Jam Cake

For the cake:
Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Cream butter and sugar well. Add eggs in one at a time until light and fluffy.

In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk and baking soda. Set aside.

Slowly add flour, cocoa powder and pumpkin pie spice to the butter mixture, alternating with buttermilk (with baking soda dissolved in it). After everything is mixed in, add jam, vanilla, and lemon juice.

Spoon into 4 greased and floured cake pans or 2 pans with batter leftover for cupcakes (that’s what I did because I don’t have a large cake dome). Bake cakes at 350ºF for 35 minutes, or as my ancient cookbook says, until done. Poke the cake with a wooden skewer in the middle, it should come out clean.

For the icing:
Beat cream cheese and butter at a medium speed until creamy. Add dulce de leche 1 can at a time, beating until blended after each. Gradually add whipping cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating at a medium speed. Add up to 2 more additional tablespoons until frosting is at the desired spreading consistency. Spread frosting between cake layers and on top and sides of cake.

Recipe adapted from Southern Living 50th Anniversary Edition and The Acadian Bi-Centennial 1955.