Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. In your mixing bowl, cream the butter (or shortening), sugar and molasses together using your stand or hand mixer on medium speed. Add the eggs one at a time and mix in completely. Add the dry ingredients in thirds, alternating with the buttermilk. The mixture is going to end up thick, almost like cookie dough. Once the cake batter is mixed together, cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Put all the filling ingredients in a Dutch oven or large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat and let everything simmer for about an hour. Check the mixture and stir it frequently. You can add more water, but you want the filling to be thick, not soupy. Use a potato masher (or the back of a large spoon) to mash the cooked apples. Note: You can adjust the spices in the filling to your taste. Add nutmeg or cloves if you like, or add a little extra cinnamon.

Next, preheat your oven to 350°F and prepare your baking dishes.

Divide the dough into six portions and then roll or spread out each portion into a 1/2 inch thick, 9-inch round on a sheet of parchment paper and then slide the paper onto a baking sheet.

Bake each layer separately for about 10 minutes, or until the cake is dry and set. You can have two layers in the oven at the same time, but don't try to bake one or two giant cakes and then slice it into layers. Each layer will turn out like a thick pancake; the layers do not rise very much.

Let the first layer (or two) cool on a wire rack for about five minutes while you put the next layer in the oven. Then place the first layer on a serving plate and spread about 3/4 of a cup of the warm apple filling on top of the cake layer. You can adjust the amount based on how much filling you end up with, but you'll need enough to get about a 1/4 inch thick layer of filling on top of five cake layers (don't add filling to the top of the cake).

Once the cake is baked and assembled, wrap it tightly in several layers of plastic wrap, then cover it with tea towels or place it in an airtight container. Let the cake rest at room temperature for two days before serving.

Slice the cake fairly thin; you should get at least 10 servings, but realistically, more like 12-14.