Blackberry Jam Cake, otherwise known as Woodford Pudding

Blackberry Jam Cake, known as Woodford Pudding

By Irvin Lin

This classic Kentucky blackberry jam cake is often served during the holidays and the Derby and is usually made from commercial store bought blackberry jam. I deviated from tradition by first making the blackberry jam from scratch (don’t worry it takes less than 10 minutes to do) so I could make sure it had the best flavor possible and added Kentucky bourbon to the cake and sauce. Don’t be intimidated by the ingredient list below, the recipe comes together pretty fast. My bourbon of choice for the dessert was, of course, Woodford Reserve but feel free to substitute any bourbon or whiskey if you want. You can even substitute store bought preserves or jam for the blackberry jam if you want, I won’t tell anyone.

Ingredients
Blackberry Jam
6 oz (about 1 1/2 cups) blackberries
1 1/4 cups (250 g) white granulated sugar
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

Cake Batter
1/2 cup (1 stick or 115 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (110 g) dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground all spice
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
zest from 1/2 lemon (about 1/2 teaspoon)
3 large eggs
1 cup (140 g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (150 g) whole wheat flour
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons Woodford Reserve bourbon (or a bourbon of your choice)

Butterscotch Bourbon Sauce
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup (110 g) dark brown sugar
6 tablespoons Woodford Reserve bourbon (or a bourbon of your choice), divided
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Directions
1. Make the blackberry jam by placing all the ingredients in a small pot. Turn the heat to high and stir occasionally breaking up the fruit, until the berries release juice and the liquid starts to boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, stirring frequently and let cook for 7 minutes or until the jam has thickened and reduced to 1 1/4 cup. Remove from heat and let cool while you make the cake batter.

2. Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Generously spray a 9 x 13 baking pan with cooking oil. Place the butter, sugars, spices, black pepper, salt, baking powder, baking soda and lemon zest in a the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Cream the ingredients together on medium speed until the mixture looks fluffy and clings to the side of the bowl. Add the eggs, one at time, beating into the batter until incorporated before adding the next egg. Add both flours and mix slowly until incorporated. Add the sour cream and bourbon and mix until incorporated. Add the blackberry jam (it may still be a bit warm, this is fine, but if still hot, then let it cool a bit longer). Beat until the jam is incorporated. Scrape batter into the prepared baking pan and bake in the center of the oven for 35-40 minutes.

3. While the cake is baking, make the bourbon sauce by placing the cream, milk and brown sugar in a small clean pot. Mix 2 tablespoons of bourbon with the cornstarch to make a slurry and add it to the pot with cream. Bring the cream to a boil, stirring constantly and reduce heat to a simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. The sauce should thicken. Remove from heat and add the butter and salt, stirring until the butter has melted. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of bourbon and stir to incorporate.

Serve the Woodford Pudding with the bourbon sauce on the side or drizzled over each slice.

Makes one 9 x 13 sheet cake. Serves 12 people.