Appalachian Stack Cake With Apple Bourbon Sauce Recipes

OLD-FASHIONED STACK CAKE WITH APPALACHIAN APPLE BUTTER FILLING

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 6 (9-inch) cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line bottoms of pans with parchment paper, and spray parchment paper with cooking spray.
• 2. In a medium bowl, beat shortening and sugar at medium speed with a mixer until creamy. Add buttermilk, molasses, egg and vanilla, beating well. In a large bowl, combine flour, ginger, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Make a well in center of flour mixture. Add shortening mixture, stirring just until combined.
• 3. On a lightly floured surface, form dough into a log; cut into six equal portions. Place one portion in each prepared pan, and use fingers to lightly pat dough to edges of pans. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks. Cake will have the consistency of a gingerbread cookie.
• 4. Cook time: Depends on how big you want your stack. This recipe makes one 9-inch cake with six stacks. Three stacks were baked simultaneously for 10 to 12 minutes The filling (recipe below) takes about an hour. Allow 24 hours for the cake to chill in the refrigerator.
• 5. Make filling: In large saucepan, combine dried fruit and all dry ingredients. Add enough liquid to cover. Bring to a low boil and cook, stirring often, for 45 minutes. Remove from heat, and let stand for 10 minutes or until cooled slightly. Transfer to the work bowl of a food processor or container of a blender; process until smooth. Use while still warm.
• 6. 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. Repeat procedure with remaining layers and fruit butter filling, stacking each on previous layer. Do not spread fruit butter filling on top layer. Cover and refrigerate cake for at least 24 hours. Just before serving, dust with confectioners' sugar.

APPLE STACK CAKE

Steps:

• Place apples and water in a 6-qt. stockpot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 40-45 minutes or until apples are softened, stirring occasionally. Mash into a chunky sauce. Stir in brown sugar and pie spice; simmer, uncovered, 10-15 minutes longer or until liquid is absorbed and sauce is thickened. Cool completely., Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition., Divide dough into 8 portions; shape each into a disk. Cut out eight 9-in. circles of parchment. With a floured rolling pin, roll out a dough disk to fit each parchment circle. Transfer to baking sheets. Bake until golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely., Place1 layer on a serving plate; spread with 2/3 cup filling. Repeat layers. Top with remaining cake layer, wrap tightly in plastic wrap; refrigerate 1-2 days or until layers soften. If desired, sprinkle cake with confectioner's sugar.

APPLE BOURBON BUNDT CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan. In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons bourbon and the candied ginger. Let stand 10 minutes.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the brown sugar and remaining butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, until incorporated.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining flour with the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream and vanilla. Pour in the bourbon from the ginger mixture (reserve ginger) and whisk until smooth. Stir in zest.
• With the mixer on medium speed, add the dry mixture and sour cream mixture to the wet mixture in three additions, alternating between the two. Fold in the ginger, apples and pecans. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the cake is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the cake comes out dry, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool in the pan 20 minutes, then run a paring knife around the sides of the pan to release the cake; cool, flat side down, on a wire rack.
• While the cake cools, combine the 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup whiskey in a small saucepan. Over low heat, gently stir until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the lemon juice and take off the heat.
• While the cake cools, make 10 slits on top with a paring knife and pour half the bourbon-sugar mixture on the still-warm cake. When the cake is fully cool, flip it and pour the rest of the glaze on the other side, then flip again to serve.