Name: Smith Island Cake Recipe
Prep time: 1 h 15 min
Cook time: 36 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: For the Chocolate Icing:; 6 tbsp unsalted butter; 4 oz bar bittersweet chocolate; 1⅔ cups granulated sugar; 1 cup heavy cream; 2 tsp corn syrup; 1 tsp pure vanilla extract; pinch salt; For The Cake:; 3¾ cups all purpose flour; 1 tsp baking powder; ¾ tsp Baking Soda; 1 tsp salt; 1½ cups unsalted butter; 2 cups granulated sugar; 5 large eggs; 2½ tsp pure vanilla extract; 1¾ cups buttermilk; Rainbow sprinkles

How To Make Smith Island Cake

Smith Island cake is the official dessert of Maryland. This recipe is a homemade version that is made with yellow cake layers and chocolate fudge icing.

Preparation: 1 hour 15 minutes

Cooking: 36 minutes

Additional Time: 2 hours 9 minutes

Total: 4 hours

Serves:

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Icing:

6tbspunsalted butter,cut into 6 pieces
4ozbar bittersweet chocolate,coarsely chopped
1⅔cupsgranulated sugar
1cupheavy cream
2tspcorn syrup,optional, for shine
1tsppure vanilla extract
pinchsalt

For the Cake:

3¾cupsall purpose flour,sifted, spoon & leveled
1tspbaking powder
¾tspbaking soda
1tspsalt
1½cupsunsalted butter,softened to room temperature
2cupsgranulated sugar
5large eggs,at room temperature
2½tsppure vanilla extract
1¾cupsbuttermilk,at room temperature
rainbow sprinkles,for garnish, optional

Instructions

Icing:

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.
Add a sprinkle of salt, if desired. Leave uncovered and set aside to thicken and cool for at least 1 to 2 hours or until it has a spreadable consistency.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three 9-inch cake pans, line with parchment paper, then grease the parchment paper.

Cake:

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 for about 3 minutes.
Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. At 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.
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.
Allow to cool for a couple of minutes, then carefully invert the cake onto the counter. Peel off the parchment to reuse45 minutes.
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 for about 45 minutes.

To assemble the cake:

Carefully place one layer on a serving platter or cake stand. Spoon and spread ¼ cup of icing on top, then repeat with the rest of the cake layers and icing. Decorate the top with sprinkles, if desired.
Set cake aside for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
Cover and store leftover cake at room temperature for 1 to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.