Gogo's Jam cake

Why I Love This Recipe
One of the old recipe cards I found in my Mom's stuff. I collect and so did she. this one looked old. She called it Jam cake but I've see it called Jelly cake on another one of her recipe cards.
Ingredients You'll Need
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1 cup butter (no subs)
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup jam (any kind,homemade like a Marionberry )
1 cup raisins
1 granny smith apple, grated
1 cup chopped black walnuts
1 teaspoon baking soda or baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions
Heat oven to 350
Sift flour, salt, and baking soda or powder together, reserving 1/4 cup of the flour to flour nuts, dates, and raisins.
Cream together the sugar and butter. Add eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition. Combine buttermilk and jam.
Add alternately with combined dry ingredients to the creamed mixture.
Flour the fruit and nuts and stir them into the batter. Stir in the grated apple.
Bake in 3 greased 9-inch cake pans in a preheated 350-degree oven for 30 minutes or until cake tests done. Turn out onto racks to cool before frosting.
my addition to this cake
If you like life on the spicier side add if desired to 1 tablespoon Chinese five spice with the flour, salt, and baking powder.