2 sticks butter
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
4 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. cloves
2 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. allspice
2 tsp. baking soda
2 c. buttermilk
1 c. seedless blackberry preserves
1 c. apricot or peach preserves
1 c. chopped dates
1 c. chopped pecans

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat well. Mix all dry ingredients together and add alternately with buttermilk and beat. Fold in jam and preserves. Fold in dates and nuts that have been mixed with part of the flour.

Grease three 10 inch cake pans. Put greased wax paper in bottom of pans. Cook at 350 degrees about 45 minutes. Test in middle of layers with toothpick for doneness. When cool, ice with Caramel Frosting.

CARAMEL FROSTING:

1/2 c. milk or Half and Half
1 1/2 c. light brown sugar
1 stick butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. confectioners' sugar

Mix the first 3 ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cool 2 minutes. Remove from stove and beat until cool. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Beat until it is of spreading consistency. Spread between layers sparingly. Frost cake with remaining frosting and sprinkle chopped nuts on top of cake.