I know you’ve heard of Maryland crab cakes, but you are aware of that other famous Maryland cake? Maryland’s State Dessert is the 8-10 layer Smith Island Cake. This 4 Layer Smith Island Cake is legendary! Loved by her family for years, Estelle’s “Chocolate Cake”, as it was known, has its origins in Smith Island, her birthplace, Born in Ewell, Smith Island and married to a waterman, there was never a sweeter lady whose company always left you with a smile! She was adored and so was her cake! There is much speculation regarding the origin of what we currently know as the “Original” Smith Island Cake. However, what comes out from articles I’ve read is that the making of the cake has been passed on through many generations on the maternal side of families with variations in layers.. This recipe was shared with me by Estelle’s granddaughter, Valerie (my niece). To her memory, she always made it with 4 layers, not any more. In one article I read, it stated the 4-layer cake was how the current cake as we know it, had its start.

Smith Island Quick Facts:

Smith Island can be found within the Chesapeake Bay about twelve miles west of Crisfield, Maryland. The first permanent settlers were 2 English farmers (surnames Evans and Tyler) who came in 1686. Many settlers arrived from England and Wales to establish farms across the island. It was also used by the British during the Revolutionary War as a base of operations. Native Americans, the Nanticoke tribe, part of the Algonquin tribe, lived there seasonly for about 12,000 years, according to archeologists. They harvested the available seafood (oysters, crabs, fish) as well as farmed crops of maize and beans. The influx of Europeans displaced them and brought in diseases which impacted their survival.

What else you need to know :

Even though the origins of the cake seem to be somewhat unknown, some say it can be traced back to its original English and Welsh settlers. The recipe was first published in 1994 in the fourth edition of Mrs. Kitching’s Smith Island Cookbook. The article I read from What’s Cooking America states that it was originally 4 layers, but the women on the island made it into a competion to see how high they could stack the layers. I was excited to read that fact as this post was a 4-layer cake recipe from someone who was born on Smith Island.
Evaporated milk was used in the recipes since fresh milk wasn’t readily available on the island. They relied on a lot of canned items.
In 2008, Maryland House BIll 315 gave the cake its official title as Maryland’s State Dessert and we have only looked forward with fork in hand, to the variations to the “Original”, with that fudgy icing. It is said that the legislators were fed a slice before voting. Who could vote no after that first bite?
According to the Chesapeake Bay Magazine, each matriarch had their own variation of the recipe, including the number of layers in her cake. Making thin layers was easier in a wood stove as there was no electricity before the 1950’s and 60’s. The fudge icing kept cake fresh while out with the watermen on their boats.
The Smith Island Baking Company‘s site says Smith Island Cakes have been made since the 1800’s. The families of the watermen would send the cakes with them on their autumn oyster harvest. They symbolized community and togetherness and a reminder that they were loved and missed in hopes of ensuring them a successful harvest and a safe return to home.

The Cake:

Making something from scratch always tastes better than from the box, especially since it avoids all those preservatives. So we will follow her specifications as laid out in the recipe. To cream the butter (no substitutes) and sugar, the butter must be at room temperature. When you can easily make a slight indentation in the stick of butter with your finger (or a spoon), without sinking into the butter, then it’s perfect for creaming! It should be cool to the touch, about 65 degrees. There is a reason for this, believe it or not. When butter traps air during the creaming process, the trapped air expands and produces a lift, or fluffiness, to the baked good. Also, the eggs and milk should be at room temperature; this will help create a smooth textured batter. *(For room temperature eggs, you can place them in a small bowl with hot tap water for about 5-10 minutes. The milk can be zapped in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds.)

Cream the room temperature butter with the sugar for about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl halfway through the time.

Beat in room temperature eggs one at a time on MED-HIGH speed. Once all eggs are mixed in, shift speed to HIGH for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.

Add flour alternatively with milk on MED-LOW speed. Then, increase speed to HIGH for about 2 minutes.

Dividing up the Batter:

Spray around the sides and bottom with Baker’s Joy cooking spray. Line the bottom of each of the four pans with an 8″ parchment paper circle. Measure out about 1-1/4 cup of batter, dividing any remaining batter evenly between the pans. Use a flat edge spatula to spread batter evenly to the edges of the pan. Shake gently to level out, if needed.( *If using 9″ cake pans instead of 8″, the baking time will need to be adjusted. The layers will come out a bit thinner than shown here.)

Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-18 minutes. Edges and top should have a lightly golden color. Place on cooling racks for about 5 minutes. Go around the edges with a thin knife or offset spatula. Gently remove cakes from their pans, leaving parchment paper still intact on the bottom, and place back onto the racks to cool completely before icing.

Chocolate Fudge Icing:

This icing is a little finicky since it’s a cooked icing. Have your icing station set up with cake plate and cake layers ready to go. You wll need to work quickly once the icing is finished. Be watchful of the temperature and have other ingredients on standby, waiting to be added. It’s best not to leave it unattended and have access to your instant thermometer at all times. You will start by whisking the EVAPORATED milk with the sugar and cocoa in a saucepan. Over MEDIUM heat, constantly whisk until it reaches the soft ball stage (235 degrees). (*DO NOT discard the extra evaporated milk. It may be needed.)

Immediately REMOVE from heat. Place the butter and vanilla in pan until butter melts, about 5 minutes. Then, whisk in the butter and vanilla just until incorporated.

If you whisk it too much, it will cool down too quickly and become difficult to spread. I know, I learned the hard way. However, remember that evaporated milk I told you to keep? I placed the saucepan back on the stove over very low heat and whisked in some of the residual milk. The consistency changed to a much smoother texture making it easy to spread! Now, back to the cake…..

Putting it all together:

Spread a little dab on the plate so the cake doesn’t shift positions while icing the layers. Remove the parchment paper and place bottom-side down on plate. Give each layer a good even coating of icing and move on to the next layer and repeat.

Pour remaining icing on the top and push excess down to the sides. Use an offset spatula and rotate the cake plate around, coating the sides. This process may need to be repeated a couple of times until sides are coated. Now, just let it rest a while.

Wanna Slice?

Well obviously, we couldn’t wait! With those buttery golden layers and that incredible chocolate icing, who could resist?

Here’s a a slice of the 4 Layer Smith Island Cake I saved just for you! Take a bite! I took 4 slices over to Valerie to taste-test for me, but I’m not so sure she shared. She did confirm it tasted really good though! I’m so glad she enjoyed it!