- 1 cup raisins
- 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 4 eggs
- 1 (12 ounce) jar blackberry jam
- 2/3 cup buttermilk
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- CARAMEL ICING:
- 1 cup butter
- 2 cups packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
- Soak raisins in pineapple and juice several hours or overnight. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add jam and buttermilk; beat until well blended. Sift together dry ingredients; add to batter. Beat on low just until ingredients are combined. stir in raisins, pineapple and pecans. Pour into two greased and floured 9-in. round cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 50 minutes or until cakes test done. Cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack before removing to rack. For icing, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and milk; bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Cool just until warm; beat in enough confectioners' sugar until icing is of spreading consistency. Add more sugar for thicker icing; more milk to thin it. Frost cooled cake.