Recipe: Old-Fashioned Three Layer Jam Cake

OLD-FASHIONED THREE LAYER JAM CAKE

FOR THE CAKE:
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
5 egg yolks
1 cup strawberry jam
1 cup apricot jam
1 cup seedless blackberry jam (or jelly)
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
5 egg whites, stiffly beaten
FOR THE FROSTING:
1 cup butter
3 cups confectioner's sugar
4 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

TO MAKE THE CAKE:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 3 (9-inch) cake pans.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy and light; set aside.

Beat egg yolks well and add to above mixture. Mix well. Add the jams and mix well; set aside.

Sift flour, cinnamon and nutmeg together; set aside.

Dissolve soda in buttermilk. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk into creamed mixture. Stir in nuts; set aside.

Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into batter gently. Divide batter between prepared pans.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees F. Cool before frosting.

TO MAKE THE FROSTING:
Mix ingredients for the frosting together and beat 10 minutes until creamy. Cover layers of cake, stack them and frost top and sides.

Yield: 1 (3-layer) cake
Source: Legends of Louisiana Cookbook by Sheila E. Ainbinder, 1987