Greetings Austins!
I had to write a quick follow-up to my last blog post about Granny's Jam Cake recipe.
Since the recipe was vague, I shared it with my baking friends and spoke with my great-aunt to fill in the gaps in the directions. She remembered the nuts and jam mixed into the batter and caramel frosting on the cake. I asked, but she did not have the frosting recipe.
Armed with this additional information, I began making the cake. I used strawberry jam and walnuts. I chopped the nuts fine. I did not bake it in layers as instructed because I am a rebel. Instead, I baked it in a mini loaf pan. I was looking to get the flavor profile and texture right this time.
While it was baking, it smelled heavenly. It filled the house with the scent of the holidays. If Christmas had a flavor, it would be this cake! It tasted so good!! It was fluffy, moist, and full of flavor. It brought back memories of Christmases and Thanksgivings past where it felt like this cake should have always been.
This experience has brought me a feeling of connection to my Austin ancestors I had not felt before. It was like my Granny was hugging from the great beyond with every bite. It was a blessing to have my daughter try it with me. We shared the experience and delighted in the history of the recipe. I told her what I could remember of Granny and the rest of the elders I had the pleasure of meeting in my youth. When she left, she took the recipe to begin the Granny's Jam Cake holiday tradition with her family. We have also agreed to work together to find the caramel icing recipe to complete the cake.
Amazingly, something so simple as a recipe can make you feel like your ancestors are right beside you, bringing the generations together.
If you make this or any old family recipe, I hope you enjoy it as much as we did! I will post the caramel icing recipe once I have it figured out.
