Dried Plum Butter Stack Cake Recipes

PLUM-JAM CRUMB CAKE

Steps:

• Topping: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together flour, brown sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Stir in butter until combined.
• Cake: Brush a 9-by-9-by-2-inch square cake pan (not nonstick) with butter. Line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides; butter parchment.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In another bowl, beat butter with granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating to combine after each. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with 2 additions of milk, beating until combined and scraping down bowl as necessary.
• Transfer batter to prepared pan. Spread jam evenly over top. Sprinkle evenly with topping, squeezing to create large clumps. Bake until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack 20 minutes. Use parchment to lift cake out of pan, then let cool completely on rack before serving.

OLD-FASHIONED STACK CAKE WITH APPALACHIAN APPLE BUTTER FILLING

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 6 (9-inch) cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line bottoms of pans with parchment paper, and spray parchment paper with cooking spray.
• 2. In a medium bowl, beat shortening and sugar at medium speed with a mixer until creamy. Add buttermilk, molasses, egg and vanilla, beating well. In a large bowl, combine flour, ginger, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Make a well in center of flour mixture. Add shortening mixture, stirring just until combined.
• 3. On a lightly floured surface, form dough into a log; cut into six equal portions. Place one portion in each prepared pan, and use fingers to lightly pat dough to edges of pans. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire racks. Cake will have the consistency of a gingerbread cookie.
• 4. Cook time: Depends on how big you want your stack. This recipe makes one 9-inch cake with six stacks. Three stacks were baked simultaneously for 10 to 12 minutes The filling (recipe below) takes about an hour. Allow 24 hours for the cake to chill in the refrigerator.
• 5. Make filling: In large saucepan, combine dried fruit and all dry ingredients. Add enough liquid to cover. Bring to a low boil and cook, stirring often, for 45 minutes. Remove from heat, and let stand for 10 minutes or until cooled slightly. Transfer to the work bowl of a food processor or container of a blender; process until smooth. Use while still warm.
• 6. To put cake together, place one cake layer on a serving plate or cake stand; spread with about 3/4 cup warm fruit butter filling. Repeat procedure with remaining layers and fruit butter filling, stacking each on previous layer. Do not spread fruit butter filling on top layer. Cover and refrigerate cake for at least 24 hours. Just before serving, dust with confectioners' sugar.

APPLE STACK CAKE

Steps:

• Place apples and water in a 6-qt. stockpot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 40-45 minutes or until apples are softened, stirring occasionally. Mash into a chunky sauce. Stir in brown sugar and pie spice; simmer, uncovered, 10-15 minutes longer or until liquid is absorbed and sauce is thickened. Cool completely., Preheat oven to 400°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition., Divide dough into 8 portions; shape each into a disk. Cut out eight 9-in. circles of parchment. With a floured rolling pin, roll out a dough disk to fit each parchment circle. Transfer to baking sheets. Bake until golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely., Place1 layer on a serving plate; spread with 2/3 cup filling. Repeat layers. Top with remaining cake layer, wrap tightly in plastic wrap; refrigerate 1-2 days or until layers soften. If desired, sprinkle cake with confectioner's sugar.

TENNESSEE MOUNTAIN STACK CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and place the rack in the middle position.
• 2. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
• 3. Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on medium speed until wet and grainy.
• 4. Add the molasses. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a flexible spatula to get all of the molasses into the mixture.
• 5. Add the eggs one at a time. Scrape all the way to the bottom of the bowl and mix on low speed.
• 6. Alternately add the buttermilk and the dry mixture about a quarter at a time. Stop the mixer to scrape the bowl and turn it on again on low speed for about 10 seconds. The mixture should be stiff like a soft cookie dough.
• 7. Shape the dough into a ball and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• 8. Divide the dough into 6 or 8 equal portions and place each one on a round piece of parchment paper a little larger than a 9-inch cake pan. Roll out the dough to the size of the parchment. Place the cake pan over the disk and trim away the excess around the edge.
• 9. Leaving the parchment paper underneath, lift the disks onto baking sheets and bake them for approximately 10 minutes, or until the top surface appears dry and a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
• 10. Slide the disks off the baking sheet onto a flat surface to cool.
• 11. To make the filling, combine all the ingredients in a large, heavy-bottom saucepan and bring to a light simmer. Immediately transfer to the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse into a thick paste.
• 12. To assemble the cake, spread about 1 cup of the filling onto each layer, taking care to center each disk on top of the one beneath it. Repeat until all the layers are used. Do not put apple filling on top of the cake.
• 13. Wrap the cake well and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours. This gives the apple filling time to work itself into the cake. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve chilled.

OVEN-ROASTED PLUM CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350. Butter 8 ramekins and place them on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Combine the sugar and orange zest well.
• Cream the butter, 2 T of brown sugar, and the granulated sugar mixture for 6 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
• Add the vanilla and mix well.
• Add the flour and baking soda and beat on low speed for only 15 seconds.
• Pour in the buttermilk and beat for 30 seconds more.
• Remove from mixer and use a spatula to finish blending the ingredients if necessary.
• Place a half plum, cut side up, into each cup.
• Spoon the batter into the ramekins, dividing the batter among them evenly.
• Sprinkle the remaining brown sugar evenly over each plum.
• Bake 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake portion comes out clean.
• Cool the cakes 10 minutes.
• To serve, top with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.