Molasses Stack Cake

By Susan M. Thigpen © 1983-2012

Issue: September, 1983

1/2 cup brown sugar or white
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup milk
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon mixed spices
1 egg

Cream butter and add sugar gradually with beaten egg and molasses. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and spices together. Add milk, mix well.

Bake in well greased pan, 35 minutes in thin layers or roll out and cut out size of plate and bake on cookie sheet. Stack 4 or 5 layers, with apple butter between them. Let stand overnight before eating.

This recipe was supplied by Miss Addie Wood of Mayberry Trading Post. She has been making the cake for years from the recipe that was in the cookbook that came with a “Wrought Iron Range Co.” wood cookstove. The company was reestablished in 1864 according to the cookbook. This recipe is an old mountain favorite and is still made and brought to most family reunions up here today.

I bet you’ve heard of fried apples. Who hasn’t? But have you ever heard of fried cherries? Miss Addie said folks used to dry cherries but that you can fix fried cherries from fresh or dried. This is her recipe:

Seed your cherries. Put bacon grease or butter in a pan and put cherries in pan. Cook like frying apples until done. Sweeten to taste.