Smith Island Cake

Maryland State Dessert

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Smith Island cake served with organic strawberries

Classic Smith Island cake; served with organic strawberries.  Photo by Jane Thomas/Flickr (Use Permitted with Attribution).

Official State Dessert of Maryland

Maryland designated Smith Island cake as the official state dessert in 2008. All State Foods

Sometimes compared to tortes, the Smith Island cake (simply called "layer cakes" on Smith Island) traditionally consists of eight to ten layers of yellow cake with chocolate frosting between each layer, but variations evolved and the cake can be just about any flavor, as long as it is stacked 8 to 12 layers high!

The traditional Smith Island cake (yellow cake with chocolate frosting) conforms to the black and gold theme reflected in the state bird, state insect, state flower, and even the state cat. (the Calvert family colors on Maryland's state flag).

Maryland

Images

Smith Island cake slices; official state desert of Maryland.  Photo by Will Parson, Chesapeake Bay Program Multimedia Specialist / Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay/Flickr (use permitted with attribution/share alike).

Smith Island cake slices

Smith Island cake; photo by ehpien on Flickr (noncommercial use permitted with attribution / no derivative works).

Smith Island cake

Videos

Smith Island Cakes: Official Dessert of Maryland Provides Jobs