Mommy made me one to take to work for a dinner. Whenever there was a gathering like a barn dance. The dried apple stack cake is a distinctive southern Appalachian cake. Apple stack cake is kin to Confederate old-fashioned stack cake, Tennessee mountain stack cake, and Kentucky pioneer washday cake, all which have been known to employ ginger and sweet sorghum molasses to great effect. No two bakers of stack cake go about it the same way, which means there's no definitive stack-cake recipe or technique. Unlike the traditional cake this cake is more of a layered stack of baked dough doused with your favorite center between each layer. 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter. In the Fall 2017 issue of Sift magazine you'll find stories and recipes from the traditions of Appalachian cooking, handed down in the families of the Mountain South. It is thought to have originated in the Beaumont Inn of Harrodsburg, Kentucky, by the early white settler James Harrod. This is the version Appalachian writer and cookbook author Sheri Castle has developed over three decades, and the recipe she plans to pass along to her daughter. Learn how and when to remove this template message, http://www.simplyappalachian.com/article/2014/10/apple-stack-cake, http://tennesseemountainstories.com/blog/2016/5/5/apple-stack-cake, http://www.appalachianhistory.net/2012/10/stack-cake.html, Further information on dried apple stack cakes, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stack_cake&oldid=987482075, Articles lacking in-text citations from December 2008, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 7 November 2020, at 09:59. Known by several names—dried apple cake, washday cake, gingerbread cake—the elements of an Appalachian apple stack cake are essentially the same: dried apples and hearty disks of dough are married; the apples stewed, spiced, mashed and spread atop each pancake-like layer. She took over from my aunt (grandmother’s sister), who took over the task from her mother. Top cake … Whenever there was a gathering like a barn dance. IL and my mom was also raised in Ark. It’s not terribly difficult to make, but it is time consuming. As for the part about neighbors bringing layers for a wedding cake, I believe this was most prominent during the war when food was rationed. As in pure Southern style, the number of layers was an indication of the popularity of the bride. Repeat layers four times; top with a sixth layer. That’s a new one to me. Repeat with the remaining layers. It can be topped with kruszonka (crumbles), meringue or a dusting of caster sugar. Here is a little history behind the "Stack Cake". Love any and all old old recipes if any one wanted to share, My Grandmother made these all the time. According to the Encyclopedia of Appalachia, "The dried apple stack cake was a favorite pioneer wedding cake. and enjoy it on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. —LeVa Clement, Jackson, Missouri My favorite recipe for the cake comes from “More than Moonshine: Appalachian Recipes and Recollections” by Sidney … This cake comes with a little history. It's not every day a tribe reclaims its place of origin. I spent some time in Knoxville and got to know firsthand how pleasant the people are and how proud they are to maintain the tradition of the However, I have never heard of them being made for weddings and never heard of neighbors bringing individual layers. August 2020. Traditionally, the cake would be made from apple slices that the home baker would have picked, prepped, and dried themselves. We make them in Ky. They’re so moist and delicious! Ruby's family lived in Kentucky, one of the mountain-dotted states in which impressive stack … Written by Sarah J. Grezlik. Whatever you call it, these things are yummy deliciousness! Some believe it’s an Appalachian Apple Stack Cake recipe that’s been passed down over the years. She also cooked “leather Britches” every Christmas from her Kentucky half-runners that she also dried in her attic. Remove cake layers from oven, and brush each with 2 to 3 Tbsp. The two main ingredients in addition to the apples for the unique flavor in her cake as in this one is the ginger and molasses. Consider the stack cake: many thin layers of sorghum-sweetened cake married together by thick, fragrant filling made from dried apples. When cool weather hits, apple desserts are some of the most requested treats of all. Some recipes call for sorghum molasses and spices, some dried apples that have been chopped and reconstituted in a saucy syrup, others use applesauce or apple butter between the layers. Cool cake layers in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Jill Sauceman with her traditional dried apple stack cake. It was a great hit. 1/3 cup buttermilk. Covered in a cake keeper or cake box, the cake will keep for up to three days at room temperature and five days in the refrigerator. Bake for 12 minutes, until firm. Spread evenly. Old Fashioned Stack Cake. When cool the cookies were ready to assemble with the dried apple mixture. Towering, Tempting Apple Stack Cake. 2. An apple stack more closely resembles a torte … You may know it as dried apple stack cake, Confederate old-fashioned stack cake or Kentucky pioneer wash day cake. Now, this is where I get my history of the apple stack cake recipe. Some of my grandmother’s ancestors came from Pennsylvania, Virginia, North and South Carolina. If desired, serve with additional apple butter. Smash Cake Recipes. the longer you waited, the more moist it was , and while I have had a few since thiers, none have tasted near as good. 1 teaspoon baking soda. Since apples were plentiful in Appalachia, pioneers used them to replace more expensive supplies that were traditionally used in European recipes. Lay 1 cake layer on a plate or platter and spread filling on top. The hallmark of cooking in the Mountain South is resourcefulness, making utterly delicious dishes from modest ingredients. I am from Kentucky and never heard of this. 1 cup apple cider. https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/old-fashioned-stack-cakes There is no cake perhaps no recipe more rooted in Appalachian mountain culture. My mother made apple stack cake and used a cast iron skillet for baking the layers of the cake in. Take the first layer of the stack cake and place on flat cake dish, spread apple butter between each layer. A wonderful article from Appalachian Heritage gives a history of the “DRIED APPLE STACK CAKE”.Mary Lou Kendrick shared her treasured family recipe with us for this amazing dessert. 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