SMITH ISLAND, Md. -- Everybody knows the iconic Smith Island layer cake — tall, rich, and unmistakably Maryland.
Mary Ada Marshall is one of the island’s most famous bakers and was pivotal in getting the cake secured as the official state dessert. For many years, she has run a home-based cake business.
Now, Marshall, who's nearly 79, is stepping away from the oven.
After decades of hand-making Smith Island cakes in her home kitchen and shipping them around the world, Marshall has decided to retire, closing a chapter that helped put the small Chesapeake Bay community on the culinary map. Marshall said that, until making a cake for WBOC on Monday, she hadn't made one since Christmas.
"I want to have more energy for my family and my grandchildren," Marshall said Monday. "More importantly, I wanna figure out what my future holds. Is it all in cakes, or do I do more for my church? Read the Bible more? Have more me time?"
Marshall said another reason she is stepping back is due to the number of orders she was receiving. She said the business she built grew too large for her to handle on her own, and the pace finally caught up with her.
“The phone would not stop ringing, the orders kept coming, and I was on overload. Big time. Bit off way more than I could chew," Marshall said. "I was on a trip to Branson, Missouri, and when I came home, I had 72 phone calls to answer.”
Despite the volume, Marshall says she never missed an order — a point of pride after years of long days and late nights. Every cake was made by hand, right in her own kitchen, and shipped wherever customers wanted a taste of Smith Island.
“It’s a good product. It put Smith Island on the map," Marshall said. "I’ve sent them to Iraq and Iran for soldier boys at their mothers’ request. Washington State, Florida. I don’t know if there’s a state I haven’t shipped a cake to.”
That adds up to thousands of pans, countless layers, and more than a little wear and tear. Even former President George Bush reportedly received one of Marshall’s cakes over the years.
“I’m on my fifth oven. I’ve had two carpal tunnel surgeries from stirring chocolate. So, you know, it comes to a point," Marshall said.
Now, the oven door is finally closing. The pans are back in the drawers, dishes sit quietly in the sink, and the mixer stands still — a rare sight in a kitchen that once buzzed with constant motion.
“I think it was a good run. I’ve enjoyed it. I love talking to people. I love people. And I’m proud of what I’ve done. My cake is no better than anybody else's.”
Marshall said any cakes she does make from now on will likely be for people on Smith Island. In her retirement, she said she is looking to do more in her community.
While new bakers continue the Smith Island cake tradition, Marshall’s influence is baked into its legacy. Long after the last bite is gone, her work — and her warmth — remain part of the island’s story.