Apple Jack Stack Cake

From the kitchen of Carly

Spiced apple layers meet buttery cake in this boozy autumn classic. Stewed apples with applejack and cider create a rich filling, while tender cake layers soak up all that caramel-brown sugar goodness. Pure comfort.

Apple Jack Stack Cake

Stacked cakes layered with spiced apple filling and molasses glaze are pure Appalachian comfort, but the real trick is baking thin cake rounds instead of building a traditional layer cake. You get crisp, tender layers that soak up the cider-spiked apples without getting soggy. The brandy adds depth without announcing itself, while apple butter provides natural sweetness and body.

Prep
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Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 3 lbassorted apples, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
  • 1/2 cupbrown sugar
  • 1 cupapple cider
  • 1/4 cupapplejack, apple brandy, or bourbon
  • 1 1/2 cupapple butter
  • 5 cupall-purpose flour
  • 1 tspbaking powder
  • 1 tspbaking soda
  • 1/4 tspkosher salt
  • 1/3 cupbuttermilk
  • 1 tspvanilla extract
  • 3/4 cupunsalted butter
  • 2 cupgranulated sugar
  • 1/4 cupmolasses
  • 2 largeeggs
  • 1 cupdark brown sugar
  • 1/4 cupreserved apple cider mixture
  • 1 tbspmolasses
  • 2 tbspunsalted butter

Instructions

  1. In a large saucepan, combine the apples, brown sugar, cider, and applejack and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Drop the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer, stirring now and then, for about 20 minutes, until the apples reach a tender bite. Drain the apple mixture, reserving 1/4 cup of the syrupy cooking liquid for later use. Set everything aside.

  2. Position racks in the upper-middle and lower-middle of the oven and bring the temperature to 350°F. Spritz two baking sheets with cooking spray to keep the cake circles from sticking.

  3. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. In a separate large liquid measuring cup, blend the buttermilk and vanilla together with a whisk.

  4. Take an electric mixer to a large bowl with the butter and granulated sugar, beating on medium-high for about 2 minutes, until the mixture lightens and turns fluffy. Slow the speed to medium-low, add the molasses, and beat until evenly incorporated. Drop in the eggs one at a time, mixing between additions. Pour the buttermilk in gradually; the batter will appear curdled, which is fine. Add the flour mixture and mix only until a soft dough comes together; the texture should resemble cookie dough. Pull the dough from the bowl, pat it into a round, swaddle in plastic wrap, and refrigerate 20 minutes.

  5. Divide the chilled dough into 6 equal portions, each weighing roughly 8 1/2 ounces. On parchment paper, roll each portion out to about 1/4 inch thick. Trace around an 8 inch cake pan as a guide and trim to uniform 8 inch circles. Bake one circle on each of the prepared sheets for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown; rotate and switch the sheets halfway through baking. Transfer the circles to cooling racks and let them cool completely. The cakes will harden and set as they cool. Continue with the remaining dough portions, rerolling the trimmed scraps to make a seventh layer.

  6. Set the first cake circle on a serving plate and spread with 1/4 cup of apple butter. Top with one-sixth of the cooked apples spread evenly across the surface, then stack on the next cake layer. Continue building, alternating filling and cake layers, finishing with a bare cake circle on top. Wrap the assembled cake tightly in plastic and refrigerate until the layers soften and meld together, at least 12 hours and as long as 2 days.

  7. In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, reserved apple cider liquid, and molasses. Bring to a low boil over medium-high and cook until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Pull from the heat and stir in the butter until the mixture turns smooth and glossy. Let cool 5 minutes, then drizzle the glaze across the top of the chilled cake. Slice and serve, or cover and keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Roll the dough thin (1/4 inch) and use an 8-inch cake pan as your guide to cut uniform circles, so they stack evenly without tilting. Trim before baking, not after.
  • Bake the rounds on separate sheets, switching their positions halfway through to ensure even browning on all six layers.
  • Let the cake rest at room temperature before serving. The layers need time to settle and meld with the filling so each slice holds together cleanly.
  • Reserve exactly 1/4 cup of the spiced apple liquid after draining, not more. Too much moisture turns the glaze runny and the cake slumps.

Variations

  • Bourbon version: swap the applejack for bourbon and add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and a pinch of clove to the apple filling for warmth.
  • Spiced molasses cake: reduce the apple butter to 1 cup and mix 1/2 cup sour cream into the filling layer for tang and richness.
  • Single-layer shortcut: bake just one round, top with apples and glaze, and serve as a rustic tart instead of stacking six circles.
  • Hard cider swap: replace half the apple cider with a dry hard cider and skip the applejack if you want less alcohol and more apple flavor.

Make ahead and storage

Wrap leftovers loosely in plastic wrap or transfer to an airtight container; the cake keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days and the layers will soften slightly, which is actually fine. Freezing isn't recommended since the thin layers dry out quickly when thawed.