Indulge in the delectable flavors of Smith Island cake, a Maryland treasure and a true testament to the region's rich culinary heritage. Consisting of multiple layers of moist and fluffy cake, separated by luscious layers of creamy frosting, this towering dessert is a symphony of textures and flavors that will tantalize your taste buds. In this article, we present a collection of carefully curated recipes that encompass various renditions of this classic cake, each with its unique charm. From the traditional 10-layer Smith Island cake, an iconic symbol of Maryland's Eastern Shore, to the delectable gluten-free version that caters to dietary preferences, these recipes provide a comprehensive guide to crafting this extraordinary dessert. Additionally, we delve into the delectable realm of Smith Island cake variations, such as the sinfully rich chocolate Smith Island cake and the refreshingly tangy lemon Smith Island cake. Whether you're a seasoned baker looking to expand your repertoire or a novice cook eager to embark on a culinary adventure, these recipes will guide you through the process of creating this exceptional cake, ensuring a delightful outcome every time.
Here are our top 3 tried and tested recipes!
SMITH ISLAND CAKE
Smith Island cake is the official dessert of Maryland. This stunning cake features 9 delicious yellow cake layers and chocolate icing layers. The chocolate icing seeps down into the cake layers creating the most deliciously moist cake you'll ever taste. Garnish with sprinkles for an extra special treat!
Provided by Sally
Categories Cake
Time 4h
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- The icing needs to completely cool and thicken, so prepare it first. Combine the butter, chocolate, granulated sugar, heavy cream, and corn syrup together in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until butter has melted. Once melted, stir occasionally as the sugar dissolves and the mixture comes to a boil. Allow to boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Taste (it's warm, so be careful!) Add a sprinkle of salt, if desired. I always add a pinch. Leave uncovered and set aside to thicken and cool for at least 1-2 hours or until it has a spreadable consistency. This is enough time to bake and cool the cake layers. See make ahead tip if you want to prepare ahead of time. Yields about 2 and 1/4 cups icing.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease three 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper, then grease the parchment paper. Parchment paper helps the thin cakes seamlessly release from the pans; they may crack and crumble otherwise. (You can reuse the parchment for each of the 9 cakes or cut 9 individual circles.)
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. On medium-high speed, add 1 egg at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, and mixing each addition just until incorporated. Do not overmix this batter. The batter will be smooth, velvety, and slightly thick.
- (There are 8 cups of batter total, so each of the 9 cakes will have slightly less than 1 cup of batter. Leave unused batter loosely covered at room temperature as cakes bake.) Pour slightly less than 1 cup of batter into prepared cake pans. Bake for 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. The cakes are VERY thin, so they shouldn't take much longer than that. Allow to cool for a couple minutes, then carefully invert the cake onto the counter. Peel off the parchment to reuse (or use a new parchment round). Grease the warm cake pans, line with parchment, and grease the parchment. Repeat with slightly less than 1 cup of batter per cake pan. Repeat baking, cooling, and releasing the cakes from the warm pans. Grease the warm cake pans, line with parchment, and grease the parchment. Repeat one final time. Allow all 9 layers to cool completely, about 45 minutes.
- Carefully place one layer on a serving platter or cake stand. Spoon and spread 1/4 cup of icing on top, then repeat with the rest of the cake layers and icing. Some icing will spill over the sides and that's ok! Makes a beautiful cake! Decorate the top with sprinkles, if desired.
- Set cake aside for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving. This gives the icing a chance to adhere to the cake and makes slicing a little easier.
- Cover and store leftover cake at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
SMITH ISLAND CAKE
Really tender cake layers with buttery vanilla flavor. A lightly sweet ganache icing helps balance out the whole thing. Prepare this showstopper for a special occasion and receive rave reviews. Using aluminum pans really speeds up the assembly and cooking process. The batter holds well while the other layers cook.
Provided by Pam Lolley
Time 5h45m
Yield 16
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Prepare icing: Combine cream and corn syrup in a medium saucepan over medium heat; bring mixture just to a simmer, stirring often. Remove from the heat.
- Place chocolate in a large microwave-safe bowl and pour hot cream mixture over top. Sprinkle with salt and let stand 2 minutes. Whisk until completely smooth and let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Chill icing in the refrigerator until thickened and spreadable, about 45 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- Meanwhile prepare cake layers: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray nine 8 1/2-inch round disposable cake pans with cooking spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper and spray that gently with more cooking spray.
- Beat butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, and beat just until incorporated after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk in 3 batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating on medium speed.
- Divide batter evenly (about 1 cup each) among prepared pans and smooth with an offset spatula. Bake, in batches, until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool in pans on wire rack 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto wire racks to cool completely, about 20 minutes.
- Place 1 cake layer on an 8-inch round cake board and spread with 1/3 cup icing using a small offset spatula. Top with another cake layer and spread with 1/3 cup icing. Repeat the process with remaining layers and icing. Coat the top and sides of the cake with a thin layer of icing. Chill cake for 1 hour and reserve remaining icing.
- Place chilled cake on a wire rack over a rimmed baking pan. Microwave reserved icing at medium (50%) power in 30-second intervals, stirring after each one, until smooth and pourable, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Pour icing in a slow, steady stream over the top of the cake, starting at the center and moving to the outer edges so it flows down the sides. Smooth out the sides and fill any gaps with a small offset spatula.
- Chill cake until set, about 1 hour. Carefully transfer cake to a serving plate. Serve at room temperature.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 845.4 calories, Carbohydrate 78.5 g, Cholesterol 188.3 mg, Fat 55.5 g, Fiber 4 g, Protein 10.1 g, SaturatedFat 34 g, Sodium 395.9 mg, Sugar 47 g
SMITH ISLAND CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER LAYER CAKE
Steps:
- Pulse 4 peanut butter cups in a food processor into small chunks; transfer to a bowl. Pulse the remaining 6 peanut butter cups into a fine powder; transfer to another bowl. Chill both until ready to use.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease four 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray. Dust flour and knock out any excess. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Cut up the butter into 1-inch pieces and place them in the large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or beaters. Beat on medium-high speed until the butter is light and creamy in color, about 3 minutes. Stop and scrape the bowl. Cream the butter for an additional minute. Add the granulated sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, beating 1 minute after each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally. Add the eggs one at a time. Reduce the mixer speed. Stir the vanilla into the buttermilk. Add the dry ingredients to the butter alternately with the buttermilk. Mix just until incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix for 15 seconds longer.
- Divide half the batter between the prepared cake pans. Set the remaining batter aside. Using the back of a spoon, spread out the batter so that it covers the bottom of each pan, making it slightly thicker around the edges than in the middle. Bake until cooked through and golden around the edges, 12 to 14 minutes. Set aside to let cool slightly, then loosen the cake layers with a knife and invert onto cooling racks.
- Wash and dry the cake pans. Repeat the process a second time with the cooking spray, flour and batter.
- Once all 8 layers have baked, place the first layer on a serving plate. Spread with about 3 tablespoons Chocolate Frosting and sprinkle with about 1 tablespoon powdered peanut butter cups. Top with another cake layer and repeat the process to make 8 layers in all. Frost the outside of the cake with the remaining frosting and sprinkle the top with the peanut butter cup chunks.
- In a large saucepot over medium-high heat, bring the milk to a simmer, and then remove from the heat.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the yolks, flour, 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar and a pinch of salt. Add the hot milk in a stream, whisking. Return the mixture to the saucepot and bring to a boil over moderate heat. Whisk until very thick, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Cover the surface of the custard with a buttered round of wax paper and cool completely, about 45 minutes.
- Using electric beater, add the vanilla and remaining 1 cup confectioners' sugar to the custard. Beat at moderate speed until well combined. Then increase the speed to medium-high and beat in the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, until smooth. Add the chocolates and beat until well combined.
Tips:
- For the best results, use fresh ingredients. This includes using real butter, eggs, and vanilla extract.
- Make sure your baking pans are the correct size. The layers of the cake should be about the same size so that they stack evenly.
- Don't over-mix the batter. Over-mixing can make the cake tough.
- Bake the cake layers until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake layers cool completely before frosting them. This will help to prevent the frosting from melting.
- When frosting the cake, be sure to spread it evenly between the layers and on the sides of the cake.
- If you're using a chocolate ganache frosting, be sure to let it cool slightly before pouring it over the cake. This will help to prevent the frosting from running off the cake.
- Store the cake in a cool, dry place. The cake can be stored for up to 3 days at room temperature or for up to a week in the refrigerator.
Conclusion:
Smith Island cake is a classic American dessert that is loved by people of all ages. The cake is made with multiple layers of yellow cake, chocolate frosting, and a rich chocolate ganache. It's a delicious and impressive cake that is perfect for any occasion. If you're looking for a special dessert to make, Smith Island cake is a great option.
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