Smith Island Ten Layer Cake Recipes

SMITH ISLAND CAKE

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.

MRS KITCHING'S SMITH ISLAND 10-LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Lightly grease and flour dust 10 (or aim at baking 3 at a time) 9-inch round pans. (I also use greased parchment on bottom.) Oven middle rack, 350°F.
• Cream together sugar and butter.
• Add eggs one at a time. Beat till smooth.
• Sift flour with salt and baking powder and mix into batter one cup at a time.
• Slowly pour in evaporated milk while mixing.
• Then add vanilla and water till batter is uniform.
• Put 1/2 cup of batter into pan, smoothing out with back of spoon.
• Bake for 8 minutes or until it no longer 'sizzles' in pan. Layers will be slightly golden and released from pan edges. Let cool only 3 minutes in pan.
• Run spatula around edge (if it tears, use as a middle layer.) and cool on rack.
• Icing: Melt butter then remove from heat.
• Stir in evaporated milk.
• Whisk in cocoa till smooth and return to low heat for 10 minutes. Stir and do NOT boil or scorch.
• Remove from heat and whisk in confectioners' sugar slowly.
• Return to low heat occasionally stirring for about 45 minutes or until icing is thick and sticks to back of spoon or whisk. Cool.
• Put two tablespoons of icing between each layer and spread just barely to the edge before next layer goes on top. Take your time as icing will be 'fluid' and harden or dry out slowly.

SMITH ISLAND CAKE

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.