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This cake is simply called "Batter cake", which is certainly descriptive, but not very poetic. It is an excellent base for a cream cake - in which case forget the jam and use canned fruit instead and pour a little of the juice into both layers, pipe on whipped cream to cover the cake and decorate with fresh fruit.

1/3 cup butter or margarine, soft
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla essence (this is my addition to the original recipe, as I think that without it the cake tastes eggy)

Separate the eggs. Whip together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add the egg yolks and mix well (and add the vanilla if using). Mix together flour and baking powder and add to the batter little by little. Whip the egg whites until stiff and fold into the batter with a spatula.

Pour into 2 round 20 centimeter/8 inch baking pans with loose bottoms and bake at 175°C/350°F (regular oven) until the cakes area rich golden colour, if possible with more bottom-heat than top-heat (if your oven doesnt have that setting, dont worry). No baking time is given in the original recipe, but it took 15 minutes in my convection oven at 165°C/330°F.

Turn out of the pans onto baking paper sprinkled with sugar, and allow to cool (original recipe), or turn out onto a cake rack and sprinkle sugar directly on the top of one layer while it is still hot (my suggestion). Sandwich with jam when cooled, putting the sugared layer on top.

This makes a cute little cake. The original recipe calls for 3 layers, in which case I suggest using 12 or 15 centimeter/5 or 6 inch pans so the layers will not be thin as pancakes.

I used strawberry-rhubarb jam when I made it, but I think strawberry or raspberry jam would probably be the best for this cake. I can also imagine it would be quite delicious layered with chocolate fudge icing.

This is served with all sorts of foods and some people will eat it with anything. It is delicious spread on pancakes, between the layers of a Devils Cake, on waffles (with cream), with roast lamb, or even with ice-cream. There are two varieties of this jam: dark and light. My mother always makes the thick, dark variety. The light variety is better if you intend to use it in baking or to spread on cakes.

1 kg rhubarb (use the red variety as much as possible, it gives better colour)
800g-1 kg white sugar

convert measures

Wash the rhubarb with cold water. Remove any traces of the leaves, which are toxic. Leave the white roots. Chop up the rhubarb, mix up with the sugar and stand aside over night. Put in a big cooking pot and bring to the boil over high temperature. Turn down the heat and cook on low until it is about the thickness of thick porridge. The recipe recommends about 10-20 minutes, but if you want darker, thicker jam, cook it longer. Stir frequently.
When done, pour the hot jam into sterilised jars and close immediately. To keep longer, use preservative. For long-time storage, store in a cool, dark place. Refrigeration is not necessary. The sugar in rhubarb jam occasionally crystallises, in which case the jam can be re-heated to melt the sugar and re-poured into sterilised jars.

Note:
-For finer jam, chop finely, and when the mixture boils, remove from the heat, mince, return to the pot and continue cooking as directed.