CAKE

GENERAL HINTS ON BAKING CAKE.

IN making cake use none but the best materials; in fact, everything you buy to cook with ought to be of the best. We ought to be just as particular about what kind of food we eat as we are about what kind of medicine we swallow. Remember, none but the best. And then the mixing and the baking of cake are both very important elements in the final result. What is worth doing at all is worth doing well, so never hurry, but take your time in baking and you will be well rewarded. And pray don't get discouraged if your first attempt is a failure, but try and try again, and never be ashamed to ask your neighbor, or any friend, to show you how to mix a cake, as this is the most important part, and upon this mainly depends success. Two persons may each take exactly the same materials, and one produce a light, delicate cake, while the other will produce an ugly, heavy-looking loaf, neither nice to look at nor good to eat. The first has properly mixed the ingredients and attended carefully to the temperature of the oven, while the second has put the ingredients together in a careless manner. Now, if my directions are carefully followed every recipe for cake I have given you will turn out to be successful. Each one has been tested many times. And now I will lay down some rules for you, which I hope you will remember.

RULES.

Gather together all materials and utensils that are needed. Grease the tins carefully, but not too much, and line with buttered paper. For cakes that are large and rich use spring forms, wich can be bought or made to order. Sift flour twice at least and measure after sifting. Measure or weigh the sugar, butter, milk and flour. Break the eggs, each separately, into a saucer or cup, always separating the yelks from the whites. Rub the butter to a cream with the sugar, which should be done with a wooden spoon, in a deep bowl, sifting the sugar into the butter is the easiest way. In winter set the bowl over hot water for a few minutes, as the butter will then cream more easily. Always add the yelks one at a time to creamed butter and sugar. Mix the baking powder in the last cup of sifted flour and add flour and milk alternately, until both are stirred thoroughly into the mixture. Beat the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, so stiff that you can turn the dish upside down without spilling the eggs. Always add beaten whites of eggs last to the dough and then set in the oven immediately.


Keep your box of baking powder covered so that the powder will not lose is strength. Use a common kitchen cup for measuring and always use the same size cup for measuring milk, sugar, butter and flour. Be sure that the oven is right before the cakes are set in, for you must never shake the stove or put in coal after your cake is in, and if possible have no water on the stove. Never look after your cake until it has been in the oven over ten minutes. All cake requires a moderate oven, for if put into a hot oven it will crust over before it is perfectly risen, and then as it rises the dough will force its way through the crust, making an ugly shaped loaf. When you think your cake is baked, open the oven door carefully so as not to jar the cake; take a straw from the broom and run it through the thickest part of the cake, and if the straw comes out perfectly clean and dry your cake is done, otherwise it is not done. When done take it out and set it where no draught of air will strike it, and in ten minutes turn it out on a flat plate or board. Don't put it in the cake-box until perfectly cold. If you wish to frost your cake do so while hot.

TIME-TABLE FOR BAKING CAKES.

Sponge cake, three-quarters of an hour.

Pound cake, one hour.

Fruit cake, three and four hours, depending upon size.

Cookies, from ten to fifteen minutes Watch carefully.

Cup cakes, a full half hour.

TABLE OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.

An ordinary cup holds half a pint.

One quart of sifted flour is one pound.

Two cups of butter are one pound.

Ten eggs are equal to one pound.

A wineglassful is half a gill.

Eight even tablespoonfuls are a gill.

Use two teaspoonfuls of baking powder to one quart of flour.

Let me, my dear readers, try to describe to you a "spring form." It is almost indispensable in baking tart cakes and large fruit pies. It is a high, round cake form, the rim of which is held in place by a key made of wire, the rim fitting in the flat bottom. When the cake is baked you simply draw out the key and the rim comes off, allowing all the steam to escape, which prevents the cake from falling, which is the great danger in baking light biscuit tarts, such as almond, chocolate, bread, sponge and others too numerous to mention. After removing the rim of the spring form, it is best to leave it on the plate it was baked on, unless you wish to frost it, when you may turn the cake upside down upon a flat board and loosen the bottom plate upon which it was baked by running a knife under it. If baked on paper remove it carefully. I don't see how any one manages to get along without a spring form. I could not. I use them for layer cakes and rich pies also, and when once you have them they last a lifetime. In ordering spring forms, I would advise you to have two bottoms made for each one, or have them made double in thickness, for cakes burn very easily in them if too thin.

This delicious cake is simply perfect, if you follow my directions carefully, and is made almost like "angel food," and is particularly nice for invalids. Take one cupful of pulverized sugar, sifted five or six times, and one cupful of flour, sifted about seven times. Sift one teaspoonful of baking powder in last, sifting and measuring again and using an even cupful. Beat up on a platter the whites of eleven eggs to a stiff froth, stir the yelks of six eggs and the sugar about a quarter of an hour, grate the peel of one orange in this, adding the juice also. Add part of the flour and part of the beaten whites, and so on until all has been used up. Set in a very moderately hot oven and bake from fifty to sixty minutes; then hold the cake to your ear, if you can not hear it "siz," it is done. Or try it with a clean, dry broom-straw, by sticking it into the cake, and if it comes out clean and dry it is a sure sign that it has baked enough. Bake this cake in an angel food pan, and do not grease the form or pan. Set a dish of water in the oven while baking, and do not open the oven more than is necessary. If it browns too quickly cover the cake with thick paper. Ice the cake with boiled icing, flavored with orange juice. If you desire to have the icing yellow, grate the peel of the orange into the juice and press it through a thin piece of muslin. You may use yellow confectioner's sugar instead.

Take whites of eleven eggs, one tumbler and a half of pulverized sugar, one tumbler of sifted flour, one teaspoonful of extract of vanilla and one teaspoonful of cream tartar. Sift the flour four times, then add cream tartar and sift again, and then measure so as to have exactly one tumblerful after the last sifting. Sift the sugar and measure again in the same way. Beat the eggs to a stiff froth, add the sugar lightly, then the flour, mixing very gently and then the vanilla. Do not stop beating until you have put all into the pan. Bake in a very moderate oven; try with a broom-straw, and if the cake does not stick to the straw it is done. Turn the pans upside down and leave them until the cake is cool. When cool, loosen the sides with a knife and take out. Use a pan that has never been greased before and the cake-pan solely for this cake. The tumbler for measuring must hold two and three-fourth gills.

Beat the eggs on a large platter, and mix the batter on the same platter. Have the pan made with short legs, to raise it a little from the bottom of the oven. You can buy an angel cakepan in any first-class hardware store. Be sure that you follow these directions minutely, and I assure you of success. You must beat on a platter, a deep dish will not do. Remember this.

Take half a pound of the best vanilla chocolate, grated, half a pound of grated almonds, half a pound of pulverized sugar, thirteen eggs and a pinch of pulverized ammonia, or one teaspoonful of baking powder. Stir the yelks of eleven eggs and the sifted sugar about a quarter of an hour, add the whole of the two remaining eggs and then the grated almonds. Beat five minutes longer and add the grated chocolate and stir ten minutes more. Mix the ammonia or baking powder in with the stiff-beaten whites of the eggs, and stir in gently with the cake mixture. Bake a full hour in a moderately hot oven. Frost the cake with a pink frosting, you may use pink confectioner's sugar, or color with Dr. Price's fruit coloring. If you can not get either, use cochineal, which you can get at any druggist's. Soak a little of it in water over night, say a teaspoonful in two tablespoonfuls of water; strain, add a cupful of sugar and boil until the consistency of very thick syrup; beat the white of one egg to a very stiff froth and add the boiling syrup, stirring constantly until cold, then spread over the cake. Set in a warm place until dry.

Take one cup of butter, two cups of pulverized sugar, rubbed to a cream, one cupful of sweet milk, six eggs (yelks added one at a time, whites whipped in last), three cups of flour (measure after sifting), two teaspoonfuls of baking powder, one cup of chopped walnuts and hickorynuts mixed, one cupful of seeded and chopped raisins and thin slices of citron. Sift the flour three times, and in last sifting add baking powder. Whip the whites very stiff. This makes quite a large cake. Ice with boiled icing.

Cream one cup of butter with two cups of sugar and add gradually the yelks of four eggs, one at a time. Sift three cups of flour, measure again after sifting, and add a teaspoonful of baking powder in last sifting. Add alternately the sifted flour and a cup of sweet milk. Add last the stiff-beaten whites of the eggs. Flavor to taste. Bake in a loaf or in jelly-tins.

Take four eggs and one cup of pulverized sugar and beat them together until you can not possibly beat any longer, say half an hour at least. Take one scant cupful of flour, sifted many times, stir in gradually and lightly. Add a pinch of salt and the grated peel of a lemon or any other flavoring. Never fails.

Take twelve eggs and one pound of pulverized sugar. Beat yelks and whites separately. Then add one-half pound of nice dates, cut very fine, one teaspoonful and a half of allspice, the same quantity of cinnamon, two cakes of chocolate, grated fine, and seven soda crackers rolled to a fine powder and flavor with vanilla. Bake in a spring form very slowly. Cover with chocolate icing.

Take one cup of butter, two cups of sugar, four eggs, one-half cup milk, one-half cup cold coffee, two teaspoonfuls cream tartar, one teaspoonful of soda, one-quarter of a pound of currants, one-quarter of a pound of citron and one pound of raisins. Chop all the fruit together and take all kinds of spices. Rub butter and sugar to a cream, dissolve soda in milk and sift cream tartar in flour. Take three cups of flour, measure after sifting and add more if necessary.

Beat the yelks of twelve eggs very light, add one pound of powdered sugar and beat again until quite thick. Grate in the peel of a lemon, adding the juice also, and add three small cups of sifted flour (sift three times and measure after sifting). Stir the flour in lightly. Beat the whites to a stiff froth, and add a pinch of salt before you begin to beat. Beat until the eggs are so stiff that you can turn the bowl upside down with safety. Then add and bake in a moderately hot oven, covering with paper when you first put it in the oven. This makes a large cake, and a very fine one if properly made. Butter your cake form and line with buttered paper; a spring form is the best.

A jelly roll may be made of this by baking in a large pan. Have the jelly at hand and spread as soon as taken from the oven, and roll while hot.

Take one pound of pulverized sugar, one-half pound of best butter, rubbed to a cream, three-quarters of a cupful of sweet milk, whites of ten eggs, whipped very stiff, three quarters of a pound of flour, with a teaspoonful of baking powder sifted in with the flour, which ought to be sifted twice at least. Flavor with a teaspoonful of essence of bitter almonds, and flavor the icing of silver cake with rosewater. Make a gold cake on the same day, so as to use up the yelks of the eggs.

Take one pound of powdered sugar, half a pound of butter rubbed to a cream, yelks of eight or ten eggs and stir until very light. Then add one pound of flour with a teaspoonful of baking powder sifted in well (sift the flour two or three times). Grate in the peel of a lemon or an orange, add the juice also, and add a cup of sweet cream or milk.

Take one cup of butter, two cups of pulverized sugar, three cups of flour, four eggs, one cup of sweet milk and two teaspoonfuls of baking powder. When the cake is mixed, take out about a soupplateful of the batter, and stir into this about two heaping tablespoonfuls of grated chocolate (which you must grate before you begin to mix the cake). Fill your cake mold about two inches deep with yellow batter and then drop in the brown in three or four places. Do this a spoonful at a time, and then pour in more yellow batter, and so on until all is used up.

Take one cup brown sugar, one cup butter, one cup cold coffee, one scant cup of molasses, one cup raisins, one cup currants, one cup citron, one teaspoonful allspice, one of cloves, cinnamon, two eggs, four cups flour and two teaspoonfuls of baking powder.

Take one pound of butter and rub it to a cream, add one pound of sifted powdered sugar, nine eggs, yelks added to the creamed butter and sugar, a wineglassful of brandy, peel of a lemon, and add by degrees a pound and a quarter of flour one pound of seeded raisins and currants, which, have been thoroughly cleaned, half a pound of citron, sliced very thin and a little orange and lemon peel shaved fine. The best plan is to soak the fruit in the brandy on the previous day. Bake very slowly.

Rub one pound of butter and a pound of sifted powdered sugar to a cream and add the yelks of eight eggs, one at a time, one ounce of carroway seed, one nutmeg grated, and a teaspoonful of cinnamon. Stir in one pound and a quarter of sifted flour and the stiff-beaten whites of eggs alternately. Bake slowly.

Rub one pound of butter and one pound of powdered sugar to a cream and add the grated peel of a lemon, a glass of brandy and the yelks of nine eggs, added one at a time, and last one pound and a quarter of sifted flour and the beaten whites of the eggs. Bake slowly.

Stir to a cream one cup of butter and two cups of powdered sugar and add gradually the yelks of four eggs. Sift into this three cups of flour, adding two teaspoonfuls of baking powder in the last sifting and add a cup of sweet milk alternately with the flour to the creamed butter, sugar and yelks. Spice with a teaspoonful of cinnamon and add the stiff-beaten whites of the eggs. Last, stir in two cups of huckleberries which have been carefully picked over and well dredged with flour. Be careful in stirring in the huckleberries that you do not bruise them. You will find a wooden spoon the best for this purpose, the edges not being so sharp. Bake in a moderately hot oven; try with a straw, if it comes out clean, your cake is baked. This will keep fresh for a long while.

Rub to a cream one cup of butter and two cups of sugar and add gradually the yelks of four eggs, one at a time, also one cup of cold water or milk and three cups of flour. Put two teaspoonfuls of baking powder in the last cup of sifted flour, and sift again before adding to the cake-batter. Have the whites beaten very stiff. Before adding stir in two cups of the kernels of hickorynuts, carefully picked out and add last of all.

Rub one cup of butter and two cups of sugar to a cream. Add one cup of milk, whites of four eggs, three cups of flour (measure after sifting) and two teaspoonfuls of baking powder added in last sifting. Add a grated cocoanut and last the stiff beaten whites. Bake in a loaf. Line tin with buttered paper.

Cream two cups of sugar and one-half cup of butter, the usual way. Add two eggs, one cup of sour milk, one cup of chopped raisins, three cups of flour, two teaspoonfuls of baking powder, one teaspoonful of cinnamon, half a teaspoonful of cloves and nutmeg, and a wineglassful of port wine.

Rub half a cup of butter and one cup of sugar to a cream, add half a cup of sweet milk, one egg, two cups of flour, sifted with two teaspoonfuls of baking powder, the grated rind of a lemon, and a few drops of the juice.

Wash the salt out of one-half pound of butter, and rub it to a cream with one pound of powdered sugar. Have ready one pound of flour, sifted fully five times with two heaping teaspoonfuls of baking powder, and add the stiff-beaten whites of fifteen eggs, alternately, with the flour. Flavor with bitter almonds and ice with boiled icing.

Rub to a cream one cup of butter with three cups of pulverized sugar and add gradually the yelks of five eggs, one at a time, and one cup of sweet milk. Sift four cups of flour with two teaspoonfuls of baking powder, add alternately with the milk and the stiff-beaten whites of five eggs. Add the grated peel of one lemon and the juice of two. This is a delicious cake.

(No. 1.) Take one pound of butter and one pound of sugar rubbed to a cream, yelks of twelve eggs, one tablespoonful of cinnamon, one teaspoonful of allspice, half teaspoonful of mace, half teaspoonful of cloves, one-fourth of a pound of almonds (pounded), two ponds of raisins (seeded and chopped), three pounds of currants (carefully cleaned), one pound of citron (shredded very fine), and one-quarter of a pound of orange peel (chopped very fine). Soak all this prepared fruit in one pint of brandy over night. Add all to the dough and put in the stiff-beaten whites last. Bake in a very slow oven for several hours, and line your cake-pans with buttered paper. When cold wrap in cloths dipped in brandy and put in earthen jars. If you wet these cloths every month you may keep this cake moist for years.

(No. 2.) Wash one pound of butter, then work in two or three tablespoonfuls of rosewater, one pound of sugar, cream butter and sugar until it will stand, one pound of citron, orange and lemon peel in equal proportions, candied of course, three pounds of currants, one pound of sultana raisins, three-quarters of a pound of grated almonds, the grated peel of two oranges, a gill of sherry, one of brandy, yelks of twelve eggs and whites of six, one pound of flour (very dry warmed and sifted), a teaspoonful of cinnamon, grated nutmeg and cloves. If possible, prepare the fruit the day previous, and pour over it the brandy and sherry. When the cake is ready to bake, line a large, round pan or spring form with three thicknesses of buttered paper at the bottom, two around the sides and pour the batter into it. This cake will be quite large if baked in one, and should bake from four to five hours in a very moderate oven. The oven should be quite cool at first, and never get very hot. For the first two hours cover with thick cardboard, the object being to give long baking without burning. When cold wrap in cloth dampened with brandy, and put in an earthen jar, covered.

One cup of butter rubbed to a cream, with two cups of the very darkest brown sugar; add four eggs, one at a time, stirring each one well; then add a cupful of black molasses and one cup of hot, strong coffee in which you have previously dissolved one even teaspoonful of soda. (Strain before adding to the batter.) Sift four and one-half cups of flour, twice, adding two teaspoonfuls of cream tartar in last, half a cupful of flour, sifting again before adding. Add the following spices: nutmeg, mace, allspice and cloves, half a teaspoonful of each, one large cupful of raisins, seeded, and half a cupful of finely-cut or chopped citron, dredge the raisins with flour, using some of which you have already sifted, not using more than four and a half cups in all. Butter your cake tins and seed your fruit before beginning to make the cake; whole spices freshly pounded in a mortar are preferable to ground spices. This quantity makes one good-sized cake and twelve gems, which if iced prettily makes quite a display.

Separate the yelks and whites of nine eggs, being very careful not to get a particle of the yelks into the whites. Sift half a pound of pulverized sugar into the yelks and beat until the consistency of batter. Add a pinch of salt to the whites and beat until very stiff. Have ready a pound of walnuts, shelled carefully (weigh before shelling), reserve some of the whole ones for decorating the top of cake. Pound the rest in a mortar or with a rolling pin, and add to the beaten yelks, add also two heaping tablespoonfuls of grated stale sponge cake or lady fingers, last add the stiff-beaten whites. Bake in a moderate oven three quarters of an hour in a spring form, when done remove the key and allow it to cool off a little before icing.

To one cup of molasses add one cup of milk, sour or sweet, dissolve one teaspoonful of soda in the milk, one tablespoonful of butter, one or two eggs, one teaspoonful of ginger and one of ground cinnamon, add enough sifted flour to make a light batter. Bake in a shallow pan, you may strew a few blanched almonds on top if you desire to have it extra nice.

Mix one cup of molasses, one cup of brown sugar, one tablespoonful of butter, and add the following spices: one and one-half teaspoonfuls of ginger, the same of cinnamon. Stir this mixture well for about ten minutes, then add gradually one cup of milk and five cups of flour into which you have previously sifted two teaspoonfuls of baking powder. Bake in a broad, shallow pan and eat warm.

Rub half a cup of butter to a cream with one and one-half cups of pulverized sugar, add gradually one-half cup of milk, with three cups of sifted flour, add one cup at a time, and add two teaspoonfuls of baking powder in last cup and sift again before adding. Add the beaten whites of seven eggs. Reserve one cupful of this white dough for the top and color the rest with three teaspoonfuls of fruit coloring and flavor with one teaspoonful of strawberry flavoring; now add one cupful of sultanas, which have been carefully picked, and add to the pink dough. Fill dough in a well greased cake mold and spread the reserved cupful of white dough on top of cake; last cover with finely-shaved citron. Bake one hour in a moderate oven.

Make a gold cake of the yelks, using the same amount of butter, milk, flour, etc. Flavor with lemon.

Make a rich cake of any kind and bake it in a deep jelly cake mold; and when cold, scoop out enough of the cake to leave a good deep rim, say about an inch in depth all through. Then fill in the cavity with white wine jelly, which you have prepared before you began to bake your cake. This cake may be served as a pudding with the addition of whipped cream. Either spread the cream on top or serve separately--the latter being preferable.

[Editorial note: Handwritten inscriptions]

Honey Cakes Small

4 eggs -- 1 cup sugar -- 1 cup honey -- spices
about 2 1/2 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking
powd -- chocolate -- 1/2 cup milk
put nut on top + cut after baking

Layer Cake

1 egg -- 1 cup sugar -- 2 cups flour
butter size of egg -- baking powd --
1 cup water -- flavoring