"My mother keeps telling me about a wonderful cake that her mother made in the 1950s that was her favorite birthday cake. She called it Japanese Layer Cake. It had three layers, two yellow layers and one that was a chocolate spice layer. It had a pineapple filling between the layers and had white icing. The chocolate layer and the filling are the unknowns."

ELLEN PHILLIPS, Tucker

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When the goddess received Phillips' inquiry, she realized she had stumbled on a variation of the famous Japanese Layer Cake, one she was unaware of. One that featured a chocolate layer.

For those unfamiliar with the classic Southern confection, part of a basic vanilla cake batter is doctored with aromatic spices, nuts and raisins and baked as layers separated by a citrus, coconut and pineapple filling. After being flooded with responses that featured the classic cake, the culinary queen quickly realized that the spice layer had either given the impression of being a chocolate because of it's darkened color, or Phillips' grandmother had taken her own liberties with the recipe, creatively adapting it for her own tastes as Anne Jones of Braselton says her mother did.

Jones writes, "My mother made another version of the classic Japanese Layer Cake, using a basic white or yellow cake which was then divided into thirds. One became a chocolate layer, one a spice layer and the third was the basic cake."

While we might never know the exact cake Phillips' grandmother made, the goddess thought it would be appropriate to reprint an updated version of this cake, which ran as part of a Southern Recipe Restoration project a couple of years ago.

After receiving multiple similar variations of this recipe, with several of the contributors lamenting that they no longer made it because it was too complicated, the Food & Drink section decided to produce a modern adaptation that would be relevant for today's cooks.

Atlanta culinary instructor Virginia Willis of our Saving Southern Food chefs panel writes: "My challenge was to marry these recipes into a well-written recipe with clear instructions for today's readers. Many of today's cooks are lucky to have two cake pans, much less four. So I reduced the number of layers and am also suggesting an option of making an orange marmalade filling using store-bought marmalade as well as using freshly whipped cream beaten until stiff with confectioners' sugar as an icing instead of the more traditional Boiled Icing or Seven-Minute Frosting."

The goddess would also like to acknowledge her many devoted disciples who wrote in with versions of the cake, including Susan Turner of McDonough, Evelyn Hurst, Lucinda Headrick, Anne B. Sarris and Annette Wade of Atlanta, Rae Mason of Norcross, Lois Townsend of Tucker, Lucy E. Bartlett of Tiger, Carol Sue Ravenel of Roswell, Marcia Taylor of Smyrna and Patricia S. Moulton of Decatur.

21st-Century Japanese Fruitcake
Makes 1 (8-inch) cake, about 12 servings

Hands on: 45 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Virginia Willis suggests as an alternative to the traditional filling a Shortcut Marmalade Filling: In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup marmalade with 1 cup grated coconut and 2 tablespoons slightly drained canned crushed pineapple.

For the cake
Nonstick baking spray
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans, plus more for decorating
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup whole milk, room temperature
4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups granulated sugar

For the Lemon-Coconut-Pineapple Filling
Zest and juice of 1 large lemon
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup grated fresh coconut or frozen coconut, defrosted
2 tablespoons canned crushed pineapple

For the frosting
2 cups heavy cream, well-chilled
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 heavy-duty 8-inch cake pans with nonstick baking spray. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk (yes, whisk, not sift!) the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine raisins, pecans, cinnamon, allspice and cloves. Toss 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture with the raisin mixture to coat (this will keep the raisins from sinking to the bottom of the cake). Set aside. In a large liquid measuring cup with a spout, combine milk, eggs and vanilla. Set aside.

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy and pale yellow, about 3 minutes. Add milk and flour mixtures, a little at a time and alternating between the two, stirring well after each addition, starting and ending with flour.

Remove 2 cups of the batter to the bowl of flour-tossed raisins and pecans. Stir to combine, and transfer to one of the prepared cake pans. Pour remaining plain batter into the other prepared pan. Bake until sides start to pull away from the pan and the cake springs back when touched, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove to a rack. When cool enough to touch, invert on a rack to cool completely.

While the cake is baking, make the Lemon-Coconut-Pineapple Filling: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the lemon zest and juice, sugar, water and cornstarch, and stir until smooth. Add coconut and pineapple, and stir to combine. Cook until mixture thickens and drops from spoon in lumps, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool, and set aside. (Or make the Shortcake Marmalade Filling as suggested above.) Also, meanwhile, chill the bowl of the mixer and the whisk in the freezer until cold.

Once the cakes have cooled completely, place the vanilla layer on a cake plate. Using a paring knife or fork, pierce the top of the cake all over so the filling will seep into the cake. Spoon the Lemon-Coconut-Pineapple Filling (or Shortcut Marmalade Filling) over the cake, using as much filling as necessary, starting at the middle and spreading it to about 1 inch from the edge. Top with the second, spiced layer. Set aside.

Just before serving, remove the chilled bowl and whisk from the freezer, and place on the stand of a heavy-duty mixer. Add the cream and turn the mixer to high. While the heavy cream is mixing, add the confectioners' sugar, a little at a time, and beat until stiff peaks form, 3 to 5 minutes. Do not overbeat.

Using an offset spatula, lightly coat the assembled cake with a thin layer of whipped cream to protect against crumbs in the frosting. Finish with remaining whipped cream. Garnish with additional pecans, coconut and raisins, if desired. Store in the refrigerator until serving.

Per serving: 757 calories (percent of calories from fat, 45), 8 grams protein, 99 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 38 grams fat (22 grams saturated), 170 milligrams cholesterol, 223 milligrams sodium.