Last week, I tried making jam for the first time. It was so fun, and as soon as it was done, I put it on a cake… a jam cake!
A sweet end-of-summer treat with a great combo of fruit tart and sweetness. This cake is an instant showstopper at any summer party.
You can make the cake by subbing in good fresh jam from a store or farmer’s market, but if you want to make your own, here are a few tips.
Making Mixed Berry Homemade Jam
Making homemade jam is something that always seemed way too hard to attempt.
Who knew I had this much farm girl in me!? I was astonished by how easy and fun the entire process was using a complete canning kit.
The jam cake recipe below is one you can print and use to create your own homemade mixed berry jam cake. A few notes on the recipe before you get started.
- We did adjust the recipe for our altitude. Since Reno is pretty high up in the mountains, we nearly doubled the processing time. Be sure to look up where you live and adjust accordingly.
- Although we did crush 90% of our berries, we also left a couple here and there in the jam that were more full berry than not. DO THIS! The fuller berries taste so good and add that awesome homemade feel to your jam.
Mixed Berry Jam Cake Recipe
Equipment
- Electric Water Bath Canner + Multicooker
Ingredients
- 4 cups crushed berries mix and match your favorites such as strawberries blueberries, blackberries, and/or raspberries
- 4 ½ Tbsp Classic Pectin
- 3 cups sugar
- 8 oz Half Pint 8 oz Quilted Crystal Jelly Jars with lids and bands
- Your favorite cake recipe
Instructions
- Heat jars in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Wash lids in warm soapy water and set bands aside.
- Cobine the berries in an 8-quart saucepan. Gradually stir in pectin. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, over high heat, stirring constantly.
- Add the entire measure of sugar, stirring to dissolve. Return mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam, if necessary.
- Ladle hot jam into hot jars, one at a time, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rims. Center lids on jars. Apply bands and adjust to fingertip tight.
- Place filled jars in canner ensuring jars are covered by 1 to 2 inches of water. Place lid on canner. Bring water to gentle, stady boil.
- Process jars for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Turn off heat, remove lid and let jars stand for 5 minutes. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lids should not flex up and down when center is pressed.
- While the jam is cooling, mix your favorite cake recipe and bake in 4 small circle pans.
- Cool cakes and once jam is done stack, spreading a layer of jam between each cake layer. Top with Jam for a cake that is sweet, fruit forward and great for summer!
Notes
Layered Cake With Jam
Once the cakes are cooled, stack them up! Here’s how I put together my jam layer cake.
Spread a layer of jam between each cake layer.
Top with Jam for a sweet cake, fruit-forward, and great for summer!
A jam cake, much like any food you’d think to cover in jam, should be filled and overflowing with goodness!
When we layered the jam cake, we made sure there was a good portion of the jam between each layer and even dripped some down the sides.
Assembling it this “naked cake” way makes the cake seem like a glorious pastry you might find at any coffee shop.
We used the small Ball jars, and after they cooled, I realized they’d be great for end-of-party favors with all your leftover jam. If you are serving this cake at a party, think about doubling or tripling your canning work and making enough for each guest to bring home a can as a favor.