Appalachian Apple Stack Cake

Submitted by: MARGIE SABLE for New River Valley, VA

This recipe was in Bon Appetit, the April 2023 issue which featured Appalachia. I made it for my discussion group when we were studying Appalachia. My friend Anne Deaton told me that her mother-in-law in Kentucky used to make it. Some people stack it 12 layers high, but this recipe only requires six layers (thankfully)! It is extremely rich so only a small slice is necessary.

Appalachian Apple Stack Cake

Preparation Time: 2-3 hours; chill cake 8-12 hours
No. of Servings: 16
Cooking Time: 20-25 minutes

Ingredients:

• CAKE INGREDIENTS

  • 1 ¼ cups (2 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled, plus more for pans

  • 4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour (King Arthur recommended)

  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar

  • 1 Tbsp. baking powder

  • 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

  • 1 Tbsp. ground ginger

  • 1 tsp. ground allspice

  • 3 large eggs

  • 1 cup chilled buttermilk, preferably whole milk

  • 1 cup (300 g) sorghum syrup or pure corn syrup (I used molasses)

  • 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt

  • 2 tsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract (I used extract)

• FILLING AND ASSEMBLY

• 4 ½ cups store-bought apple butter (from about three 17 oz. jars, such as Eden Foods (I used Musselmans).

• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

• ¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg (I used ground nutmeg)

• 1/8 tsp. ground cloves

• 1/8 tsp. ground ginger

• 1 cup chilled heavy cream

• ½ cup chilled buttermilk, preferably whole milk

• ¼ tsp Diamond Crystal of Morten kosher salt

• 3 Tbsp. powdered sugar, plus more for dusting (I didn’t dust)

Instructions:

CAKE

Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 350. Butter three 9” diameter cake pans; line bottoms with parchment paper rounds. Whisk flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and allspice in large bowl to combine. Whisk eggs, buttermilk, sorghum syrup, salt, vanilla, and remaining 1/1/4 cups butter in a medium bowl just to combine. Add to dry ingredients, stirring with a rubber spatula until combined and smooth (batter will be thick). Divide among prepared pans (about 2 ¼ cups or 560 g per pan). Smooth surfaces with a small offset spatula.

Bake cakes, rotating pans top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until surfaces are pale golden, matte, and firm to the touch, 20-25 minutes. Transfer pans to wire racks set aside rimmed baking sheets and let cakes cool 15 minutes in pans. Run offset spatula around edges to loosen cakes, then invert out onto racks. Peel away parchment, discard. Chill cakes until cold, at least 45 minutes and up to 4 hours (this will make them easier to slice).

Do Ahead: Cakes can be baked 1 cay ahead. Wrap tightly in plastic and keep chilled. (Note: I baked them the same day and did not cool them in refrigerator).

FILLING AND ASSEMBLY:

Stir apple butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger in a small bowl to combine. Using a long serrated knife, remove and bumps or domed areas from cakes to create a flat and even surface on each. Slice each cake in half horizontally to make 6 layers (they will be very thin; you can stack them to help keep them intact while handling).

Place a cake layer, cut side up, on a platter or cake stand. Spread 2/3 cup apple butter mixture over. Repeat process with 4 more cake layers and apple butter mixture. Place final cake layer, cut side down, on top. Spread top and sides of cake with remaining apple butter mixture (it will be a thin coat). Cover cake with a cloche or large bowl or wrap loosely with plastic and chill 8-12 hours.

Just before serving, using an electric mixer on medium high, beat cream, buttermilk, salt and 3 Tbsp. powdered sugar in small bowl until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes. Dust top of cake with powdered sugar. Thinly slice and serve topped with whipped cream mixture.