Kentucky Jam Cake - American Cake - They all can't be winners.

Well this isn't pretty. 

Well this is a high price experiment which left me thinking I have to make it one more time. But it's expensive and if it doesn't work out a second time I'm going to feel foolish.
The one thing I'll do differently should I make it again is I'll bake it in a 9x13 inch pan. It certainly will not be stunning like a two layer cake. But I think it will work out more nicely. The middle layer just isn't cute with the caramel frosting.

1 cup of pecans, toast and chop by hand
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup blackberry jam
2.25 cup flour
1 each teaspoon cinnamon, allspice, ginger
.5 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup raisins

frosting
.5 cup (1 stick) butter
1.5 cup light brown sugar
.33 cup cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
1.5 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven 350 degrees.
Toss the nuts and raisins with a bit of flour from the ingredient list.
Cream the butter with sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl between additions. Add the jam. Isn't it pretty? In a second bowl combine the flour, spices and salt. In a measuring cup measure out the buttermilk, into the buttermilk add the baking soda.
Add one third of the flour. Then add one half of the buttermilk. Scrape down the sides. Add the second third of the flour spice mixture. Then the last half of the buttermilk. End with adding the remaining flour. Mix for a minute.
Into the batter add the nuts and raisins. Pour into prepared pan(s).

Bake until a tester in the center come out clean. Cool completely.

Make the frosting:
In a pot on the stove on melt the butter, add the brown sugar, cream, vanilla and pinch of salt. Stir until the mixture boils. Add the powdered the sugar and stir until smooth. Use at once. It thickens as it cools. Pour it controlled over the sides of your cake.