Old Fashion Apple Stack Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

• 5 or 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ sticks of unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup molasses
• 1 cup buttermilk

For the Apple Filling:

• 5 or 6 cups dried apples (or if you don't have dried, use fresh apples - about ½ peck or roughly 10 large apples of any cooking variety)
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 4 cups water (if using dried apples, if using fresh apples, use just enough water to start them cooking on low heat until they cook down)

Instructions:

For the Apple Filling:

1. If using dried apples, place them in a large pot with 4 cups of water. If using fresh apples, skip this step.
2. Add dark brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and ground ginger to the pot.
3. Cook the apples on low heat until they soften and cook down into a thick, jam-like consistency. This will take some time, be patient. Stir occasionally.
4. Once the apple filling is ready, remove it from the heat and allow it to cool.

For the Cake:

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. In a large bowl, sift together all the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt.
3. In another mixing bowl, combine the softened butter and granulated sugar. Blend them together until the mixture becomes airy and fluffy.
4. Add the room-temperature eggs individually, ensuring thorough mixing after each addition.
5. Stir in the molasses and buttermilk until the mixture is well combined.
6. Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet mixture, a little at a time, mixing until you have a smooth dough.
7. You can choose to chill the dough before rolling it out. When you're ready to roll, take a portion of the dough and roll it out to the desired thickness.
8. Use an 8-inch cake pan to cut out rounds of dough. Set these rounds onto a baking sheet.
9. Bake the dough rounds at 400°F, watching carefully to avoid burning. The rounds should be lightly browned and firm.
10. Repeat the process for all the dough rounds, using multiple baking sheets if needed.

Assembly:

1. Once the cake rounds have cooled, start assembling the stack cake.
2. Position a single cake round onto a serving platter.
3. Continue with this procedure, stacking cake rounds and spreading apple filling between them.
4. Save the prettiest cake round for the top layer; do not put apples on top.
5. It's essential to make the stack cake at least one day ahead, as it needs time to rest and allow the apple filling to soak into the cake layers.

Enjoy your Old Fashion Apple Stack Cake!