This cake is much more than fluff and icing; there is really something to it! I liked the dense texture and  ginger bread taste of the molasses. Mom and David put it together for Michael’s 26th birthday which was on the 7th of February and it turned out really good. They used the apple butter in between the layers and Donald decorated the top with a very appropriate winter design.

1cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup molasses
3 eggs 
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
Applesauce or apple butter (Note: If using store-bought applesauce or apple butter, you might want to add a little cinnamon and nutmeg and a little sugar, and cook it down a little.)

Cream together butter and sugar till light. Stir in molasses; add eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Stir together flour, baking soda, and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating after each addition. Cut wax paper rounds to fit 8-inch cake pans. Grease and flour (we use Pam instead). Pour 1 1/3 cups batter into each pan. (Refrigerate remaining batter.) You can put the batter in the pans, sprinkle with flour, and flour your hands and just pat it to the edges. Bake at 350° until done, about 15 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on rack.

Wash pans (we actually didn’t), replace wax paper, grease and flour. Repeat with remaining batter. You should get 5 layers.  Stack cakes with applesauce or apple butter.

From Keaton Mills Family Cookbook

This cake was a great complement to a great birthday.