Recipe: Dried Apple Stack Cake

Hello,

While visiting North Carolina last year, we were eating at a small family-owned restaurant when the owner came out and served this as a birthday cake to family friends.

Upon inquiring what it was she told me it was a Dried Apple Stack Cake. The layers of the cake are very thin and layered with the dried apple filling. She also told me that the longer the cake sits, the better it gets.

During the Depression era in the deep South, people would put up their vegetables and fruits that were harvested throughout the year for the long and harsh winters coming up. Apples were picked, washed and sliced and then strung up on string to dry out. One of the specialties of those days was the Stacked Apple Cake. Dried apple slices can be bought as I have seen them in plastic bags in Waynesville, NC Apple Orchard Bakery. Some people make the cake with chunky applesauce. At any rate, here is the recipe the lady was so kind to share with me.

APPLE STACK CAKE

This is an old-fashioned dried apple stack cake with cinnamon and ginger and molasses and dried apples.

6 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup molasses
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9-inch round baking pan.

Sift together flour, soda, baking powder, salt, ginger and cinnamon.

Cream shortening and sugar; add molasses and mix well. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla. Add buttermilk alternately with flour, mixing well.

Place dough on floured surface. Work in enough flour to make it easy to handle, but not stiff. Divide dough into 9 portions; shape into balls. Place 1 ball in prepared pan. Press dough with hand evenly over bottom of pan.

Bake at 350 degrees 15 to 18 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly before removing from the pan.

Continue the same process for each ball of dough. Same pans may be used again but grease each time. Stack layers with apple filling (below). Store cake in airtight container or wrap at least over night to for best flavor and moisture. Cake freezes well.

FILLING:
1 pound dried apples
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Wash and cook apples in water until tender. Drain then mash well; mix with sugars and cinnamon.