My friend Bernice was raised in Kentucky. Here are excerpts from her Christmas memories:

"And instead of fruitcake she (Bernice's mother) always made a huge jam cake. It was delicious... And it was the only time of year she made divinity candy. That was Christmas to me -- when the jam cake and divinity appeared. They were relegated to Christmas only."

Gloria Adkins, who lives in Kentucky now and has for many years, wrote:

“I hadn't remembered about Jam Cakes until I went to the post office to mail packages to Alaska.  I was in line and two sisters were in line in front of me; they looked like they were about 80 years old.  They had three packages, and they went to the counter together.  The clerk asked them if there were any dangerous things inside the package, and also asked if they were sisters. (It was fun listening to their comments.)  Anyway, one sister said they were sending out Jam Cakes to a brother-in-law and to friends for Christmas.  One of the ladies did mention that there were a lot of calories in the cakes.”

This is Gloria's recipe for Kentucky Jam Cake.

Kentucky Jam Cake

1 c raisins
1 can crushed pineapple (8 ounces), undrained
2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 c shortening
1/2 c butter
1 c sugar
5 large eggs
1 c seedless blackberry jam
2/3 c buttermilk
1 c chopped pecans
confectioners' sugar

Combine raisins and crushed pineapple in a small bowl; refrigerate and
let soak for several hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 13x9x2-inch baking pan.

1. Into a bowl, sift flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
2. Cream shortening and butter or margarine in large bowl with an electric
hand-held mixer.
3. Gradually beat in sugar; beat until fluffy.
4. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; blend in jam.
5. Alternately add sifted dry ingredients and buttermilk to the creamed
mixture, ending with dry ingredients.
6. Blend in pineapple, raisins and chopped pecans.
7. Pour batter into prepared 13x9x2-inch pan.


Bake jam cake at 350° for 55 to 60 minutes, until cake tests done.
Dust top of cooled cake with confectioners’ sugar.