Everyone, I apologize for not sending this out sooner. I have limited internet access as I don't have it at home. I usually access it at the library or limited at work. Thanks to all who sent me the recipe. I plan on trying to make a cake tonight. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone. Thanks for the memories. ********************************************************************** This may or may not be the recipe you seek. I hope it is and wish you success with it. My mother (who passed away in 1989, ) wrote it down for me and my husband tried it many times to to come up with the measurements. She said to start with "an ample amount of flour, shortening the size of two large eggs, ........." Anyway, here are John's measurements. Preheat oven to 450*. Begin with 3 cups flour in a large bowl, making a well in the center of the flour. Add the following into the well: 2/3 cup shortening 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla flavoring 2 tsp. baking powder 1 1/3 cup sugar. 1 1/4 cup milk Mix ingredients together, using just enough flour to make it the consistency of biscuit dough (that's really what the layers are, you know, sweet biscuit dough.) that you can handle without it falling apart. This works best if you use iron skillets. Grease and lightly flour pans - heat before using. Take a chunk of the dough and put it into the pan, patting it down (again like a biscuit.) ! Bake until done in 450* oven. Cool, before filling. Spread cooked apple between layers and wrap / overnight if possible / until fruit is soaked in. This doesn't have to be dried apples. As a matter of fact, he uses apples we froze the summer before. Of course, you cook them well and sweeten to taste. How many layers you have depends on how large or thick you make your layers. It's a favorite at my house and even my children love it and look forward to daddy making it. Mary Lambert ****************************************************** My mother was Virginia Dean Philpot, born in Harlan County many year's ago, and here is my mother's hand-written Stack Cake recipe, transcribed directly for you. "Cream 1 Cup Shortening, I use Crisco. 2 Cups White Sugar Add 4 eggs 2 Cup Butter Milk 2 teaspoon Vanilla 2 teaspoon Baking Powder 2 teaspoon Baking Soda 1 teaspoon salt Add enough plain flour to make a dough stiff enough to roll out. Pinch off, roll thin, Bake in skillet. I cut them out with a small plate. I know you know how we always done it." That is all I have, but her cakes always had about seven or eight thin layers, with cooked dried apple filling in between. She did not ice her cake, simply dusted them with powdered sugar. My guess for temperature would be 350 degrees. She told me we used the dried apples because that was all the fruit available in the wintertime. It was not my favorite cake, but it meant a lot to her to make it. It reminded her of her own Mama Here is the recipe for the apple filling: 4 cups dried unsulphured dried apples (can usually find at health food store) 1 c. brown sugar 1/2 mace Put apples in heavy saucepan and add enough water to cover. Bring to boil, simmer 1 hour, till soft enough to mash. Stir frequently, tends to stick. Add a little water if necessary. When apples are soft, mash with potato masher. While mashing, add brown sugar and mace. Continue to simmer while stirring for few minutes. Mix should be like chunky apple butter or applesauce. (If mix is too watery, continue cooking on low heat until thickened.) Remove from heat. Put first cake layer on large plate, cover with apple mix. Stack the layers as you bake them. Don't put apples on the top layer. Cover with dish towel, and let rest for at least 48 hours. I asked my sister Doris about time and temperature for the stack cakes. She never made them, but she has a recipe for one in a wonderful cookbook of southern recipes. It said, 350 degrees for about 20 minutes for each layer, and that they can be made in cake pans, but taste a bit better in iron skillet. Each layer gets baked separately...we don't know, maybe because most folk only had one iron skillet. The cakes are cooled, then the dried apples are mixed with molasses and spices (shall I try to get that part of the recipe, or has someone already given you that?) and the cakes is covered with clean dish clothes and left to "mellow" for several days. Sharon Wilson ****************************************************** Stack Cake 1/2 cup shortening 1 cup brown sugar 1 egg 1/2 cup molasses 1/2 cup buttermilk 1/2 teaspoon soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon salt 6 cups flour plus 1/2 cup for rolling dough Cream shortening and sugar thoroughly. Drop in egg and beat well. Add vanilla. Sift all dry ingredients together.Add molasses; then add sifted dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk. Roll dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. Divide dough into si x parts. Roll each ball of dough over the bottom of an 8 inch round cake pan. Bake in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. When the six round layers are done, put together with one of the following: A) Sweetened Applesauce Or B) Apple Butter Or Mix and heat until warm: 1 (8 ounce) package dried apples 1 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon When the dried fruit has been cooked according to directions on the package, add the sugar and cinnamon. Put between the layers of cake. Stack the cake until all fruit and layers have been used. Let set several hours or overnight before cutting. Note: This is a very old recipe from the family of Hilda Marsh of Knoxville, Tennessee. Stack cakes were indigenous to the East Tennessee and Appalachian mountains. Apples were plentiful and, at least one, could be found on the farms and homesteads in the mountains. Sharon Flora ****************************************************** This is a recipe from the COUNTRY COOKIN' cookbook from the Log House Craft Shop at Henderson Settlement Franks Ky. Nine Layer Apple Stack Cake FRUIT 6 cups cooked apples or applesauce 3 cups sugar or sweeten to taste 1 1/2 Tbs. Cinnamon 1 Tbs. allspice CAKE 5 eggs 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 cup molasses 1/2 cup crisco shortening 1/2 cup margarine (melted) 1 Tbs. cinnamon 1/2 Tbs. allspice 2 Tbs. vanilla 1 cup milk 4 cups self rising flour Combine eggs, shortening and sugar, mix until fluffy. Add molasses, milk and spices. Beat 1 to 2 minutes. Add flour and beat 3 minutes more. Add 3/4 cup of cake dough to a greased 9 in. round cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Cover each layer of cake with approximately 2/3 cup of fruit and finish by covering the top and sides of all nine layers. Saylorpa ****************************************************** I just read your post about the Apple Stack Cake, don't know if you have received any recipes, but if you will go to: www.mountain-breeze.com <http://www.mountain-breeze.com> when page comes up, click on Kitchen, then Country Cookin, on the left of this page type apple cake in the Search Recipes, several will come up. Although I haven't tried this recipe, the first one seems to be close to what I remember my grandmother making. Hope it is what you are looking for, if so enjoy and Merry Christmas. Mary Corder ****************************************************** Several recipes found using search engine on world wide web - Here's one you can check out: <http://southernfood.about.com/od/applecakes/r/bl30620y.htm> Phil Dawson ****************************************************** Is this it .....found it under southern Cuisine, Oh my think of the Calories 1 cup of butter this has to be great with that much butter in it.. I use a lot of Can't believe it not Butter Spray in My butter recipes put half of it in place of the butter makes me feel better.. ((grin)) or that new one called Smart Balance Darlene Apple Stack Cake Recipe From Diana Rattray, Your Guide to Southern U.S. Cuisine. FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now! Scroll down to see more apple cake recipes. INGREDIENTS: a.. 2 cups granulated sugar b.. 1 cup butter c.. 2 eggs d.. 1 teaspoon baking soda e.. 3 teaspoons baking powder f.. 6 cups all-purpose flour g.. 2 teaspoons vanilla h.. 1/2 cup buttermilk i.. . j.. Apple Filling k.. 16 ounces dried apples l.. 1 cup light brown sugar m.. 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon n.. 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves o.. 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice PREPARATION: Cake: Cream the granulated sugar and butter together. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition! . Measure flour, sift with other baking powder and soda; add to batter, alternating with buttermilk and vanilla. Divide dough into six or eight parts. Use a well-floured board to roll into rounds, if baking on cookie sheets, or pat into well-greased 9-inch pans. Bake at 400° until browned. Filling: Cook apples just enough water to cover, until soft; mash thoroughly. Stir in sugar and spices. Cool before spreading between layers. Darlene ****************************************************** Kiezza@aol.com wrote: Hi All: Off Topic So we can end the thread and get back to genealogy, James or anyone else that has the recipe please post the ingredients here on list. I would like the recipe to. I would also like to wish each and everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year. Elva ==== KYHARLAN Mailing List ==== Harlan Kentucky Websites. Harlan County Research: http://www.rootsweb.com/~kyharlan/ Harlan County: AHGP: http://www.ahgp.org/lan Harlan County ALHN: http://www.rootsweb.com/~kyharla2/ --------------------------------- Yahoo! for Good - Make a difference this year.