Kendall Barrett's Smith Island Cupcakes

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Democracy Dies successful Darkness

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With six to 8 layers successful a azygous cupcake, ganache successful betwixt them and a glossy cocoa glaze to overgarment them, these modern versions of Smith Island cakes are definite to please.

For champion results, marque the cupcakes and ganache 1 time successful advance; the cupcakes volition beryllium easier to chopped into bladed layers. The ganache tin stay covered astatine country somesthesia oregon tin beryllium covered and refrigerated. Allow to travel to country somesthesia earlier using.

The Lewes Dairy marque of dense pick that baker Kendall Barrett prefers is disposable astatine immoderate Whole Foods Markets.

Cake adept Kendall Barrett brushes barroom layers with elemental syrup to support them moist. Even successful her Smith Island Cupcakes, she says, "added moisture and imaginable flavor, if you take to spirit your punch [hence the term], is simply a payment for immoderate barroom oregon cupcake. You exposure truthful overmuch aboveground erstwhile you chopped the layers, determination volition undoubtedly beryllium a small drying out."

From Kendall Barrett of Kendall's Cakes successful Falls Church.

Ingredients

measuring cup

Servings: 9 large cupcakes

For the cupcakes

2 3/4 cups flour, preferably King Arthur All-Purpose Flour
1 3/4 teaspoons positive 1/8 spoon baking powder
1/4 spoon salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, preferably Plugra brand, astatine country temperature
2 cups sugar
4 ample eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cupful full milk, astatine country temperature

For the elemental syrup

1 cupful water
1 cupful sugar
Flavoring, specified arsenic Grand Marnier (optional)

For the cocoa ganache

1 lb semisweet chocolate, preferably Valrhona, chopped
2 cups dense cream, preferably Lewes Dairy brand

For the cocoa glaze

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, preferably Valrhona, chopped
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, preferably Plugra brand
1 tablespoonful airy maize syrup
5 teaspoons water

Nutritional Facts

Per cupcake (based connected 18)

Calories
504
Fat
29 g
Saturated Fat
17 g
Carbohydrates
62 g
Sodium
175 mg
Cholesterol
86 mg
Protein
6 g
Fiber
3 g

This investigation is an estimation based connected disposable ingredients and this preparation. It should not substitute for a dietitian’s oregon nutritionist’s advice.

From Kendall Barrett of Kendall's Cakes successful Falls Church.

Tested by Vanessa Williams.

Published March 12, 2026