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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 12 Minutes |
Ready In: 12 Minutes Servings: 12 |
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Ingredients:
tennessee stack cake |
this recipe came to us from andrea hall of puyallup, wash.—and was a $1,000 prize winner in our lost recipes contest. |
why this recipe won: good things come to patient cooks, as this cake must sit for an entire day before being served. during that time, the oversized sugar cookies soak up moisture from the apple butter and become tender and cake-like. |
recipe history: appalachian specialty known by various names, including apple stack cake, pioneer stack cake, and washday stack cake. |
secret ingredient: homemade apple butter. |
what our winner says: my grandmother (mom-mom) was born in 1917 into, a family of ten in lone mountain, tenn. baking day was saturday, and dried apple rings were brought down from the attic, where they had been hung every fall, reserved mainly for use in this special cake. the baked cake was placed on the dining room table to cool, then covered with a clean tablecloth to keep the flies off. mom-mom remembers how she loved to go downstairs on sunday morning and see the large hump under the cloth where the stack cake lay. the anticipation was heightened by the fact that the cake could not be eaten until after sunday dinner, and all |
Directions:
1. Be sure to let the cake set at least 24 hours, as the moisture from the filling transforms the texture of the cookie-like layers into a tender apple-flavored cake.
2. Filling
3. 3 (6 ounce) bags dried apples
4. 1 cup packed light brown sugar
5. 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
6. 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
7. 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
8. Layers
9. 6 cups all-purpose flour
10. 1 tablespoon baking powder
11. 1 teaspoon baking soda
12. 1/4 teaspoon Salt
13. 1/2 cup buttermilk
14. 2 large eggs
15. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
16. 16 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened
17. 2 cups granulated sugar
18. Confectioners' sugar for dusting
19. 1. For the filling: Bring apples and water to cover to boil in medium saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer until apples are completely softened, about 10 minutes. Drain apples and let cool until just warm, about 15 minutes. Puree apples in food processor until smooth. Transfer to bowl and stir in sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. (Filling can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
20. 2. For the layers: Adjust oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. Whisk buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla in large measuring cup.
21. 3. With electric mixer at medium-high speed, beat butter and granulated sugar in large bowl until fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as necessary. Add one-third of flour mixture and beat on medium-low speed until just incorporated, about 30 seconds. Add half of buttermilk mixture and beat on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl as necessary and repeat with half of remaining flour mixture, remaining buttermilk mixture, and remaining flour mixture. Give bowl a final scrape. (Dough will be thick.)
22. 4. Divide dough into 8 equal portions. Working with 2 portions at a time, roll each out into 10-inch circle about 1/4 inch thick. Using 9-inch cake pan as template, trim away excess dough to form two perfectly round 9-inch disks. Transfer disks to prepared baking sheets and bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating and switching baking sheets halfway through baking time. Transfer disks to rack and cool completely, at least 1 hour. Repeat with remaining dough. (Layers can be wrapped tightly in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.)
23. 5. Place 1 layer on serving plate and spread with 1 cup filling. Repeat 6 times. Top with final layer, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until layers soften, at least 24 hours or up to 2 days. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve.
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