For cake:
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup blackberry jam
3½ cups cake flour
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans
For caramel frosting:
½ cup butter
1 cup light brown sugar
½ cup whole milk
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Pecans and Blackberries (for garnish)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 (9-inch) cake pans with parchment paper and grease well with oil or butter. In bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat thoroughly. Add buttermilk, baking soda, and jam and beat until well combined. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cloves, allspice, and cinnamon. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in batches, beating well to combine. Stir in chopped pecans. Divide batter between prepared pans and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of each comes out clean. Remove from oven; set on cooling rack. Let cakes cool for at least 15 minutes before turning out onto cooling rack. Cool cakes completely before frosting. For frosting, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add brown sugar and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Stir in milk and transfer to a mixing bowl. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, beating continuously until frosting is fluffy. To assemble, place one layer on a serving plate and spread top with half of frosting. Place second layer on top and spread with remaining frosting. Garnish cake with pecans and blackberries if desired.
Yield: 10-12 servings
