Tylerton, Rhodes Point, and Ewell are three separate island communities that make up Smith Island, which is located in the Chesapeake Bay between the U.S. states of Maryland and Virginia. In Maryland, where most of the islands are disintegrating because to tidal currents and sea level rise, the island is the last inhabited island that is not reachable by car. By 2100, Smith Island is anticipated to have fully eroded.
Smith Island Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Icing:
- 4 cups heavy cream
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- 24 ounces bittersweet baking chocolate, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Cake:
- cooking spray
- 1 ½ cups salted butter, softened
- 2 cups white sugar
- 5 pic large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ¾ cups buttermilk, at room temperature
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine cream and corn syrup; bring mixture just to a simmer while frequently stirring. Get rid of the heat.
- Pour hot cream mixture over chocolate in a large microwave-safe bowl. Add salt, then let stand for two minutes. Allow it cool to room temperature for about an hour after whisking until perfectly smooth. Ice cream should be chilled in the fridge for about 45 minutes, stirring halfway through, until it becomes thick and spreadable.
- while preparing the cake layers Set the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees C). Cooking spray nine 8 1/2-inch round disposable cake pans. The bottoms are lined with parchment paper, which is then lightly sprayed with extra cooking spray.
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment attached, beat butter for approximately a minute at medium speed, until it is smooth and creamy. Add sugar gradually and beat for 3 minutes or until frothy. One at a time, add an egg and beat after each addition just until combined. Vanilla is beaten in.
- In a larger basin, combine salt, baking soda, baking powder, and flour. In three batches, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture first, then the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat on medium speed.
- Spread batter among the prepared pans in a uniform layer (approximately 1 cup each pan), then smooth with an offset spatula. Bake in batches for 12 to 14 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow pans to cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. After about 20 minutes, turn cakes out onto wire racks to finish cooling.
- Use a tiny offset spatula to spread 1/3 cup of icing over 1 cake layer placed on an 8-inch round cake board. Spread 1/3 cup icing on top of the second layer of cake. With the remaining layers and icing, repeat the procedure. Apply a thin coating of frosting to the cake's top and sides. Cake should be chilled for an hour. Save any remaining icing.
- On a wire rack placed over a rimmed baking pan, place the chilled cake. Stir at each interval of 30 seconds while heating the reserved icing in the microwave on medium (50 percent) power for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, or until it is smooth and pourable. Pour the icing over the cake's top in a slow, steady stream, working from the center outward so that it runs down the sides. Using a little offset spatula, even out the sides and fill in any gaps.
- cake for about an hour, or until it has set. Transfer the cake to a serving plate with care. At room temperature, serve.
Notes
- Protein: 10.1g 20 %
- Carbohydrates: 78.5g 25 %
- Dietary Fiber: 4g 16 %
- Sugars: 47g
- Fat: 55.5g 85 %
- Saturated Fat: 34g 170 %
- Cholesterol: 188.3mg 63 %
- Vitamin A Iu: 1492.4IU 30 %
- Niacin Equivalents: 3.3mg 25 %
- Vitamin B6: 0.1mg 4 %
- Vitamin C: 0.6mg 1 %
- Folate: 65.3mcg 16 %
- Calcium: 115.9mg 12 %
- Iron: 1.9mg 11 %
- Magnesium: 16.1mg 6 %
- Potassium: 304.7mg 9 %
- Sodium: 395.9mg 16 %
- Thiamin: 0.3mg 26 %
Final Thought:
The island had reduced by the 2010s, primarily as a result of erosion and rising sea levels. Over 3,300 acres (13 km2) of wetlands have vanished from Smith Island over the past 150 years. Should the sea level rise by another foot, the island is predicted to be entirely eroded by the year 2100. In an effort to prevent this, preventative measures like a jetty-building project finished in 2018 and the realignment of rivers through dredging were implemented. The restoration of 240 acres (1 km2) of wetlands and 1,900 acres (8 km2) of submerged aquatic vegetation will take place over the course of the next 50 years. [5] The island is also constructing more coastal defenses.
