Though I'm much more of a savory guy than a sweets guy, I can't resist a spiced, fruit-filled dessert as we transition from fall to winter. Fresh apples are delightful in tarte tatins and pies, but I leave those up to the master of the fruit pie herself, my wife Susi Cahn. I want to amp up my dessert game for the holidays this year, so I'm going for unsulfured dried apples to make an apple stack cake.

As an iconic American fruit, apples are prevalent in many of my favorite parts of the country. The Bardenhagen family grows fantastic Honey Crisp and Gala apples in northern Michigan, and we all know that my home state of Washington is a year-long apple fest. They're also cultivated in the farmlands of the mid-Atlantic, the very region highlighted in 2016's "Big American Cookbook" (Grand Central Life & Style), which inspired my modernized version of this recipe.

Mountain people are resourceful. With only a handful of ingredients, most of which hold up well in the pantry, this cake has been a sweet staple all along the Appalachian. This was a wedding cake made when a collection of thin cakes were gifted to the bride and assembled for the event -- a tall cake being the mark of a popular bride. It's a tale that may be taller than the cake itself, but fun to think about nonetheless.

Unfrosted, this cake signifies the beautiful gesture of the homemade. Ginger and cinnamon lace the rich, caramel-like apple filling between molasses-spiced cake layers. Make this ahead for a holiday dessert or for a cozy weekend at home with family and friends. Don't worry about getting flowers for the table. This cake makes for the perfect centerpiece.

Apple Stack Cake

Serves 8 to 10

For the dried apple filling:

1/2 pound (4 to 5 packed cups) unsulfured dried apples

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

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