One of my earliest memories is of sitting in my grandmother’s lap, holding a jelly doughnut. I’d lick the jiggly red sweetness from the center, then hand her back the empty shell. Without the jelly, a doughnut was just a lump of dough. Small child-me would lick the jam off my morning toast, too, and when there was no other dessert, I’d dip my spoon directly into jam jar.

Now that I’ve grown up, I learned to appreciate the entire doughnut. But I’ll still dip a spoon into the jam jar, especially in winter, when those syrupy bits of raspberry and plum can be the closest we get to the vibrant taste of ripe summer fruit.

Historically speaking, jams, jellies and marmalades were some of the only ways to eat fruit in winter in temperate, nontropical zones. But up until the late 19th century, sugar was so expensive that jam was a luxury. It was more economical to preserve fruit by drying it. Sweet-toothed Alice in Wonderland had to suffer jam tomorrow and jam yesterday, never jam today. A spoonful of jam was a once in a while treat, indeed.

Now that sugar is cheap and jam has become quotidian, it’s lost its aura of specialness. But that doesn’t make it any less thrilling to eat. Well-made jams can be viscerally evocative. A smear of glistening golden jelly in February makes me dream of apricots from sun-drenched orchards in July. Some people bring back snow globes and T-shirts when they travel. I lug home jars of jam, which fill the fridge as sticky reminders of trips gone by.

At some point, though, when my jam collection grows to the point of edging out space for milk, it’s time to cull. And that’s when the baking begins, a buttery rush of tarts, cakes, breads, buns and scones, all suffused with jam. Along with the perennial favorites, I always try a few new things to add to my jammy repertory. This year, it was a citrusy pudding and a one-bowl cake.

The pudding is a riff on a classic lemon pudding cake. Made with beaten egg whites and plenty of lemon juice and zest, this magical dessert separates into layers as it bakes. The bottom turns into a yolk-rich custard that’s silky and smooth. Then the top rises into a fluffy soufflé as light as a cloud.

To add color and sweetness, I scattered dollops of blueberry jam across the top, which settle into pretty purple puddles speckling the top. If you can time this to serve it warm from the oven, you’ll be rewarded with the most ethereal texture. But it’s also excellent at room temperature or even chilled, in which case it takes on a denser texture similar to lemon curd.

Filled thickly with jam, dusted with cinnamon sugar and baked in a Bundt pan, the cake looks like a giant doughnut, a supersize version of the jelly doughnuts I ate in my grandma’s lap. Easily mixed in one bowl, it has a tender, caky crumb that’s scented with nutmeg and vanilla. And its jammy core helps it stay moist for several days. Serve slices plain, with coffee, tea or glasses of milk, or cover it with whipped cream for a festive, simple-to-make dessert.

You can use any variety of jam for both desserts, whatever is open and in need of finishing up. But thick, darker-hued jams (blueberry, blackberry, raspberry) look the best, offering a contrast to the beige-ish yellows of the pudding and cake. Avoid jellies, which can melt in the oven’s heat, disappearing entirely from view.

And jam’s bright colors are as much of their appeal as their vivid flavors. Savor them often until summer returns.

Editor’s note: Refer to the Colorado State Extension Service’s recommendations for high-altitude baking. (Mostly, bake at a higher temperature for the first third or so of bake time, then reduce to recommended temp for the remainder.)

Baked Lemon Pudding With Blueberry Jam

With a puffy, soufflélike top covering a jiggly layer of pudding, this comforting dessert is balanced by the sharp tang of lemon juice and zest, while dollops of blueberry jam add sweetness and color. If you can time this to serve warm from the oven, you’ll be rewarded with the most ethereal texture, but it’s also excellent at room temperature or even chilled, in which case it becomes denser and more curdlike. — Melissa Clark

Yield: 6 servings. Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons/28 grams unsalted butter, softened

1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar

2 large lemons, zested and juiced (about 2 tablespoons zest and 1/2 cup juice)

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

3 large eggs, yolks and whites separated

1/4 cup/31 grams all-purpose flour

1 cup/236 milliliters whole milk

1/3 cup/about 120 grams blueberry jam

Powdered sugar, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the center.

2. In a large bowl, combine butter, sugar, lemon zest and salt, using a wooden spoon to mash together. Mix in egg yolks, then whisk in flour. Whisk in lemon juice and milk.

3. In a small bowl, stir blueberry jam to loosen.

4. Using a whisk, electric mixer or electric beaters, beat egg whites to stiff peaks. Fold into batter.

5. Pour batter into a glass pie dish or shallow gratin dish and use a spoon to top with small dollops of jam. Bake until golden brown on top and just set (a wiggle in the center is fine), about 30 to 35 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes, then use a spoon to serve warm or room temperature with a dusting of powdered sugar.

One-Bowl Jam Doughnut Cake

Filled with fruity jam and dusted with cinnamon sugar, this easy Bundt cake resembles a giant jelly doughnut. Easily mixed in one bowl, it has a tender, cakey crumb that’s scented with nutmeg and vanilla, and its jammy core helps it stay moist for several days. Serve slices plain, with coffee or tea, or dolloped with whipped cream for a festive, simple-to-make dessert. — Melissa Clark

Yield: 10 to 12 servings. Total time: 3 hours 20 minutes.

Ingredients

For the topping:

1/4 cup/57 grams unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup/100 grams sugar

2 teaspoons/4 grams ground cinnamon

For the cake:

3/4 cup/180 milliliters whole milk

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons/141 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups/250 grams sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon fine sea or table salt

1 teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg

2 1/2 cups/313 grams all-purpose flour

3/4 cup/180 milliliters thick berry jam (such as blackberry, blueberry, raspberry or four fruit)

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Using some of the melted butter for the topping to generously brush the inside and sides of a Bundt pan.

2. Make the topping: In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and cinnamon. Use about a third of the cinnamon sugar to generously coat the inside of the buttered pan, reserving the rest of the melted butter and cinnamon sugar for finishing the cake.

3. Make the cake: In a large bowl, whisk together the whole milk, melted and cooled butter, eggs and vanilla extract until well combined. Whisk in sugar, baking powder, fine sea salt and nutmeg until smooth. Finally, whisk in the flour until just combined.

4. Use a spatula to scoop half of the batter into the buttered and sugared pan. Use a spoon to create an indent or hollow in the middle of the ring of batter. Spoon the jam into the hollow (there should be batter on both sides of the jam), making sure none of the jam touches the sides of the pan. (The cake may stick otherwise.) Spoon the remaining batter on top to cover the jam.

5. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the top is golden brown and springs back when lightly pressed. A cake tester should come out without any wet batter clinging to it. (There may be crumbs and jam adhering to the tester, and that’s fine.) Let cake cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Use a knife or offset spatula to loosen the cake from the pan and carefully flip upside down on a rack.

6. Brush the warm cake with the remaining melted butter and generously dust with more of the cinnamon sugar. Let cool for at least 2 hours before serving.