Smith Island Cake

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Smith Island Cake

If there is one item that’s long been on my baking “bucket list”, it would be the Smith Island Cake. Baked by the wives and mothers of waterman on Smith Island to send off with their husbands and sons, who headed out to dredge oysters for days at a time in the fall and winter on the cold waters of the Chesapeake Bay. It’s legendary here on the Eastern Shore, and was named the official cake of the State of Maryland back in 2008.

It’s traditionally 10-layers, individually baked, and then layered and covered with a rich, fudge-like frosting. It’s spreadable when it’s warm, but then solidifies helping to hold the layers together as well as to seal in the moisture. Keeping the cake fresh and moist for the hard-working boys on the water who were out there digging up oysters for people’s Thanksgiving tables.

I finally tackled it for our 10 year anniversary a couple weeks ago, and I’ve gotta say – I don’t know why I was so scared. I used Francis Kitching’s recipe, the legendary hostess and cook of Smith Island. I only ended up with 9-layers, I should have used a little less than 2/3 cup, but I was still so impressed with myself I could barely contain my excitement. The cake baked up nicely, and the fudge frosting was easy to work with. So happy I gave this one a whirl and can finally say I have it under my belt. I look forward to experimenting with new flavor combinations in the future!

Add it to your bucket list , but do yourself a favor and don’t wait as long as I did to make it. It’s so impressive, a perfect cake to make for the holiday season!

Smith Island Cake

For the cake:
8 oz (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature (plus additional for greasing pans)
3 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 cups sugar
5 large eggs
1 cup evaporated milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup water

For the frosting:
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup evaporated milk
5 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
4 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees. Use butter to lightly grease ten 9-inch cake pans, or use 2 or 3 cake pans at a time and re-grease them as needed.

Combine  the flour, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl, whisk to combine and set aside. Combine the evaporated milk, vanilla, and water in a large measuring cup, whisk to combine and set aside.

Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat on medium speed until light and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time; beat until smooth. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients alternately with the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients and mixing just until incorporated.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for 15 seconds longer.

Place a scant 2/3 cup of batter into each baking pan, spreading evenly. Bake 2 or 3 layers at a time on the middle oven rack for 8 to 9 minutes. (A layer is done when you hold it near your ear and do not hear it sizzle.)

While the cakes are baking, make the icing: Combine the sugar and evaporated milk in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the chocolate and butter; warm through, stirring, until both have melted. Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract, stirring to combine. The icing will be thin but will thicken as it cools.

As the cake layers are done, run a spatula around the edge of the pan and ease out the layers. Let them cool. Place the bottom layer on a cake plate; spread 2 or 3 spoonfuls of icing on each layer. (Don’t worry if a layer tears; no one will notice when the cake is finished.) Cover the top and sides of the cake with the remaining icing; push any icing that runs onto the plate back onto the cake.

Source: Mrs. Kitching’s Smith Island Cookbook

Salted Caramel Cupcakes

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Salted Caramel Cupcakes

Salted caramel just may be my favorite thing in the world. Whether it’s in the form of caramel sauce, chewy caramels, or the sweet and salty crunch of caramel corn…I love it all! When trying to decide what to make for our PTA’s Pumpkin Tour a couple of weeks ago, I noticed that I didn’t have any cupcakes devoted to that sweet & salty combination that I love so dearly. That was a situation that needed to be remedied immediately!

So, I did what I always do with experimental cupcakery – used my favorite vanilla cake recipe, and then proceeded to add a bunch of homemade salted caramel sauce to it. Same deal with the buttercream frosting. An additional drizzling of sauce and a sprinkle of top-notch sea salt…and you have yourself a damn fine cupcake!

While I love fleur-de-sel, I used Maldon sea salt here, which is actually a British hand-harvested sea salt. The crystals are giant square shaped flaky pyramids, but still as light as a feather. They really show themselves off nicely, and don’t just melt into the frosting as some finer salts would.

I ordered mine online a year or so ago, but I’m pleased to report that my local gourmet food shop now carries it for a really reasonable price – so if you’re local, Poseidon’s Pantry here on Chincoteague has you covered.

What you end up with is a deliciously tender and moist cake bursting with the roasty sweet notes of caramel. And the pinch of sea salt on top just adds the perfect salty bite and slight crunch. They went in a flash at the bake sale, and I know it’s definitely one I’ll be making again and again. It’s also great in cake form as well! I hope you get a chance to make and enjoy it soon. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Salted Caramel Cupcakes

3 cups cake flour (or 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour + 3 Tbsp cornstarch)
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
16 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1/2 cup salted caramel sauce
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Salted caramel sauce, for garnish
Sea salt, for garnish

For the frosting:
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
4 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup salted caramel sauce

To make the cupcakes, preheat oven to 350. Line 2 cupcake tins with paper liners, set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy,about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, and the vanilla, and mix until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition.

Combine the buttermilk and vanilla extract in a liquid measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients alternately with the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients and mixing just until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add in the caramel sauce, and mix for 15 seconds longer.

Fill the cupcakes liners 2/3 of the way full with batter (I like to use a large cookie scoop). Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Let cool in pan about 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.

For the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream the butter over medium speed for 1 minute. Reduce speed to low, and carefully add in the confectioners sugar and the pinch of salt. Add the vanilla extract, as well as the caramel sauce. Increase speed to medium, and beat until smooth and well combined.

Frost cupcakes as desired (I used Wilton 2D) and drizzle with caramel sauce. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt just before serving.

Pumpkin Crumb Coffee Cake

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Pumpkin Crumb Coffee Cake

You guys. This cake. It has everything you could possibly want in a fall dessert, and then some. This past Saturday night was our PTA’s Pumpkin Tour here on Chincoteague. It’s always a great time that the whole community looks forward to. I’d volunteered to bake a few sweets to bring to the bake sale table. And, this was one of the goodies that I came up with.

The Banana Crumb Coffee Cake that I posted last year has always been one of my favorites, and popular with everyone else too. I figured a pumpkin twist on this favorite would be a hit, so I went with it. I substituted a can of pumpkin puree in place of the mashed banana, and amped up the spice profile a little bit by adding some cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove to the cake batter. It turned out even better than the banana version, which really says something…

It went quickly at the Pumpkin Tour, and the few bites I saved here at the house disappeared that night as well. Planning to make another one this week! It was that good, y’all. Absolutely perfect with a cup of coffee and some company on a chilly autumn evening.

Pumpkin Crumb Coffee Cake

2 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup milk

For the streusel:
3/4 cup (12 Tbsp) cold butter, cubed
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon

For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 Tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×13 baking dish with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray, set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

Combine the butter and pumpkin in a large mixing bowl and mix until combined. Add sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla, mix until combined. With mixer running on low, carefully add flour and mix until just combined.

Prepare streusel by combining all the ingredients in a medium bowl, cut the butter in with a pastry cutter until a coarse crumb forms (I use my food processor here).

Pour 1/2 of the batter into the prepared pan. Top with 1/2 of the crumb mixture. Cover with the remaining batter and top with remaining crumb mixture. Bake for 50-55 minutes until the center is set and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for at least 1 hour.

Mix together the glaze ingredients and drizzle over the cake before serving.

Homemade Caramel Corn

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caramelcorn

One of my favorite things about our local fireman’s carnival in the summertime is their homemade caramel corn. Sure, you can get great caramel corn on the boardwalk in Ocean City…but the site of a giant copper kettle full of popcorn, butter and brown sugar being continuously stirred by one of our local hard-working guys is one to behold. For me, that scent wafting through the air means summertime on Chincoteague.

But then fall arrives, and the carnival is over for another year…leaving me without a giant tub full of caramel corn to munch on. So, I decided to start taking matters into my own hands a couple years ago, and started making my own. A few basic ingredients and about an hour – and you have a giant batch of caramel corn that stays good for a couple weeks, or also make excellent gifts when bagged up and tied with a pretty ribbon.

Peanuts, are of course optional…but we love the nutty crunch that it adds. Looking forward to playing around with some different ingredients to change the flavor up a bit…maybe a little cayenne to spice things up, or a little cinnamon and nutmeg for an autumnal spin! With Halloween coming up, it’s the perfect excuse to try making this classic for yourself at home – you won’t regret it!

Homemade Caramel Corn

1 cup popcorn kernels, un-popped
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2 cups packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 250° F. Line two baking sheets with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper, set aside.

Pop popcorn using your preferred method, I use and air-popper and have to do two batches. Place the popped popcorn onto the baking sheets.

Meanwhile, to make the caramel, melt the butter in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, mix in the corn syrup, brown sugar and salt. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently.

Once the mixture reaches a boil, let the mixture continue to boil for 5 more minutes without stirring. Remove the mixture from the heat, stir in the baking soda and vanilla extract. The mixture will bubble up and become frothy. Evenly drizzle the caramel sauce over the popcorn on the baking sheets, and use a silicone spatula to gently toss and coat thoroughly. It’s okay if there are some clumps of caramel throughout, it will melt and become better spread out while baking.

Bake for 40-50 minutes, removing from the oven to toss/stir every 10 minutes. After 40 minutes, test a cooled piece of popcorn. If it is not completely crispy (i.e. still slightly mushy when you bite it), bake for 10 minutes more.

Remove the baking sheets to a wire rack and allow popcorn to cool completely before breaking apart for serving or packaging. Can be stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks (no way in hell it’ll last that long).

Source: adapted from Annie’s Eats