Smith Island 8 Layer Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Pulse 4 peanut butter cups in a food processor into small chunks; transfer to a bowl. Pulse the remaining 6 peanut butter cups into a fine powder; transfer to another bowl. Chill both until ready to use.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease four 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray. Dust flour and knock out any excess. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
• Cut up the butter into 1-inch pieces and place them in the large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or beaters. Beat on medium-high speed until the butter is light and creamy in color, about 3 minutes. Stop and scrape the bowl. Cream the butter for an additional minute. Add the granulated sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, beating 1 minute after each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally. Add the eggs one at a time. Reduce the mixer speed. Stir the vanilla into the buttermilk. Add the dry ingredients to the butter alternately with the buttermilk. Mix just until incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix for 15 seconds longer.
• Divide half the batter between the prepared cake pans. Set the remaining batter aside. Using the back of a spoon, spread out the batter so that it covers the bottom of each pan, making it slightly thicker around the edges than in the middle. Bake until cooked through and golden around the edges, 12 to 14 minutes. Set aside to let cool slightly, then loosen the cake layers with a knife and invert onto cooling racks.
• Wash and dry the cake pans. Repeat the process a second time with the cooking spray, flour and batter.
• Once all 8 layers have baked, place the first layer on a serving plate. Spread with about 3 tablespoons Chocolate Frosting and sprinkle with about 1 tablespoon powdered peanut butter cups. Top with another cake layer and repeat the process to make 8 layers in all. Frost the outside of the cake with the remaining frosting and sprinkle the top with the peanut butter cup chunks.
• In a large saucepot over medium-high heat, bring the milk to a simmer, and then remove from the heat.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the yolks, flour, 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar and a pinch of salt. Add the hot milk in a stream, whisking. Return the mixture to the saucepot and bring to a boil over moderate heat. Whisk until very thick, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Cover the surface of the custard with a buttered round of wax paper and cool completely, about 45 minutes.
• Using electric beater, add the vanilla and remaining 1 cup confectioners' sugar to the custard. Beat at moderate speed until well combined. Then increase the speed to medium-high and beat in the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, until smooth. Add the chocolates and beat until well combined.

Steps:

• Cream together sugar and butter. Add eggs one at a time and beat until smooth.
• Sift together flour, salt and baking powder.
• Mix into egg mixture one cup at a time.
• With mixer running, slowly pour in the evaporated milk, then the vanilla and water. Mix just until uniform.
• Put three serving spoonfuls of batter in each of ten 9-inch lightly greased pans, using the back of the spoon to spread evenly.
• Bake three layers at a time on the middle rack of the oven at 350° for 8 minutes. A layer is done when you hold it near your ear and you don't hear it sizzle.
• Start making the icing when the first layers go in the oven.
• Put the cake together as the layers are finished.
• Let layers cool a couple of minutes in the pans. Run a spatula around the edge of the pan and ease the layer out of the pan. Don't worry if it tears; no one will notice when the cake is finished.
• Use two and three serving spoonfuls of icing between each layer.
• Cover the top and sides of the cake with the rest of the icing. Push icing that runs onto the plate back onto the cake.
• Directions for Icing:.
• Put sugar and evaporated milk in a medium pan. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until warm. Add chocolate and cook to melt. Add butter and melt. Cook over medium heat at a slow boil for 10 to 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add vanilla. Icing will be thin but thickens as it cools.

Steps:

• FROSTING: Place chocolate in large bowl. Heat cream, sugar, and salt in saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves and mixture begins to simmer. Pour hot cream mixture over chocolate and whisk until smooth. Whisk in vanilla and butter until glossy. Cover and refrigerate until icing is firm but still spreadable, about 1 hour. CAKE: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8-inch cake pans and line with parchment paper. Spread one-eighth of batter (about 2/3 cup) evenly in each pan and bake until edges are golden brown and cake springs back when touched, 10-14 minutes. Cool on rack 5 minutes. Run a knife around pan perimeter to loosen cake, then invert onto rack to finish cooling. Cool pans to room temperature, then wipe clean and repeat process 3 more times, for a total of 8 layers. ASSEMBLE: Place 1 cooled cake layer on serving platter. Spread 1/4 cup frosting over cake. (if frosting is too firm, let warm at room temperature 5 minutes, then stir to soften.) Top with second cake layer and additional 1/4 cup frosting. Repeat, alternating layers of cake and frosting and finishing with cake layer. Frost top and sides with remaining frosting. Serve.

Steps:

• Prepare icing: Combine cream and corn syrup in a medium saucepan over medium heat; bring mixture just to a simmer, stirring often. Remove from the heat.
• Place chocolate in a large microwave-safe bowl and pour hot cream mixture over top. Sprinkle with salt and let stand 2 minutes. Whisk until completely smooth and let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Chill icing in the refrigerator until thickened and spreadable, about 45 minutes, stirring halfway through.
• Meanwhile prepare cake layers: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray nine 8 1/2-inch round disposable cake pans with cooking spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper and spray that gently with more cooking spray.
• Beat butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, and beat just until incorporated after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk in 3 batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating on medium speed.
• Divide batter evenly (about 1 cup each) among prepared pans and smooth with an offset spatula. Bake, in batches, until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool in pans on wire rack 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto wire racks to cool completely, about 20 minutes.
• Place 1 cake layer on an 8-inch round cake board and spread with 1/3 cup icing using a small offset spatula. Top with another cake layer and spread with 1/3 cup icing. Repeat the process with remaining layers and icing. Coat the top and sides of the cake with a thin layer of icing. Chill cake for 1 hour and reserve remaining icing.
• Place chilled cake on a wire rack over a rimmed baking pan. Microwave reserved icing at medium (50%) power in 30-second intervals, stirring after each one, until smooth and pourable, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Pour icing in a slow, steady stream over the top of the cake, starting at the center and moving to the outer edges so it flows down the sides. Smooth out the sides and fill any gaps with a small offset spatula.
• Chill cake until set, about 1 hour. Carefully transfer cake to a serving plate. Serve at room temperature.