Name: Appalachian Apple Stack Cake
Total time: 1 hr 45 minutes (plus 45 minute chill time)
Yield: 8–12 servings
Ingredients: 1¼ cups (2½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled, plus more for pans; 4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour (preferably King Arthur); 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar; 1 Tbsp. baking powder; 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon; 1 Tbsp. ground ginger; 1 tsp. ground allspice; 3 large eggs; 1 cup chilled buttermilk, preferably whole milk; 1 cup (300 g) sorghum syrup or pure cane syrup; 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt; 2 tsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract; 4½ cups store-bought apple butter (from about three 17-oz. jars, such as Eden Foods); 1 tsp. ground cinnamon; ¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg; ⅛ tsp. ground cloves; ⅛ tsp. ground ginger; 1 cup chilled heavy cream; ½ cup chilled buttermilk, preferably whole milk; ¼ tsp. Diamond Crystal or Morton kosher salt; 3 Tbsp. powdered sugar, plus more for dusting

Slice of appalachian apple cake topped with whipped cream with the entire cake behind it and a bowl of whipped cream on...

Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Dayna Seman

A celebratory cake if ever there was one, this cozy, comforting cake is ubiquitous at weddings and holidays in Virginia. When she makes it for herself, pastry chef Lisa Donovan uses homemade apple butter and stacks the cake 12 layers high. This version, made with store-bought apple butter and half the layers, is easier and just as rewarding. If you can’t find sorghum syrup, cane syrup makes a fine substitute, just steer clear of honey or maple syrup as their viscosity varies too much.

What you’ll need

Eden Foods Apple Butter (3 Pack)
$39 At Amazon
9" Round Cake Pan
$20 $17 At Amazon
Round Parchment Paper Baking Sheets
$12 $9 At Amazon
Small Offset Spatula
$9 At Amazon
Wire Cooling Rack
$18 At Amazon
Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls, Set of 6
$39 $36 At Amazon
Electric Mixer
$40 At Amazon
Scale
$26 At Amazon

Recipe notes