Whatever you call it, these things are yummy deliciousness! We used sorghum molasses for sweetener and we make six layers. Dave leads the excellent blog Appalachian History, which features stories, quotes and anecdotes from Appalachia, with an emphasis on the Depression era. thank you for this stack cake recipe. You may know it as dried apple stack cake, Confederate old-fashioned stack cake or Kentucky pioneer wash day cake. Apple Stack Cake should be on the menu. She said her mother called it a ‘lassy (molasses) fruitcake. Learn how the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians took back "…, My father did all our noses with butter and i am 74. No two bakers of stack cake go about it the same way, which means there's no definitive stack-cake recipe or technique, only a common concept and love for the simple dessert. My mom loved to bake this sky-high apple stack cake. Because cakes were so expensive back in the days of old. Neighbors, according to folk wisdom, would each bring a layer of the cake to the bride’s family, which they spread with apple filling as they arrived. Apple Stack Cake is a southern Appalachian novelty, individually cooked layers of almost cookie like cake stacked with cooked apples in between. I’m not fond of the thick layers… Grandma made stack cake her whole life. The dried apple stack cake is one of the most popular southern Appalachian cakes— no surprise considering apples are found aplenty in the mountains. My mother usually made 4 of these at a time. Bake for 12 minutes, until firm. An apple stack cake is a traditional Appalachian dessert featuring a thick dried apple filling spread between layers of sorghum-sweetened cake. 1 teaspoon baking powder. 1/3 cup buttermilk. I have never heard of the stack cake before today. She’s promised to teach me how to make it. Apple Stack Cakes were originally used as wedding cakes in the Appalachian Mountains. The resulting texture is thick and tactile on the palate. 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. 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. they also put it on top of thiers, while your receipe did not. 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. From on High: Elegance & Exclusion on Mill Mountain. Friends and family each bring a layer for the cake, and the bride's family spreads apple preserves, dried apples, or apple butter between each layer. May 30, 2020 - Explore Carolyn Centers's board "Apple stack cake" on Pinterest. They also put the cake up for several gays before it was cut. “Some food historians say that James Harrod, the colonist and farmer who founded Harrodsburg in 1774, brought the stack cake to Kentucky from his home in Pennsylvania,” observes Mark F. Sohn in Appalachian Home Cooking: History, Culture, and Recipes. Can’t wait to talk with her and ask if she’s heard of this interesting cake. 5 cups all-purpose flour. Apple cake called szarlotka or jabłecznik is a common traditional dessert in Poland, made from sweetcrust pastry and spiced apple filling. Whenever there was a gathering like a barn dance. Transfer a piece of cake batter to a prepared pan and pat into an even layer. Repeat with the remaining cake layers and filling. A few of the more common flavorings used were ginger, apple and molasses. Like all apple stack cakes, Ronni Lundy’s version tastes best after it has “cured” for two to three days. An apple stack more closely resembles a torte … 2. 1/3 cup buttermilk. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Simpler times with wonderful memories!!! History of the Apple Stack Cake: The Apple Stack Cake was central to Appalachian celebrations. And it takes three days for the juices from the apple filling to soak into the layers. At holidays and weddings, early mountain settlers traditionally served stack cake in lieu of more fancy, and costly, cakes. IL and my mom was also raised in Ark. 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. This step gives the layers and the apple filling a chance to marry, and also solidifies the cake … Each invited family was to bake a layer for the cake, adding it to the base as they arrived on the day of the wedding with the bride’s family providing the filling. The cake is many layered, low in fat, and not sweet. Saved by Dee Beerman. See more ideas about Apple stack cake, How to stack cakes, Stack cake recipe. and enjoy it on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. It was a great hit. It’s made with layers of stiff cookie like dough flavored with ginger and sorghum and spread with a spiced apple filling. The history of the people of Pennsylvania will lead us to Germany. Apple stack cake comes out of a preservation culture of the Tennessee mountains. 5 cups all-purpose flour. The practice of stack cake creation in the region has all but disappeared (at least to those looking from outside the region). Families would each prepare a layer of this special ginger and molasses cake to donate to the shindig. At Appalachian weddings back in the day, it was common for guests to bring a layer of cake to celebrate the newly married couple. It always was placed in a container with a raised edge to hold the liquid, was covered with a lid or cover, always sat in a cool spot for two or three days so the moisture was absorbed by the cake. Apple stack cake is a holiday tradition for many families in Appalachia. Family cookbooks are an important way to preserve our mealtime traditions for future generations with individual printed recipes or your own professionally printed cookbook. 1 teaspoon baking powder. Regardless of how it got to Appalachia, it's origin is probably based on Eastern European tortes. for a short time. If you've never tasted this traditional Appalachian creation, you're missing out. My mother made apple stack cake and used a cast iron skillet for baking the layers of the cake in. After all, wedding cakes were costly, and there was always an abundance of apples in the region. 1 teaspoon baking soda. Take the first layer of the stack cake and place on flat cake dish, spread apple butter between each layer. 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter. (Reserve remaining glaze.) Apple cakes, apple pies, apples breads…the list is endless. My great aunt made the BEST stack cake.! Written by Sarah J. Grezlik. 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 For a more involved version, try the Dried Apple Stack Cake recipe from p. 267-270 Appalachian Home Cooking: History, Culture, and Recipes by Mark F. Sohn, 2005. Consider the stack cake: many thin layers of sorghum-sweetened cake married together by thick, fragrant filling made from dried apples. Ive been making them for 25 years, taking over the task from my mother. When cool weather hits, apple desserts are some of the most requested treats of all. Written by Sarah J. Grezlik. she had apple trees and dried her own apples and my grand father raised syrup cane and made his own syrup so Granny had the real ingredience. Transfer a piece of cake batter to a prepared pan and pat into an even layer. 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 apple stack cake. My East Tennessee Grandmother made a apple stack cake every Christmas, she used apples that were dried in her attic every summer. Refrigerate, covered, until serving. The cake actually looks like a stack … We looked forward to them. Repeat with the remaining layers. We make them in Ky. They’re so moist and delicious! Cover and refrigerate cake for at least 24 hours. Personal Celebration. Spread evenly. ‎Stack cake is a simple game where you stack up whole cakes. I remember that some folks spread the apple butter up the sides of the cake as well, but my family did not, because they kept the cake moist for several days by wrapping it in a large white muslin square, saved just for that purpose. warm Apple Cider Glaze. It was said that the number of cake layers the bride got determined how popular she was. Explore. In restaurants and cafes it is usually served hot with whipped cream and coffee. 1 1/2 cups apple butter (store-bought or see page 253) For the Cake. 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. West Virginia Apple Butter Stack Cake recipe by , is from "THE COLLECTION", one of the cookbooks created at FamilyCookbookProject.com. We also make different stack cakes with strawberries and cream cheese, peaches, lemon, and vinegar. Remove cake layers from oven, and brush each with 2 to 3 Tbsp. This step gives the layers and the apple filling a chance to marry, and also solidifies the cake … West Virginia Apple Butter Stack Cake recipe by , is from "THE COLLECTION", one of the cookbooks created at FamilyCookbookProject.com. They used cast iron skillets for making the cake as well as home dried apples (we had a couple of apple trees including Granny Smith and Yellow Transparent Apples). The recipe I used came from page 165-166 of Southern Appalachian Farm Cooking: A Memoir of Food and Family by Robert G. Netherland, 2016. To assemble, add a cake layer to a serving plate and top with a layer of apple filling. 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. Then students called to remove it. More. Some darker than others. One of the woman I worked with said look over there. I think of Apple Stack Cake as the fanciest of traditional Appalachian cakes. Select images used from other sources and remain the property of their copyright owners. Repeat with remaining layers, finishing by spreading filling on the top and sides of the cake. Later, a dusting of confectioners' sugar is the only topping you'll need. The resulting texture is thick and tactile on the palate. Repeat with the remaining layers. Like all apple stack cakes, Ronni Lundy’s version tastes best after it has “cured” for two to three days. may know apple stack cake as a homey regional specialty that sometimes bears the name of the state It is thought to have originated in the Beaumont Inn of Harrodsburg, Kentucky, by the early white settler James Harrod. Cool cake layers in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. It is thought to have originated in the Beaumont Inn of Harrodsburg, Kentucky, by the early white settler James Harrod. I’ve known Apple Stack Cake to be the classic cake of Appalachia and Appalachian people, highlighting their frugality, sense of community, and excellent taste in cakes. Love any and all old old recipes if any one wanted to share, My Grandmother made these all the time. 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Although the Appalachian area of this country has popularized the apple stack cake name, it seems their original recipe came from Pennsylvania. Here is a little history behind the "Stack Cake". The Roanoke Times: What Does “Appalachian Food” Mean Anymore? However, I have never heard of them being made for weddings and never heard of neighbors bringing individual layers. Now I’ve seen a lot of posts about apple stack cake. The watercolor painting of the stack cake on the wall was done by Nancy Jane Earnest. Using a cake spatula, spread the glaze evenly over the outside of the cake. The dried apple stack cake is a distinctive southern Appalachian cake. Photo Provided by TheBittenWord.com on Flickr. She always had lots of dried apples to make the apple butter. 1 1/2 cups apple butter (store-bought or see page 253) For the Cake. https://www.splendidtable.org/story/2013/10/22/kentucky-apple-stack-cake She took over from my aunt (grandmother’s sister), who took over the task from her mother. No two bakers of stack cake go about it the same way, which means there's no definitive stack-cake recipe or technique. my mother-in-law and her mother used to bake a cake that they called Molasses and Applebuttercake. If desired, serve with additional apple butter. It looks like a stack of thick pancakes, with apple preserves, dried apples or apple butter spread between each layer. 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. Whenever there was a gathering like a barn dance. It’s from an old-fashioned stack cake recipe that uses sorghum molasses in the batter and it’s frosted with a spiced applesauce mixture. My mom and dad (who learned it from his mom and her sister – both of whom were great bakers noted for these cakes & their lemon meringue & chocolate pies) made one for every Christmas. Friends and neighbors would bring in cake layers to donate to the bride’s family, and the family would spread the apple filling on the layers as they arrived. The bride’s family would then spread the apple butter between each layer as the stack was built up. To assemble, place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread with 2 tablespoons apple butter. 1/4 cup applejack, apple brandy, or bourbon. Today’s guest blogger, Dave Tabler, shares the origins of this popular dessert along with a recipe that will leave your mouth watering and your feet running to the kitchen. Because cakes were so expensive back in the days of old. To put cake together, place one cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand; spread with about 3/4 cup warm fruit butter filling. May 22, 2013 - Old Fashioned Stack Cake My mother always made these at Christmas. . The greater the numbe… As in pure Southern style, the number of layers was an indication of the popularity of the bride. The Dried Apple Stack Cake layer we make are very hard and brittle after cooling, like a cookie. Kentucky Apple Stack Cake--Traditional Version I can't say enough about the deliciousness and simple beauty of this historic cake, which has its roots in nineteenth-century Appalachia. Let cool completely. Appalachian Stack Cake is a perfect example of a celebration cake unique to mountain baking. As more guests would arrive, cake layers in tow, the family would stack the layers — with a sweet apple mixture between — to create a large traditional mountain dessert: apple stack cake. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. 1/4 cup applejack, apple brandy, or bourbon. 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