Deal Island Devil Cream Cake is a moist and lightly chocolatey cake, with a slight tang from buttermilk. The frosting is like a light cooked vanilla frosting, sugary-sweet with a lightly caramelized, fudge-like flavor. This is the kind of frosting that sets up crusts over quickly, so it’s important to work fast and be prepared.
And if all that wasn’t enough to convince you to try this classic Maryland cake, then just know the history of the desserts involves pirates and outlaws, so it’s truly unlike most any other dessert.
Where Is Deal Island?
Deal Island is a tiny waterfront town in Maryland with a historic district that’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s famous for skipjack races, a massive three-day yard sale every Labor Day weekend, and a chocolate layer cake that locals call Devil Cream.
And How Did Devil Cream Come To Be?
No one knows the cake’s origin, but people like to offer theories on its name: Some say the word devil is a nod to the sinful dark chocolate, reminiscent of devil’s food cake. Others say it dates all the way back to the 18th century when Deal Island was called Devil’s Island because pirates and outlaws hid out in the area.
What Does It Taste Like?
No matter how or why this beloved cake got its name, it is unquestionably a point of local pride, a staple on many Eastern Shore holiday tables. It’s the kind of recipe that’s been popular for generations and gets passed along through handwritten family recipe cards and community cookbooks.
The tender chocolate cake layers are straightforward. Back in the day, the challenge was making the frosting, a type of old-fashioned boiled icing that required a knowing eye and plenty of elbow grease.
To determine when the bubbling mixture of canned evaporated milk, butter, and sugar had cooked sufficiently, the baker had to drop a small dollop into a cup of cool water to see if would form a soft lump (called soft-ball stage) and then vigorously beat the mixture until it thickened enough to spread over the cake.
Modern versions of the recipe rely on a candy thermometer and timers to eliminate guesswork and a mixer to keep things moving, simplifying the process at every step, making Deal Island Devil Cream a recipe that fans of classic Southern layer cakes should add to their collection.
Editor’s Note: This recipe was developed by Nicole Hopper; the introduction was written by Sheri Castle.
Dining and Cooking