You know those times when an act of kindness turns you into a blithering pile of gratitude?
Oh.
Okay...so maybe you don't have that same reaction. But I did recently when a repair shop fixed a locked nut on my $160 leaf blower and refused payment since it was quick fix. So I offered to bake ANY DESSERT this kind person wanted in lieu of payment.
What actually transpired was a three-way conversation between Kind Person (KP), My Brain and Me.
I reviewed a bunch of recipes for the cake portion but opted to go with the most traditional, using a recipe from the North Carolina state website.
www.ourstate.com
The only difference was I used Grandma's unsulphured molasses tempered with agave syrup instead of sorghum syrup. That item in not available in stores, but can be found during fall apple festivals.
I chose this article because it stated quite clearly the cake should sit for a day or so to let the apple flavor soak into the dry cake layers and that seemed sensible. It's also been quite a while since I made a new dessert.
The repair man was out back working with another customer so I left the cake with the receptionist along with my thanks. I have no clue if it met with his expectations, but it looked pretty and smelled great and I feel both of us gained during this experience.
Sidenote: I was texting with a friend while baking and sending her snapshots as I started with 2 layers, then 4 layers, then the final 6-layer cake.
She wrote back:
[hahahaha.
]
Oh.
Okay...so maybe you don't have that same reaction. But I did recently when a repair shop fixed a locked nut on my $160 leaf blower and refused payment since it was quick fix. So I offered to bake ANY DESSERT this kind person wanted in lieu of payment.
What actually transpired was a three-way conversation between Kind Person (KP), My Brain and Me.
Me: I'd like to repay your kindness by baking you a dessert. I'm a good...baker.
My Brain: Liar. You almost said you were a pastry chef.
Kind Person: That's not necessary.
Me: But I love to, so let's figure this out: do you like chocolate?
KP: Not really a fan.
My Brain: REALLY? Who doesn't like chocolate.
Me: Okay. I can make any type of cake...or cheesecake. Do you like cheesecake?
KP: No. I don't like those either.
My Brain: Oh boy.
Me: Okay. How about fruit?
Kind Person: Oh. I like fried apple pies.
My Brain: no no no...not fried!
Me: umm, fried desserts taste best when fresh. But I recently won a ribbon at the county fair for my apple pie?
Kind Person: I do like an apple cake.
Me: Apple...cake?
[cue My Brain racing through local newsletters and clicking on an article about traditional apple stack cakes.]
Me: You mean those multi-layer cakes with chunky apples between each layer?
Kind Person: Yes!
Me: Great! I'll bring you an apple cake in a day or so.
My Brain: WHAT ARE YOU DOING? You have no idea what this cake is!
Me to myself: Shut up!
So that's how I came to research Appalachian Apple Stack Cake. They're traditionally made during the year using dried apple chunks and sorghum syrup. The cake portion is described as a large thin biscuit, often baked in a cast iron skillet. Each layer is approx 1/4" to 1/2" thick, slathered with a paste made from dried apples that have been reconstituted with water & brown sugar. There are typically 5 or more layers. Since I had neither dried apples nor sorghum syrup, I improvised with 4 pounds of frozen sliced apples harvested in September as well as my own applesauce, apple butter and reduced apple cider. Dried apples would have nothing on me.I reviewed a bunch of recipes for the cake portion but opted to go with the most traditional, using a recipe from the North Carolina state website.
Appalachian Apple Stack Cake Recipe | Our State
Try this recipe for Appalachian Apple Stack Cake, made of many thin layers of sorghum-sweetened cake married together by filling made from dried apples.
www.ourstate.com
The only difference was I used Grandma's unsulphured molasses tempered with agave syrup instead of sorghum syrup. That item in not available in stores, but can be found during fall apple festivals.
I chose this article because it stated quite clearly the cake should sit for a day or so to let the apple flavor soak into the dry cake layers and that seemed sensible. It's also been quite a while since I made a new dessert.
The repair man was out back working with another customer so I left the cake with the receptionist along with my thanks. I have no clue if it met with his expectations, but it looked pretty and smelled great and I feel both of us gained during this experience.
Sidenote: I was texting with a friend while baking and sending her snapshots as I started with 2 layers, then 4 layers, then the final 6-layer cake.
She wrote back:
Two
Four
Six
Cake
Who do we appreciate?
Marilyn!!
[hahahaha.
]
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