I have a jar of peach preserves that's sitting around, and I need to use it up, plus I made yellow cake today and would like to do something different for my family. I'm thinking of adding the preserves to my scratch yellow cake batter. I have a mind to add about 4oz into the batter either adding it in during the mixing cycle (so it gets mixed in completely) or just folding it in at the end or just swirling it in the center so it doesn't get fully mixed in.

I've considered the possible implications and what I might need to adjust (reducing my sugar and other liquids, possibly increasing my baking soda to compensate for the acid in the fruit) but I have a tendency to over-think recipes. So before I whip out the calculator and start tweaking, has anyone simply added jam to a scratch yellow cake recipe and had a good result? I've read that most recipes have a room for "error" where one can push the limits of certain ingredients without throwing off the balance of the recipe. Any tips or suggestions? Thanks.

My first thought is to do the swirl. But the large pieces of fruit will probably sink. If I did this my plan A would be to use this as a filling. Then plan B would be to chop it very small and do the swirl. But because I too am a deluxe over thinker by day and a platinum over thinker by night, I would want to add  a teeny bit of starch to that swirl because I would not want it to melt away inside there.

I know, I would make a couple cupcakes first testing different ideas. With, without starch. But I think if your batter is nice and thick honestly you should be fine. But still I'd do at least one cupcake.

I do not think I'd just toss it in the batter because it's peachy magic might just get lost in the shuffle. The only way I'd proceed with tossing it in the batter is if I could make and add a cooked down peach concentrate so I could be sure my lovely flavor would permeate. Just my over thoughts on preserving peach preserve goodness in a cake.

One other thought, I have a milion of them, is to use a peach *splash after baking too to ensure a peach flavor tone.

* for any newbies, a splash is a flavored simple syrup brushed or squirted onto baked cake layers.

And another really important factor is to wait until your test item is fully cooled stick it in the freezer even because there's a world of difference in the flavors at various temperatures.

I made some chocolate fudge with GrandMarnier and even after it cooled it was a bit weird but then after a couple hours it started singing a happy tune on key. wow

so just a thought...

I don't understand the whole freezing thing.  I've always been afraid it would dry the cake/cupcakes out.  But you 2 think it works miracles, huh?  What is your technique?  When do you put them in the freezer and for how long?  Are they wrapped?  Sorry for so many questions...I'm just curious.

Well to me the flavors and the moisture level reconstitutes and homogonizes--makes itself all even throughout--refreshens equally. I'm sure there's a better word but that's what happens in the freezer.

Refrigerators do dry things out. They also at the same time can add a bad amount of moisture for example if you set a cake in a florist refrigerator--those are designed to pump out moisture and they sop cakes out. But basically home friges do hasten the drying out process.

Even when I do a quick order, I stuff it in the freezer over night or for a few hours at least. This before the final coat of icing/fondant.

Yes, wrapped tight like a mummy!!!

freezing cake layers make them even better, as was said. I have always done this.

I would fold the peach preserves into a straight poundcake batter that uses 1 lb of butter.  That's how my best fruitcake recipe works.  No adjustment of baking powder or anything else, it just gives you a moister poundcake.  The pieces of fruit disappear in baking. 

Or you can add them to a coffeecake recipe in place of the same volume of sour cream.  Again, I make no adjustment of baking powder when I make this kind of substitution.  Adding cinnamon and cloves would make the batter special.

Southern Jam Cake
http://southernfood.about.com/od/kentuckyrecipes/r/bl30425s.htm

Rombauer Jam Cake
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/000025.html

100-Year Old Jam Cake
http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/29/100Year_Old_Jam_Cake41699.shtml

Thank you for the responses and suggestions BakingIrene and auzzi. I'm so going to be experimenting. It's amazing how I always find something to tinkle with when it comes to recipes.

Gerle, I used to think freezing all cakes make them better but recently I tried the yellow cake version of Cakeman Raven's red velvet and froze it; I didn't like how it turned out so I guess it depends on the recipe. But for all of my cakes (recipes I worked on myself) freezing tends to pull the flavors and texture together, sort of like mudcakes that taste better after a day or two but the freezer version. Even when I bake (cupcakes) on the day they're due, I still stick them in the freezer for an hour or so.

Layer cakes get wrapped in cling wrap and the ziploc

Cupcakes get placed in plastic container which is then wrapped in plastic.

I don't like to put cakes in the fridge.

I'm prolly too late on this one, vgcea, but I was gonna suggest a peach version of an upside down cake. Have you ever grilled (broiled I guess in the USA) halved, pitted peaches with some butter and brown sugar until caramelised? (great served with a good vanilla bean ice cream!), kind of a cake/tarte tatin version of the same thing...you could start with a butter/sugar mix on a silicon paper circle on the base of your pan, then layer peach slices then spoon your cake batter on top. Turn out when done and serve warm with cream and/or icecream.