Julia Cline’s Jam Cake

Ingredients

• ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, melted
• 2 cups sugar
• 6 large egg yolks
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3 teaspoons baking soda
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (Billie uses Hershey’s)
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground cloves
• 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons ground allspice
• 2 cups jam (Billie usually makes it with blackberry)
• 1 cup dark raisins

• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 cups sugar
• ½ cup (1 stick) salted butter
• Pinch of baking soda

1. Preheat the oven to 325°. Place a Lodge 10-inch cast iron skillet on a sheet of wax paper, and draw the outline of the bottom of the skillet. Repeat with two more sheets of wax paper. Cut out the circles, and fit into the bottoms of three 10-inch cast iron skillets (if you have only two skillets, you can bake two layers together, then bake the last layer once they come out of the oven). This is necessary, as the cake has a tendency to stick because of the jam.
2. In a large bowl, beat the melted butter and sugar together. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Set aside. In another bowl, mix the buttermilk and baking soda together; let it rise for 4 minutes, then mix well. Whisk the flour, cocoa, and spices together. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately with the buttermilk mixture, mixing well. Stir in the jam and raisins. Divide the batter evenly among the three prepared skillets. Bake for 30 minutes. Poke a toothpick into each cake; if it doesn’t stick, the cake is done. Unmold immediately after removing from the oven. Peel off the wax paper.
3. Combine the milk, sugar, butter, and baking soda in a deep Lodge 10-inch cast iron skillet (it must be cast iron or the filling won’t turn out). Cook over medium heat until the temperature of the mixture reaches the hard-ball stage on a candy thermometer, 20 to 25 minutes. (To test, use a teaspoon to take a little of the mixture, and put it in a glass of cold water; it should form a ball.)
4. Set one cake layer on a cake plate. Smooth half the icing over the layer. Set another layer on top of the icing, and smooth the remainder of the icing over it. Top with the final cake layer.