Apple Stack Cake

From Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins, a Hunger Games prequel 

 

“She starts setting things aside months in advance: the dried apples, the sorghum syrup, the white flour. The spices — ginger and cinnamon and whatnot — are so costly she buys them in little twists of paper from the Marches’ apothecary. A couple days before Ne̴w Year’s, she makes the apple filling and bakes the six layers of cake, and alternates them — cake, filling, cake, filling, until it’s in one̴ big beautiful stack. She wraps it all up in a towel so it can rest, and that sweet apple filling soaks into the cake. Then, on Ne̴w Year’s Day at suppertime, she pours everybody a big glass of buttermilk and we eat all the stack cake that we can hold.”

Excerpt From Sunrise on the Reaping: Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games are BACK and my millennial heart hasn’t felt this alive since Mockingjay Part 2. I’m once again thriving on teen dystopian trauma. I do try to keep things lighthearted over here on The Geeky Chef, but I have to admit: revisiting The Hunger Games hits different after you’ve had a few kids and lost a few comrades. Age just has a way of changing how stories land... And whew, this one lands hard.

 

We know food can carry powerful associations. Certain dishes can transport you to a specific moment in time, tied to the people you love, the places you’ve been, the memories you cherish or those you just can’t shake. In Sunrise on the Reaping, we are taken back to the year in which that ol' rascal Haymitch Abernathy won the Quarter Quell. In the arena, food serves as a powerful reminder of life and death. In this book, two dishes in particular really drive this point home: On one hand, there’s the bean and ham hock soup, the meal traditionally served at funerals in District 12. For Haymitch, it is a food that's intrinsically tied to grief, yes, but also to a sense of remembrance and community. On the other hand, Haymitch recalls his mother’s apple stack cake, which is a dessert she reserved for joyful occasions like New Year’s Day, a celebration of life and renewal. But since Haymitch's birthday always falls on Reaping Day, a day marked by death, she never made the cake on birthdays.

 

In Panem, District 12 is located roughly in the Appalachia region, and both of these are actually traditional Appalachian dishes. I went with apple stack cake this time (bean and ham hock soup, I'll see you in winter) because the description was just so vivid, it really stuck with me. Yes, it is a real dish, but it's one you don’t often see outside its home region, so I figured it warranted a recipe here. And I just really wanted to make it. So there. A rich molasses cake, dense and almost cookie-like in texture. In between the cake's layers is luscious apple butter, which acts as a filling but also moistens the cake. Unlike Haymitch’s mom, I only managed five layers... I miscalculated my first batch and there was no way I was starting over. That said, I’ve adjusted the recipe below for the proper six layers, so you can do it right the first time. You’re welcome.

 

This recipe might look intimidating with all the steps, but it's much more forgiving than most cakes. And best of all, there's no decorating involved. You can even make it easier by using store bought apple butter. But a quick heads up, it tastes better the next day after the apple butter has had time to seep into the cake, so I recommend making it at least a day ahead of time. And although the Abernathys enjoy it with a glass of buttermilk, I prefer a cup of black coffee, Maysilee-style.

 

 

Ingredients 

 

For the Apple Butter (skip if using store bought): 

• 6 pounds apples*, cored and chopped into small pieces
• 1 cup apple cider or apple juice
  
• 1 cup light brown sugar 
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar 
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 
• 1/4  teaspoon ground cloves 
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1 vanilla bean, split (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

 

* I recommend using softer, sweeter apples like Cortland, McIntosh, Fuji, Golden Delicious, or Gala. Especially avoid the really tart ones like Granny Smiths because they're a bit too tart and firm for this.

 

For the Cake:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup white granulated sugar 
• 1 cup sorghum or other unsulfured molasses 
• 1 cup buttermilk 
• 3 large eggs
• 4 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon 
  
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
  
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3 cups apple butter (homemade or store bought)
• Powdered sugar (for dusting)

 

 

Directions:

 

For the Apple Butter (skip if using store bought):

1. Add the chopped apples and cider to a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for about 30–40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are soft and breaking down.
2. Transfer the mixture to a blender in batches and puree until smooth, never fill the blender more than 2/3 full. You can also use an immersion blender of you have one, or even a potato masher for a more rustic texture.
3. Return the puree to the pot. Stir in the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cloves. If using a vanilla bean, scrape the seeds in now (or add the vanilla extract).
4. Simmer uncovered over low heat for 45–60 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, until the mixture darkens, thickens, and becomes glossy. It should mound on a spoon and not be too runny
5. Once thickened to your liking, remove from heat and let cool. Transfer to a mason jar or other airtight container and refrigerate. It'll keep for up to 2 weeks in the fridge. 

 

For the Cake: 

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Generously grease and line 8-inch cake pans (however many you have). Depending on how many 8-inch cake pans you have, you will need to bake the layers in batches. Ideally, use non-stick pans.
   
2. In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.     
3. Mix in the sorghum, buttermilk, and eggs until fully combined.      
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.      
5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Stir just until a thick, spreadable batter forms. The consistency will be somewhere between cake batter and cookie dough.      
6. Spoon about ¾ to 1 cup of batter into the prepared pans. Use a knife or offset spatula to spread it evenly, about ½ an inch thick.      
7. Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the center of the cakes are set and a toothpick comes out clean. Transfer the finished cakes to a cooling rack, 
8. Grease the cakes pans again and repeat Step 6 and 7 until all the cake layers are baked.
   
9. To a cake plate or other large plate, spread on some of the apple butter, then add your bottom cake layer. Spoon and spread a generous layer of apple butter over the top of each cake round as you stack them up. Repeat until all the cake layers are used. If you like, spread some of the remaining apple butter on top. 
10.  Let the assembled cake rest for several hours or overnight, either wrapped in plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container, before serving. This will allow the flavors to meld and the layers to moisten.
11. Right before serving, dust the top with powdered sugar using a mesh sieve. Slice (it should cut like butter if properly rested) and serve!  

 

 

Serves 10 to 15

 

 

 

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