DAR Recipe
Growing up, there was nothing that said “Christmas” like an apple stack cake. Spicy, sweet apples (a gift from farm friends) were layered between moist, thin cakes—stacked eight or more layers high—in a cake that always seemed to make its way to our holiday table.
It wasn’t until I was much older that I learned this cake was not widely known outside of East Tennessee. To be given one symbolized how much love was meant for the recipient, and Appalachian tradition tells us this was a wedding cake, with each family bringing a layer to share.
Old-Time Stack Cake
Cecile Wimberley, Corresponding Secretary General
Old-Time Stack Cake was my father’s favorite dessert—one his mother made for him and his sister when they were children. As the family and friends who knew the secrets of this cake passed away over the years, I decided I would learn how to make this special holiday treat to keep the tradition alive for our family.
Truly a labor of love beginning the week before we gather, this cake has become our traditional end to Christmas Eve dinner.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup Crisco shortening
- 2 cups light brown sugar
- 4 whole eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 5 cups plain flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- Whole nutmeg, for grating
- 3 1/2 cups spicy, sweet, dried apple butter (homemade is best)
- Homemade whipped cream for serving
INSTRUCTIONS
You will need four 9-inch cake pans of the same size for the best baking.
Beat the first four ingredients with a mixer until light and fluffy. Sift the flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon together. Grate approximately 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg into the dry mix. Stir the dry ingredients into the beaten sugar mixture by hand.
Place the dough mixture in the refrigerator until well chilled (overnight is recommended). When chilled, divide the dough into eight equal portions. Start with first four pans (lightly greased and floured), pressing one dough section by hand into each pan to cover the bottom.
Bake at 375 degrees F for 12–15 minutes. The cakes will have a sugar cookie consistency—thin and crisp.
Turn out the first four cakes and place them on racks to cool. Clean the pans and repeat the process for the remaining four cakes.
Layer the cooled cakes with 1/2 cup of apple butter between each layer, with no apple butter on the top layer.
Store the cake in a tight container for at least 24 hours or until soft. Ideally, make the cake five to seven days before serving. The longer it sits, the better.
Serve with a generous dollop of homemade whipped cream.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2026
