Mom’s Jam Cake

I love family recipes that are so simple but also so good. Case in point: my mom’s jam cake.

My mom has been making this cake for as long as I can remember. The great thing about it is that it’s super versatile – you can serve this cake as an afternoon cake or have it for breakfast, and it’ll fit right in. It’s sweet, but not very sweet – in fact, most of the sweetness comes from the filling more so than the actual dough – and it lends itself to a world of variation. It’s also a great cake to serve if you need a non-dairy option. While I tend to be a bit of a butter snob and only substitute margarine when absolutely necessary, in this cake the margarine totally works. And if you stick any leftovers you have of this cake in an airtight container, it’ll keep for a solid week, if not a touch longer.

Thanks, Mom, for making this cake so many times over the years – ’cause as easy as it is to make, there’s just something to be said about home-baked goods that are actually prepared by somebody else.

Jam Cake

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter or margarine
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 and 1/2 cups AP flour
2 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 cup filling of your choice – two of my favorites are prune jam (the same kind I used to make my hamentashen earlier this year) and 1 cup strawberry jam mixed with 1 cup sweetened coconut – but really, feel free to get creative)
Confectioners sugar for dusting, optional

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and flour a 9×13 baking pan, and set aside.
In a large bowl, cream the butter/margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat or whisk in the egg and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and mix until well-combined.
Pour half of the batter into your prepared pan.
Using a spoon or offset spatula, spread your filling of choice evenly on top.
Use either a grater or your fingers to crumble the remaining dough over the top of the cake. (I prefer to use my hands. To prevent the dough from sticking to my fingers, what I like to do is coat one hand with a little cooking spray and use that hand to do the actual crumbling while leaving the other hand free to keep applying the spray. I suppose there are less complicated ways to do it, but this one works for me.)
Bake the cake for 40-50 minutes, or until the top starts to turn golden without getting too dark.
Once the cake has cooled completely, you can dust it with confectioners sugar.

Check out the yummy prune version above.

And the strawberry coconut counterpart…

Nov 21

Pecan Pumpkin Bars

At some point I do realize this pumpkin fixation is going to have to start. After all, the holidays are almost here, at which point I may have to shift my attention toward my beloved peppermint bark. But until then, I will continue to be all about the pumpkin.

These pumpkin bars are super moist and very dense. One of the things I like about them is that they’re not super sweet – you can eat them for breakfast and not feel like you’re starting your day off with junk food. At the same time, if you prefer a sweeter bar, it’s easy enough to kick up the sugar factor by adding more white chocolate chips, and well, more sugar. Best of all, these bars are super easy to prepare, so if you’re short on time, as I tend to be, they’re a good snack to quickly throw together.

Pecan Pumpkin Bars

Ingredients:

1 and 1/4 cups AP flour
1 and 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled to room temp
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
1/3 cup white chocolate chips

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8 baking pan and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and sugars until well-combined. Beat in the egg.
Whisk in the vanilla and pumpkin until well-incorporated.
Stir in the flour mixture until well-combined. Then, stir in the pecans and white chocolate chips, reserving a few to sprinkle on top if desired.
Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for about 35 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Let the bars cool in the pan for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving.

Nov 20

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Yes, I’m still doing the pumpkin thing. No, I haven’t gotten tired of it yet, as evidenced by these moist, cakey pumpkin oatmeal cookies. Feel free to get creative with the mix-ins, though I personally think white chocolate chips and dried cranberries were the perfect choice for this easy recipe.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

Recipe from My Baking Addiction

Ingredients:

2 cups AP flour
1 1/2 cups oldfashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup pure pumpkin puree
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup dried cranberries

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Combine the flour, oats, baking soda, spices, and salt in medium bowl. Beat the butter and sugars in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
Add in the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla, mixing well to combine.
Add the flour mixture; mix until well-incorporated.
Fold in white chocolate chips and dried cranberries.
Drop the batter by rounded tablespoons onto your prepared baking sheets. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. When stored in an airtight container, these cookies should last a good 4-5 days (if you don’t polish them all off before then).