Traditional Appalachian Apple Stack-Cake
As the end of summer draws near, we all look forward to cooler days gathered around a table with family and friends. I wanted to share a fall favorite from my childhood in the hills of Eastern Kentucky. Life in the mountains was not always easy. The folk there had to learn how to do for themselves or do without. Almost every homestead had fruit trees. My grandfather’s orchid had five varieties of apple trees. Each variety had a purpose for which it was best suited, from eating fresh to making apple butter, to drying. My mom would save dried apples in mason jars and use them for baking. For us, the smell of mom’s Appalachian Apple Stack Cake meant that the holidays and a huge family gathering were at hand.
What Is a Stack-Cake?
A stack cake is a traditional Appalachian cake made from layers of ginger-flavored cake, and either apple sauce or cooked dried apples. Stack Cakes were a staple for holiday dinners and made use of such farm-grown products as molasses, fresh eggs, buttermilk, homemade butter, and rendered lard. The recipes varied from family to family, giving each cake a unique flavor. Most of those ladies made their cakes from memory, and recipes were not written down. Young girls learned to bake these cakes by watching another person. I hope that you enjoy this old-fashioned dessert.
Ingredients:
Note: If you want your cake layers to be softer, use 4 1/2 cups of flour. If you want them to be a bit firmer, like a cookie, use the full 5 cups. I use 5 cups of flour in mine. My mom liked hers a bit softer. The texture of Appalachian Apple Stack Cake varied from recipe to recipe.
Wet Ingredients
- ½ cup dark molasses
- ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
- ½ cup lard (or vegetable shortening)
- ½ cup butter (softened to room temperature)
- ½ cup buttermilk (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
Dry Ingredients
- 4 1/2 cups plain (all-purpose) flour; plus 1/2 cup if you want to make your cakes a bit firmer. See Note.
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
Directions for Making Cakes
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour well 4 medium-sized iron skillets (or six, 9-inch-round cake pans). You will have to bake two skillets at a time, or three cake pans at a time. Note: I use Baker’s Joy to spray my pans, then sprinkle with flour.
- Cream together: butter, lard, and sugar. Beat eggs and add to mixture. Stir in the molasses and buttermilk. Set aside.
- In a separate large mixing bowl: sift together: flour, spices, baking soda, and salt. Stir together all dry ingredients. Make a well in the middle of dry ingredients.
4. The “well” in the center of ingredients allows you to mix in wet ingredients slowly and evenly, avoiding dry pockets within your dough. Add wet ingredients into the well and incorporate the wet mixture using a large spoon slowly into the dry ingredients (You can also mix the dough with your hands. I find this easier when incorporating flour mixture into the dough).
Don’t overwork the batter, stir just until combined.
The batter will be similar to a cookie, or scone, dough.
5. Turn dough out onto floured wax paper. Shape dough into six equal pieces. Pat out the dough until it is about the same diameter as your pan (you may also use a rolling pin to gently flatten the dough).
Moving Your Dough to Pans & Baking
6. Invert one of your pans over the wax paper and dough. Slide one hand under the wax paper, lifting the dough and pan together. Invert the pan again, to an upright position. Your dough should now be resting in your pan. Gently use your fingers to spread the dough out evenly to the edge of the skillet. Use a knife to go around the edge of the dough to prevent it from sticking to the sides of the pan. Repeat until you have placed one flattened piece of dough into each of the waiting skillets.
7. Bake at 350 degrees, for about 6 to 8 minutes (or until the top of the cake springs back at the touch, or when a toothpick inserted comes out clean). The cakes will be firmer than regular cakes, similar to a large cookie. Let the cake cool enough to turn out on a cooling rack. Sat aside.
Dried Apple Topping: Ingredients
- 4 ½ cups dried apples; chopped
- ¾ cup brown sugar; packed
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ground cloves (just a pinch)
- 1 tablespoon of molasses
- 3 cups apple cider, or apple juice
- 1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
- ½ cup apple juice + 2 teaspoons corn starch
Directions for Making the Apple Topping for Your Appalachian Apple Stack Cake
1. Mix together and set aside: ½ cup apple juice + 2 teaspoons corn starch
2. In a medium to large saucepan: Stir brown sugar into the apples. Add cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Add enough juice to cover the apples. Let sit for fifteen minutes.
3. Next cook the apple mixture over medium-low heat. Stir your apples often. Cook apples until they are soft (about 30 to 40 minutes). If it seems that the apples are cooking too fast, you may have to adjust the heat a bit lower. Add a bit of juice as needed. You don’t want your apples to scorch.
4. Once the apples are soft, remove them from heat. Carefully use a potato masher to mash the apples. Stir in the apple juice/corn starch mixture. Return the apples to heat until they are thickened. Stir constantly.
Constructing Your Apple Stack Cake
On a large round plate, or cake plate, carefully place one of your cakes. Top with about 1/6 of your apple topping. Repeat layers, ending with topping. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Notes
If you do not have dried apples: You can use 3 cups of unsweetened apple sauce, plus two fresh apples (peeled and diced). Add the spices. Cook the apple sauce on low, for fifteen minutes, or until the apple chunks are soft. Add the juice/cornstarch mixture to the apples. Return to the heat until it has thickened. Stir constantly and watch closely until the topping has thickened. Carefully remove it from heat to cool. Add apple topping to cakes, and stack in repeated layers.
- I divided the recipe for my cake. I wanted my cake to be three stacks high.
- Vegetable butter can be substituted for shortening.
Best Apples for Drying
Dried apples can often be found at farmer’s markets and health food stores. If you would like to dry your own you can visit Minneopa Orchard for a list of apples that are good for drying. You can use apple sauce or apple butter if dried apples are not an option.
You Can Do It!
This recipe may appear complicated where I broke it into so many steps. I wanted even a novice baker to be able to recreate and enjoy this traditional apple stack cake.
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The recipe for the Appalachian Apple Stack Cake will be printed as full-size pages. If you are like me, you always end up tweaking a recipe to make it your own. I wanted to leave room for writing notes. Enjoy apple season and the upcoming holidays.
Thank you for stopping by,
Vikki
I love seeing this stack cake recipe. My Pike County, Ky grandmother always made this at Christmas. Wish I could have watched her make one.
Thank you. I always loved helping my mom make ours for the holidays. Right now, I am in Texas, waiting for the arrival of our first grandbaby. When I get home, I am hoping to make a trip to an apple orchid to get apples for drying. I am already looking forward to a stack cake for Christmas.