{"id":1804962,"date":"2022-09-28T08:48:03","date_gmt":"2022-09-28T12:48:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/?p=1804962"},"modified":"2023-04-12T13:11:46","modified_gmt":"2023-04-12T18:11:46","slug":"appalachian-apple-stack-cake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/appalachian-apple-stack-cake\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Home Cooks: Lauren May"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lauren May got her start in the kitchen working with coffee grounds and eggshells. \u201cTo keep me busy as a baby, my grandma would give me all the food scraps<\/a>,\u201d she says.<\/p>\r\n

Now, 32 years later, Lauren is still working with what her grandmother and family have handed down to her: a love of baking, a wealth of foraging knowledge and an abiding adoration for the bountiful Appalachian countryside.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

All About Appalachian Cooking & Baking<\/h2>\r\n

This appreciation for what eastern Kentucky has to offer is apparent on Must Love Herbs<\/a><\/em>, Lauren\u2019s colorful Instagram feed<\/a> and blog. On these platforms, Lauren shows how she draws inspiration from the wilds around her. In the springtime, it\u2019s through a red clover-infused cake with cream cheese frosting<\/a>. During the heat of summer, she whips up fresh blackberry and honey galettes<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n

When the Kentucky weather cools come fall, Lauren doesn\u2019t slow down. Instead, she fully embraces what she considers to be the basic tenet of Appalachian cooking and baking: \u201cIt\u2019s about using what you have.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Fall Baking in Appalachia<\/h2>\r\n\"Toh\r\n

In autumn, Lauren picks apples. Her favorites are Granny Smith, Rome and June, in addition to the heirloom apples<\/a> she harvests at home. To keep them all winter, Lauren says, it\u2019s common to dry them. It's an old-fashioned practice, but one that suits her baking style.<\/p>\r\n

Lauren uses these dried treats in what she calls the quintessential Appalachian dessert: a stack cake. Every family\u2019s take on this regional recipe varies, Lauren says, but for her, it means folding together the best of what autumn has to offer. The batter of this cake is filled with molasses, buttermilk and plenty of spices. Then a cozy apple filling is sandwiched between each layer.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

How to Make Lauren's Appalachian Stack Cake<\/h2>\r\nAccording to Lauren, \"Stack cakes are quintessential Appalachia.\u201d Though she explains that recipes vary from family to family. You'll find some are more cookie-like<\/a>, others are baked in cast-iron skillets and some are more like a traditional cake<\/a>.\r\n\r\nLauren's version of Appalachian stack cake<\/a> is a riff on her family's recipe. Her twist: a generous dose of bourbon.\r\n

Ingredients<\/h3>\r\nFor the cake:<\/strong>\r\n