Pumpkin Smith Island Cake

by Sofi | Broma Bakery

This Pumpkin Smith Island Cake has 9 thin layers of spiced pumpkin cake stacked with tangy cream cheese frosting. The ultimate fall and Thanksgiving dessert!

Pumpkin Smith Island Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Looking to shake up the Thanksgiving dessert table? This Pumpkin Smith Island Cake is up for the job. With nine thin layers of soft, warmly spiced pumpkin cake stacked with tangy cream cheese frosting, this beauty is guaranteed to turn heads at Thanksgiving dinner. It’s a fun weekend baking project, an impressive fall birthday cake for a recipient worthy of nine layers, or just because it’s nice to have a nine layer cake in your fridge all week.

What Is a Smith Island Cake?

If you’ve never heard of a Smith Island Cake, allow me to introduce you to one of the most impressive cakes around. Originally from Smith Island, Maryland, this classic layer cake is known for its many thin layers of cake separated by equally thin layers of frosting or icing. Traditional Smith Island Cakes can have anywhere from 8 to 12 layers, making for a seriously impressive slice.

For this fall-inspired version, we’re swapping the traditional cake flavors for a warmly spiced pumpkin cake and layering it with a generous amount of tangy cream cheese frosting. The result is a Pumpkin Smith Island Cake that’s basically the ultimate fall layer cake. It’s tall, beautiful, and every single bite has the perfect ratio of cake to frosting.

Ingredients You’ll Need

This pumpkin Smith Island cake uses simple baking ingredients, but a few of them are doing some very important work to get you those soft, flavorful layers and perfectly creamy frosting.

For the pumpkin cake:

• Granulated sugar: Sweetens the cake and helps create a tender crumb.
• Vegetable oil: Oil keeps the pumpkin cake incredibly moist, even after a few days in the fridge. It also gives the cake a soft texture that works beautifully for these thin layers.
• Eggs: You’ll need 5 large eggs to bind everything together and give the cake structure. Make sure they’re at room temperature so they incorporate easily into the batter.
• Pumpkin puree: The star of the show! Make sure you’re using 100% pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which already contains added sugar and spices.
• Vanilla extract: A little vanilla rounds out all those warm pumpkin spice flavors.
• All-purpose flour: Gives the cake enough structure to hold up to all nine layers of frosting.
• Warm spices: A combination of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves gives this cake its signature cozy fall flavor.
• Baking powder and baking soda: These leavening agents help the thin cake layers rise and stay soft and fluffy.
• Salt: Balances the sweetness and brings out all the other flavors.
• Milk: Adds moisture to the batter and helps create a smooth, pourable consistency.

For the cream cheese frosting:

• Unsalted butter: Gives the frosting its rich, buttery flavor and smooth consistency. Make sure it’s at room temperature so you don’t end up with little butter lumps.
• Cream cheese: The tangy counterpart to all that sweet pumpkin cake! Full-fat block-style cream cheese works best here.
• Powdered sugar: Sweetens and thickens the frosting while keeping it smooth and creamy.
• Milk: Just a little milk helps loosen the frosting to a spreadable consistency.
• Vanilla extract: Adds a little extra flavor and complements the spices in the cake.
• Salt: A pinch of salt keeps the frosting from tasting overly sweet.

How to Make Pumpkin Smith Island Cake

Okay, let’s talk about how to make this beauty! The process is a little different from your traditional layer cake because you’ll be baking nine individual thin layers instead of a few thick cake rounds. Don’t let that intimidate you, though. Once you get into a rhythm, the process is surprisingly straightforward.

Nine layers might sound like a lot, but I promise this cake is more approachable than it looks. Here are a few things that’ll make the whole process go smoothly.

• Measure your batter carefully. This is probably the most important step for getting those beautiful, even layers. Use a level 1-cup measuring cup for each cake pan or better yet, weigh your batter and divide it into 9 perfect portions. Consistent measurements mean consistent layers!
• Don’t panic about how thin the layers look. Smith Island Cake is supposed to have thin layers. The batter will barely cover the bottom of your cake pans, but it will rise as it bakes. Resist the urge to add extra batter.
• Use parchment paper for easy removal. These thin cake layers can be delicate, so parchment paper makes a huge difference when it’s time to remove them from the pans. Make sure you also grease the sides well.
• Let the pans cool between batches. You’ll be using the same three pans to bake all nine layers, so give them a few minutes to cool before adding the next round of batter. This helps keep the batter from starting to cook before it goes into the oven.
• Don’t overbake the layers. Because they’re so thin, these cake layers bake quickly. Start checking them around the 11-minute mark. You want them set and springy, not dry around the edges.
• Cool the cake layers completely before frosting. I know it’s tempting to get straight into assembling, but warm cake will melt your cream cheese frosting. Give the layers time to cool all the way through.
• Chill before slicing. An hour in the fridge helps the frosting firm up and makes it much easier to cut clean, beautiful slices.

Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions

One of my favorite things about this pumpkin Smith Island cake is that it’s actually even better when you make it ahead of time. The cake layers have a chance to settle into the frosting, and the whole thing becomes wonderfully cohesive.

Make ahead: You can bake the individual pumpkin cake layers up to 2 days ahead of time. Let them cool completely, then stack them with parchment paper between each layer and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Store at room temperature until you’re ready to assemble. You can also assemble the entire cake a day ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator until serving.

Storage: Because this cake has cream cheese frosting, it should be stored in the refrigerator. Cover the cake tightly or transfer leftover slices to an airtight container. It’ll keep for up to 5 days.

Freezing: You can freeze this cake whole or in individual slices. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

Serving: For the best texture and flavor, let the cake sit at room temperature for about 20 to 30 minutes before slicing. This softens the frosting and makes the pumpkin cake extra tender.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes a Smith Island Cake different from a regular layer cake?

A traditional Smith Island Cake is made with many thin layers of cake and frosting rather than the two or three thick layers you’d find in a typical layer cake. The layers are baked individually, then stacked with frosting in between to create a tall, beautiful cake with lots of little stripes.

How many layers should a Smith Island Cake have?

Traditional Smith Island Cakes typically have between 8 and 12 layers. This pumpkin version has 9 layers of pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting between each one.

Can I make Pumpkin Smith Island Cake ahead of time?

Absolutely! In fact, I’d recommend it. You can bake the cake layers a day or two ahead and assemble the cake the day before serving. The frosting has time to set, and the cake slices beautifully once chilled.

Why are my pumpkin cake layers so thin?

They’re supposed to be! Smith Island Cake is known for its thin, individual cake layers. Each layer only uses about 1 cup of batter spread across an 8-inch cake pan. They’ll rise slightly in the oven, but they’ll still be much thinner than traditional cake layers.

Can I use homemade pumpkin puree?

Yes, you can use homemade pumpkin puree as long as it’s thick and not watery. Homemade pumpkin puree can vary quite a bit in moisture content, so make sure yours has a consistency similar to canned pumpkin puree. Excess moisture can affect the texture of your cake.

Can I use a different frosting?

Cream cheese frosting is my favorite pairing for this pumpkin cake because its tanginess balances the sweetness and warm spices. That said, a classic vanilla buttercream would also be delicious if you prefer a sweeter frosting.

A Showstopping Fall Cake

If you’re looking for a dessert that’ll really steal the show this Thanksgiving, this Pumpkin Smith Island Cake is it. Nine layers of soft, warmly spiced pumpkin cake, creamy tangy frosting, and the prettiest little stripes when you slice into it. It’s the kind of cake that looks like you spent all day in the kitchen (even though most of that time is just letting the layers cool!), and I promise everyone will be asking for a second slice.

Happy baking, friends!

XXX

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