An Appalachian specialty known by various names, including apple stack cake, pioneer stack cake, and washday stack cake. Be sure to let the cake set at least 8 hours, better yet overnight, as the moisture from the filling transforms the texture of the cookie-like layers into a tender apple-flavored cake.

Tennessee Stack Cake

3 (6-ounce) packages dried apples

5 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup molasses

1 cup whipping cream, whipped (sweetened if desired)

1. Place apples in a saucepan; add water to cover. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until tender. Drain; mash apple. Stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ginger; set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat shortening and sugar together at medium speed of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs and mix well. Add milk and molasses and mix well. Stir in flour mixture, mixing until mixture forms a stiff dough. Divide dough into 8 equal portions; cover and chill for 1 hour.
4. Pat each portion of dough into an 8-inch circle on well-greased baking sheets (if you don't have enough baking sheets to do all 8 at one time, be sure to cool pans before using again).
5. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10 minutes or until golden. Carefully remove layers to wire racks and let cool completely.
6. Stack layers, spreading even amounts of reserved apple mixture between layers. Cover and chill 8 hours.
7. Spread whipped cream over top of cake before serving.

Makes 12 servings.