A soft sponge cake with jam swirled through the batter and topped with a layer of sweet seedless jam. Finished with a drizzle of warm custard, you have the perfect nostalgic bake.
This starts with a super simple cake batter, with a swirl of seedless jam swirled through the batter. As this cake has jam swirled through it, I tend to add a little less sugar to the batter, to prevent the cake from being too sweet.
To start, cream the sugar and butter together then add the self raising flour and egg, blending everything together before adding a teaspoon of milk. I like to use an electric whisk to make sure that everything is well combined. Now is time to stir through the jam. I added 2 heaped teaspoons to batter, but you can always add more or less depending on your preference. Lightly stir through with a spoon and set aside.
Jam
This recipe is slightly different as rather than making into smaller cakes, I cooked this in a pudding bowl. If you don’t have a specific pudding bowl, then any small bowl or glass pot will do. Make sure that this is well greased, using some butter, as the cake batter will be going directly into this pot. Before placing the batter into the greased tin, add a few extra heaped tablespoons to the base of the pot. This will give the top of your cake a nice jammy layer. Again, feel free to add more or less, depending on the size of your tin and taste preferences.
Add the batter on top of the jam and bake in the oven. As this is a larger amount of batter it will take longer to cook, mine took around 35-40 minutes. Ensure the cake is thoroughly cooked in the middle before removing from the oven. If the top is cooking too much then you can always place a piece of foil over.
Once the cake is cooked, leave it to cool for a few minutes before turning out onto a plate. If there is a slight dome of the base of the cake, you can use a sharp knife to cut it off, creating a flat base. Lightly score a knife around the outside of the tin, and turn the pot upside down to get the cake out of the pot. Gently hitting the top until the cake comes out of the tin. If there is any jam left inside the tin, carefully scrape it out of the pot and place on top of the cake.
This cake is delicious on its own, but to make it a true showstopper, you need to add some custard to the top of the cake. You can either make homemade custard or use a store bought/tin alternative. Add a slice of cake to a plate (it’s delicious when it’s still slightly warm) and pour on a little warm custard.
Ingredients
- 2 oz / 60 g Butter, plus extra for greasing
- 1.2 oz / 35 g Caster Sugar
- 2 oz / 60 g Self-Raising Flour
- 1 Egg
- 4 heaped tsp Seedless Jam, any flavour will work here - I used raspberry
- Custard, for serving - Homemade or shop bought work well
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180*c/350*f/Gas Mark 4/160*c Fan Oven.
- Grease a pudding tin and set aside
- Place the margarine and sugar into a bowl and using an electric mixer beat together cream together. Then add the self raising flour and eggs, mixing until light and fluffy. Add the milk and whisk until everything is fully incorporated
- Stir through 2 heaped teaspoons of seedless jam with a spoon until lightly incorporated
- Add the remaining 2 heaped teaspoons of seedless jam to the base of your prepared tin and spoon the mixture on top
- Cook for 35 to 40 minutes, until light and fluffy. You can tell it's ready when it springs back when lightly pressed. You could also insert a skewer into the middle of the cake and if it comes out clean, then the cake is ready. If it needs a little bit more time, but is browning a lot on top, you can add a layer of kitchen foil to the top of the cake to prevent burning
- Once ready, remove from the oven.
- Allow the cakes to sit in the tin for only a couple of minutes. If there is a 'dome' on top the cake, use a sharp knife to gently cut this away, giving the cake a flat appearance as this will become the base. gently scrape a sharp knife around the inside of the tin to loosen the cakes. Place on a wired rack to cool upside down, so that the widest part of the cake becomes the base. If there is any jam left in the bottom of the pot, gently scrape it out with a spoon or knife and place back on top of the cake
- Meanwhile, prepare the custard. If making a homemade version, prepare now, or if using store bought, start to gently heat it up
- Add a slice of jam cake to a plate and drizzle over a little bit of warm custard
Notes
This is best enjoyed slightly warm, but any leftover cake can be wrapped in foil and store in a cool dry place for a few days. Custard should be well covered and leftovers stored in the fridge.
Looking for more baking ideas? Have a look in the recipe section:
Want to stay up to date and receive exclusive content and recipes? Follow me and never miss a moment!