberry jam, nuts and raisins.
Pour batter into prepared baking pans.
Bake for 40 minutes or until tested done
when wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10
minutes in pans on wire rack. Remove cakes for pans and cool
completely. Frost cooled layers with Brown Sugar Frosting.
Makes 12 servings.
Brown Sugar Frosting
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Place butter and brown sugar in a small
saucepan. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly.
Slowly add milk, and boil for 2 more minutes. Cool.
Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat
until smooth and creamy. Frost between layers and top of cake.
