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Smith Island Cake A How-to and Encouragement from the Locals She couldn't have been more positive. "I jus' want to show you that it's vurry
easy and cookin' with family is fun, nothin' to it." Janice Marshall, Smith Island native and vocal proponent, was talking
about Maryland's state dessert, the famous 8-layer Smith Island Cake — an impressive looking cake that amounts pretty
much to thin layers of cake, shellacked together with your choice of "cooked icing." As she and Bonnie Wolfe of the Washington
Post demonstrated at the Chesapeake FolkLife Festival in St. Michaels, it really didn't look too bad. The secret -- bake a
thin layer of cake batter in eight cake pans. There's no cutting the layers, just stacking and spreading on a healthy layer
of frosting.
"You can make the stump recipe (trans: from scratch, see below) but it's
just as easy to use Duncan Hines Classic," says Janice. "Not the butter, the Classic. Or the Devil's Food."
Then, Janice says, spray some Pam on the bottom of your pans, and don't bother flouring. Pan size? "They's not a science,
just find you some pans." The cakes bake quickly. "Just pat it on the top, if it don't stick to your fingers, it's
done." Her guess is about 8 minutes. For icing, the recipe (for chocolate):
Combine 1/2 ingredients,
mix. Beat in remaining 1/2. "Stick the bowl in the microwave for 2 minutes. That "cooks" it, and gives the
frosting that "old-timey" gloss. Beat 2-3 seconds after removing from microwave. When frosting your cake,
create the stack with layers of frosting, then go around the side. Then the top. Easy as cake. Other options: you can
always buy from the Smith Island ladies, or through Classic Cakes in Salisbury.
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