Grandmas Jam Torte Recipes

GRANDMA'S JAM CAKE

Steps:

• Cake:.
• In the original recipe, my grandmother starts out by insisting that this be mixed BY HAND with a wooden spoon for 500 strokes. The mixer works fine. The original recipe was written for half lard and half butter (fresh churned), but in the letter my grandmother mentioned that she had started using shortening instead of the lard.
• Cream shortening and sugars.
• Add eggs, jam, and vanilla. Mix well.
• Sift all dry ingredients and add to the creamed sugar mixture. Mix well.
• Add buttermilk and nuts and mix by hand.
• This makes 3 round layers of a 8 or 9 inch layer cake. Bake 350 for 30 minutes or until done. Allow layers to cool before frosting.
• Icing:.
• For the frosting, my grandmother's original instructions called for using the leftover coffee that had been sitting on the stove all day keeping warm. I find that making up a cup of coffee with espresso powder works well. You do want a strong mocha flavor for the icing.
• Mix all the icing ingredients using a mixer. It will be a stiff icing.
• Making layer cakes must have been common back in the early 50s, because my grandmother didn't even bother to write down instructions for making icing or assembling the cake. She just listed the ingredients and how to make stong coffee. Needless to say, assemble like any other layer cake.

GRANDMA'S HEAVENLY TORTE

Steps:

• 1. In a large bowl combine the cream cheese and 1 cup of the powdered sugar, mixing until well blended. Stir in pumpkin, spices and grated orange rind. In another bowl, beat cream until stiff peaks form; gradually add remaining powdered sugar, beating stiff. Fold into pumpkin mixture. Split pound cake horizontally into 3 layers. Spread each layer with some of the pumpkin mixture, then stack. Frost sides with pumpkin mixture. Sprinkle orange slivers on top and refrigerate at least one hour before slicing to serve.