DRIED-APPLE STACK CAKES

Dried-Apple Stack Cakes image

Provided by Ruth Cousineau

Yield Makes 12 individual cakes

Number Of Ingredients 18

9 ounces unsulfured dried apples (4 cups)
4 cups unfiltered apple cider
3 cups water
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
6 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of ground cloves
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
6 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses (not robust or blackstrap)
1 large egg
Equipment: 2 muffin pans with 12 (1/3- to 1/2-cup) muffin cups each
Accompaniment: lightly sweetened whipped cream

Steps:

Simmer all filling ingredients and a pinch of salt in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot, uncovered, stirring occasionally and mashing apples with a potato masher as they soften, until a thick purée forms, about 1 1/2 hours. Cool completely.
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter muffin cups.
Stir together milk and vinegar and let stand 10 minutes to curdle.
Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, and cloves.
Beat butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in molasses and egg. At low speed, add flour mixture in 3 batches alternately with curdled milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until each addition is just incorporated. Spread 1 heaping tablespoon batter in each muffin cup and bake just until a wooden pick inserted in center of a cake comes out clean with some crumbs adhering, 11 to 13 minutes. Cool 5 minutes in pans on racks, then invert onto racks to cool completely.
Spread about 2 tablespoons filling on top of 1 cake and invert another cake over filling, then spread a heaping tablespoon filling on top. Make 11 more stacks (you will have about 2 cups filling left over). Transfer to an airtight container and chill at least 2 days for flavors to develop. Bring to room temperature before serving.