Nora B's Jam Cake

3 cups sifted flour

3 T cocoa

1 tsp allspice

1 T cinnamon

1 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup seedless blackberry jam

5 eggs

1 cup pecans

1 cup raisins

1 cup buttermilk

Sift together flour, cocoa, allspice, and cinnamon.  Cream together shortening and the sugars.  Add jam and mix thoroughly.  Beat in the eggs, one at a time.  Add pecans and raisins to flour mixture and stir.  Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk to the jam mixture.  Pour into 3 greased and floured pans.  Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes.

Allow to cool and ice with caramel icing.

Caramel Icing

2 cups sugar

1 stick butter or margarine

1 tsp. soda dissolved in 1/2 cup buttermilk.

Mix together and boil until mixture forms a soft ball in cold water.  It will turn caramel colored just before it gets ready.  Remove from heat and beat until desired consistency. (I put the bottom of the pan in the sink with ice while I'm beating the icing) Ice cake immediately!

One of my distant cousins posted this from her "mama's" recipe favorites. RIP Nora B - your jam cake will continue to bless and make people happy just like you did, for a long time to come.