SMITH ISLAND LAYER CAKE

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It is, however, special enough to be pointed out as a distinctive regional tradition spanning many decades. For generations, layer cake could only be found in the three Smith Island communities—Ewell, Rhodes Point, and Tylerton, and on the mainland in Crisfield where all islanders have kin or more recently, homes. An assortment of island women fill orders on short notice for visitors to take home. All you have to do is ask. Cakes have been catching the ferry for special orders and benefits for years.

More recently, a group of the island’s enterprising young women, more accustomed to life on the mainland—are making Smith Island cakes available to the retail and wholesale markets in Crisfield, Salisbury and St Michael’s. Classic Cakes in Salisbury employs at least three former islanders and three Mexican women daily turning out cakes by the dozens. They use the same recipe and ingredients handed down from their mothers and grandmothers. The only difference is the size of their ovens, bowls, mixers and audience.

A mixing bowl, an assortment of same-sized cake pans, a large spoon or ladle, an oven and a plate for assembling or serving will get you started. You only need as many pans as you can fit in your oven at one time—and the willingness to clean up after each batch so you can repeat as many times as needed. The number of layers is often arbitrarily determined by any number of factors—from amount of batter or frosting to time available. All ingredients must be ready to go, as the process moves quickly once the half-inch thick layers emerge from the oven and cool enough to apply frosting without melting.

Islanders traditionally made their cake “from the stump,” or from scratch. Now increasingly they use “box cake.” Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines will do just fine. One box equals one cake. Frosting can be cooked or cold. There is nothing difficult about it. No secrets. A little patience is required to remove the baked layer from the greased and floured pan, but mistakes are easily covered or patched—with frosting.

The reward comes when the finished cake, which from the outside appears to be a regular layer cake—is cut, revealing, ten or so of the most delicate and perfect layers punctuated by the thinnest layers of frosting. The good news is you don’t need a big slice to get your fill. A single eight-inch cake cuts easily into sixteen slices—plenty for breakfast, and lunch, and dinner and…don’t forget your glass of milk.

 

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