Smith Island Cake

Name: Smith Island Cake
Yield: Serves 10 to 12
Cuisine: Mid-Atlantic
Ingredients: 10 ounces (283 grams), bittersweet chocolate, chopped; 1 cup, heavy cream; 1 cup (7 ounces/198 grams), sugar; 1/4 teaspoon, salt; 1 teaspoon, vanilla extract; 8 tablespoons (1 stick), unsalted butter, softened; 2½ cups (10 ounces/283 grams), cake flour; 1¼ teaspoons, baking powder; ¼ teaspoon, baking soda; ¾ teaspoon, salt; 1¾ cups (12¼ ounces/347 grams), sugar; 1 cup, buttermilk, room temperature; 10 tablespoons, unsalted butter, melted and cooled; 3 , large eggs, separated, plus 3 large yolks, room temperature; 3 tablespoons, vegetable oil; 2 teaspoons, vanilla extract; Pinch , cream of tartar

Desserts or Baked Goods
Mid-Atlantic
Cakes
Great American Cakes

Appears in Cook's Country February/March 2009

The pride of Smith Island, Maryland—and the state's official dessert.

SERVES 10 to 12

TIME 2½ hours plus 1 hour chilling and 1 hour cooling

Why This Recipe Works

This is a members' feature.