I was born and raised in Pike County, KY, right in the heart of the Appalachia. This old Appalachian recipe was something my mother-in-law used to make and passed down to me.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup molasses
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 3 eggs, room temperature and well beaten
• 21/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsps. baking powder
• 1 Tbls. allspice
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Apple butter or apple sauce for the filling

Directions

Step one: Preheat the oven to 350°F for conventional baking or 325°F for convection.

Step two: In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and allspice. Sift together several times. Set aside.

Step three: In a mixing bowl, use a KitchenAid stand mixer or a hand mixer to cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Gradually add buttermilk, molasses and eggs beating after each ingredient is added.

Step four: Work dry ingredients with wet ingredients until it forms a dough stiff enough to roll out.

Step five: Roll the dough out on a floured surface until it’s very thin. Cut it to fit an 8″ or 9″ baking pan or cast-iron skillet. Aim for at least 6 to 8 uniform layers of cake. Bake each layer separately until a nice golden brown. Watch closely and do not over bake. Remove each layer from the pan while still hot keeping each layer separate until cooled.

Step six: Once each layer is cooled, begin stacking. Place the first layer on a plate or serving dish. Top with apple butter or applesauce. Place a layer on top of the first layer and top with sauce of choice. Continue this method until all layers are stacked. It’s perfectly fine if the sauce drips down the sides of the cake—in fact, that’s exactly what you want!

Happy Baking!