This apple stack cake recipe is a simple yet elegant pastry with eight thin layers of dense cake nestled between an aromatic spiced apple mixture. Apple stack cake, often called Appalachian apple stack cake, has roots linked to the northeastern mountainous area, where it’s a celebratory dessert usually consumed during weddings, holidays or other special occasions.
Unsurprisingly, this dessert is often reserved for special occasions, as it requires special care and attention to put together. Fortunately, it’s much easier to prepare than it looks. However, it’ll require a bit of patience as it takes up to a day or two of refrigeration for the dessert to come to completion. Rest assured, it’s worth the extra time and effort.
Ingredients for Apple Stack Cake
- Dried apples:Â Dried apples are steeped in water until soft and tender to form a chunky sauce layered between the cake.
- Brown sugar and apple pie spice:Â These ingredients give the apple mixture a warm and aromatic flavor.
- Butter and sugar: Creaming butter and sugar until light and fluffy makes the cake layers sweet and helps bind the ingredients together.
- Eggs: Add the eggs one at a time to ensure that they’re fully incorporated into the mixture.
- Vanilla extract:Â Opt for high-quality vanilla extract, which gives the cake layers their warm, comforting flavor.
- All-purpose flour, baking powder and baking soda: These ingredients form the foundation of the cake layers and ensure the dough maintains its dense cookie-like texture as it bakes.
- Buttermilk:Â Buttermilk adds a subtle tanginess and helps hydrate the dough.
- Confectioners’ sugar: Although optional, dusting the apple stack cake with confectioners’ sugar adds an elegant touch to the dessert.
Directions
Step 1: Prepare the apple mixture
Place the apples and water in a 6-quart stockpot and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 40 to 45 minutes or until the apples are softened, stirring occasionally. Mash them into a chunky sauce. Stir in the brown sugar and pie spice; simmer, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes longer or until the liquid is absorbed and the sauce is thickened. Cool it completely.
Step 2: Make the cake
Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, five to seven minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. In another bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and baking soda and add them to the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beating well after each addition.
Step 3: Roll out the dough
Divide the dough into eight portions; shape each into a disk. Cut out eight 9-inch circles of parchment. With a floured rolling pin, roll out a dough disk to fit each parchment circle. Transfer them to baking sheets. Bake them until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove them from the pans to wire racks to cool completely.
Step 4: Assemble the cake
Place one layer on a serving plate; spread with two-thirds of a cup of filling. Repeat the layers. Top with the remaining cake layer and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the cake for one to two days or until the layers soften. If desired, sprinkle the cake with confectioner’s sugar.
Apple Stack Cake Variations
- Add more spices: Although the apple mixture calls for only apple pie spice, don’t let that stop you from experimenting with other ingredients in your spice collection, such as clove.
- Use fresh apples: Instead of dried apples, prepare the mixture using peeled, fresh slices of baking apples.
- Layer the cake with apple butter: Prepare a batch of homemade apple butter to spread between the cake layers of this recipe for apple stack cake for a denser, richer consistency.
- Sweeten the dough with molasses, sorghum syrup or cane syrup: These sweetening agents give the dough a deeper, richer flavor.
How to Store Apple Stack Cake
Store the apple stack cake wrapped tightly in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 7 to 10 days.
Can you freeze apple stack cake?
Freeze the apple stack cake wrapped tightly in plastic wrap for up to eight months. Let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight or for a few days before serving.
Apple Stack Cake Tips
How many cake layers can you stack?
This recipe calls for a stack of eight cake layers. The thinness of each layer makes it easier to stack; however, you can do less or more. Ensure the apple mixture is uniformly to reach the outer perimeter of each layer—and isn’t solely concentrated in the center—to help create a balanced apple stack cake that doesn’t slump on the sides.
Should you soak apples before baking?
Soaking the dried apples for an hour or two before boiling can help rehydrate them and expedite the apple mixture-making process.
How long will it take the cake layers to soften?
As the assembled cake sits in the refrigerator, it soaks up the excess moisture from the apple mixture, which takes roughly one to two days.
