Dried-Apple Stack Cakes

Name: Dried-Apple Stack Cakes
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 9 ounces unsulfured dried apples (4 cups); 4 cups unfiltered apple cider; 3 cups water; ½ teaspoon ground mace; 6 tablespoons packed light brown sugar; ½ cup whole milk; ½ tablespoon cider vinegar; 2 cups all-purpose flour; ½ teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon ground ginger; ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves; 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened; 6 tablespoons packed light brown sugar; ½ cup molasses (not robust or blackstrap); 1 large egg; 2 pans muffin pans; 1 serving whipped cream

A delightful layered cake made with spiced gingerbread-like cake layers filled with a rich dried apple purée. Each mini stack cake is aged for two days to develop deep, complex flavors combining molasses, warm spices, and sweet apples.

12 servings

2 hr 50 min

Published October 4, 2025

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Ingredients

•9 ounces unsulfured dried apples (4 cups)
•4 cups unfiltered apple cider
•3 cups water
•½ teaspoon ground mace
•6 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
•½ cup whole milk
•½ tablespoon cider vinegar
•2 cups all-purpose flour
•½ teaspoon baking soda
•½ teaspoon salt
•½ teaspoon ground ginger
•⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
•6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
•6 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
•½ cup molasses (not robust or blackstrap)
•1 large egg
•2 pans muffin pans
•1 serving whipped cream

Cooking Instructions

1.
Simmer all filling ingredients and a pinch of salt in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot, uncovered, stirring occasionally and mashing apples with a potato masher as they soften, until a thick purée forms, about 1 1/2 hours. Cool completely.
90 min
2.
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter muffin cups.
10 min
3.
Stir together milk and vinegar and let stand 10 minutes to curdle.
10 min
4.
Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, and cloves.
5 min
5.
Beat butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in molasses and egg. At low speed, add flour mixture in 3 batches alternately with curdled milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until each addition is just incorporated. Spread 1 heaping tablespoon batter in each muffin cup and bake just until a wooden pick inserted in center of a cake comes out clean with some crumbs adhering, 11 to 13 minutes. Cool 5 minutes in pans on racks, then invert onto racks to cool completely.
25 min
6.
Spread about 2 tablespoons filling on top of 1 cake and invert another cake over filling, then spread a heaping tablespoon filling on top. Make 11 more stacks (you will have about 2 cups filling left over). Transfer to an airtight container and chill at least 2 days for flavors to develop. Bring to room temperature before serving.
30 min

Dried-Apple Stack Cakes

12 servings

2 hr 50 min

Published October 4, 2025

Be the first to rate this recipe

Ingredients

•9 ounces unsulfured dried apples (4 cups)

•4 cups unfiltered apple cider

•3 cups water

•½ teaspoon ground mace

•6 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

•½ cup whole milk

•½ tablespoon cider vinegar

•2 cups all-purpose flour

•½ teaspoon baking soda

•½ teaspoon salt

•½ teaspoon ground ginger

•⅛ teaspoon ground cloves

•6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

•6 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

•½ cup molasses (not robust or blackstrap)

•1 large egg

•2 pans muffin pans

•1 serving whipped cream

Cooking Instructions

Simmer all filling ingredients and a pinch of salt in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot, uncovered, stirring occasionally and mashing apples with a potato masher as they soften, until a thick purée forms, about 1 1/2 hours. Cool completely.

90 min

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter muffin cups.

10 min

Stir together milk and vinegar and let stand 10 minutes to curdle.

10 min

Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, and cloves.

5 min

Beat butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in molasses and egg. At low speed, add flour mixture in 3 batches alternately with curdled milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until each addition is just incorporated. Spread 1 heaping tablespoon batter in each muffin cup and bake just until a wooden pick inserted in center of a cake comes out clean with some crumbs adhering, 11 to 13 minutes. Cool 5 minutes in pans on racks, then invert onto racks to cool completely.

25 min

Spread about 2 tablespoons filling on top of 1 cake and invert another cake over filling, then spread a heaping tablespoon filling on top. Make 11 more stacks (you will have about 2 cups filling left over). Transfer to an airtight container and chill at least 2 days for flavors to develop. Bring to room temperature before serving.

30 min