CAKES.
*
* *
SUGGESTIONS
IN REGARD TO CAKE-MAKING.
USE NONE but the best materials,
and all the ingredients should be properly prepared before commencing
to mix any of them. Eggs beat up much lighter and sooner by being
placed in a cold place sometime before using them; a small pinch of
soda sometimes has the same effect. Flour should always be sifted
before using it. Cream of tartar or baking powder should be
thoroughly mixed with the flour; butter be placed where it will
become moderately soft, but not melted in the least, or the cake will
be sodden and heavy. Sugar should be rolled and sifted; spices ground
or pounded; raisins or any ether fruit looked over and prepared;
currants, especially, should be nicely washed, picked, dried in a
cloth and then carefully examined, that no pieces of grit or stone
may be left amongst them. They should then be laid on a dish before
the fire to become thoroughly dry; as, if added damp to the other
ingredients, cakes will be liable to be heavy.
Eggs
should be well beaten, the
whites and yolks separately, the yolks to a thick cream, the whites
until they are a stiff froth. Always stir the butter and sugar to a
cream, then add the beaten yolks, then the milk, the flavoring, then
the beaten whites, and, lastly, the flour. If fruit is to be used,
measure and dredge with a little sifted flour, stir in gradually and
thoroughly.
Pour
all in well-buttered
cake-pans. While the cake is baking care should be taken that no cold
air enters the oven, only when necessary to see that the cake is
baking properly; the oven should be an even, moderate heat, not too
cold or too hot; much depends on this for success. Cake is often
spoiled by being looked at too often when first put into the oven.
The heat should be tested before the cake is put in, which can be
done by throwing on the floor of the oven a tablespoonful of new
flour. If the flour takes fire, or assumes a dark brown color, the
temperature is too high and the oven must be allowed to cool; if the
flour remains white after the lapse of a few seconds, the temperature
is too low. When the oven is of the proper temperature the flour will
slightly brown and look slightly scorched.
Another
good way to test the
heat, is to drop a few spoonfuls of the cake batter on a small piece
of buttered letter paper, and place it in the oven during the
finishing of the cake, so that the piece will be baked before putting
in the whole cake; if the little drop of cake batter bakes evenly
without burning around the edge, it will be safe to put the whole
cake in the oven. Then, again, if the oven seems too hot, fold a
thick brown paper double, and lay on the bottom of the oven; then
after the cake has risen, put a thick brown paper over the top, or
butter well a thick white paper and lay carefully over the top.
If,
after the cake is put in, it
seems to bake too fast, put a brown paper loosely over the top of the
pan, care being taken that it does not touch the cake, and do not
open the door for five minutes at least; the cake should then be
quickly examined, and the door shut carefully, or the rush of cold
air will cause it to fall. Setting a small dish of hot water in the
oven, will also prevent the cake from scorching.
To
ascertain when the cake is
done, run a broom straw into the middle of it; if it comes out clean
and smooth, the cake will do to take out.
Where
the recipe calls for
baking powder, and you have none, you can use cream of tartar and
soda in proportion to one level teaspoonful of soda, two heaping
teaspoonfuls of cream of tartar.
When
sour milk is called for in
the recipe, use only soda. Cakes made with molasses burn much more
easily than those made with sugar, Never stir cake after the butter
and sugar is creamed, but beat it down from the bottom, up and over;
this laps air into the cake batter, and produces little air cells,
which cause the dough to puff and swell when it comes in contact with
the heat while cooking.
When
making most cakes,
especially sponge cake, the flour should be added by degrees, stirred
very slowly and lightly, for if stirred hard and fast it will make it
porous and tough.
Cakes
should be kept in tight
tin cake-cans, or earthen jars, in a cool, dry place. Cookies,
jumbles, ginger-snaps, etc., require a quick oven; if they become
moist or soft by keeping, put again into the oven a few minutes.
To
remove a cake from a tin
after it is baked, so that it will not crack, break or fall, first
butter the tin well all around the sides and bottom; then cut a piece
of letter paper to exactly fit the tin, butter that on both sides,
placing it smoothly on the bottom and sides of the tin. .When the
cake is baked, let it remain in the tin until it is cold;
then set it in the oven a minute, or just long enough to warm the tin
through. Remove it from the oven; turn it upside down on your hand,
tap the edge of the tin on the table and it will slip out with ease,
leaving it whole.
If a
cake-pan is too shallow for
holding the quantity of cake to be baked, for fear of its being so
light as to rise above the pan, that can be remedied by thoroughly
greasing a piece of thick glazed letter paper with soft butter. Place
or fit it around the sides of the buttered tin, allowing it to reach
an inch or more above the top. If the oven heat is moderate the
butter will preserve the paper from burning.
FROSTING
OR ICING.
IN
THE first place, the eggs
should be cold, and the platter on which they are to be beaten also
cold. Allow, for the white of one egg, one small teacupful of
powdered sugar. Break the eggs and throw a small handful of the sugar
on them as soon as you begin beating; keep adding it at intervals
until it is all used up. The eggs must not be beaten until the sugar
has been added in this way, which gives a smooth, tender frosting,
and one that will dry much sooner than the old way.
Spread
with a broad knife evenly
over the cake, and if it seems too thin, beat in a little more sugar.
Cover the cake with two coats, the second after the first has become
dry, or nearly so. If the icing gets too dry or stiff before the last
coat is needed, it can be thinned sufficiently with a little water,
enough to make it work smoothly.
A
little lemon juice, or half a
teaspoonful of tartaric acid, added to the frosting while being
beaten, makes it white and more frothy.
The
flavors mostly used are
lemon, vanilla, almond, rose, chocolate and orange. If you wish to
ornament with figures or flowers, make up rather more icing, keep
about one-third out until that on the cake is dried; then, with a
clean glass syringe, apply it in such forms as you desire and dry as
before; what you keep out to ornament with may be tinted pink with
cochineal, blue with indigo, yellow with saffron or the grated rind
of an orange strained through a cloth, green with spinach juice and
brown with chocolate, purple with cochineal and indigo. Strawberry,
or currant and cranberry juices color a delicate pink.
Set
the cake in a cool oven with
the door open to dry, or in a draught in an open window.
ALMOND
FROSTING.
THE whites of three eggs, beaten
up with three cups of fine, white sugar. Blanch a pound of sweet
almonds, pound them in a mortar with a little sugar, until a fine
paste, then add the whites of eggs, sugar and vanilla extract. Pound
a few minutes to thoroughly mix. Cover the cake with a very thick
coating of this, set in a cool oven to dry, afterwards cover with a
plain icing.
CHOCOLATE
FROSTING.
THE whites of four eggs, three
cups of powdered sugar and nearly a cup of grated chocolate. Beat the
whites a very little, they must not become white, stir in the
chocolate, then put in the sugar gradually, beating to mix it well.
PLAIN
CHOCOLATE ICING.
PUT into a shallow pan four
tablespoonfuls of scraped chocolate, and place it where it will melt
gradually, but not scorch; when melted, stir in three tablespoonfuls
of milk or cream and one of water; mix all well together, and add one
scant teacupful of sugar; boil about five minutes, and while hot, and
when the cakes are nearly cold, spread some evenly over the surface
of one of the cakes; put a second one on top, alternating the mixture
and cakes; then cover top and sides, and set in a warm oven to
harden. All who have tried recipe after recipe, vainly hoping to find
one where the chocolate sticks to the cake and not to the fingers,
will appreciate the above. In making those most palatable of cakes,
"Chocolate Ιclairs," the recipe just given will be found
very satisfactory.
TUTTI
FRUTTI ICING.
Mix with boiled icing one ounce
each of chopped citron, candied cherries, seedless raisins, candied
pineapple and blanched almonds.
SUGAR
ICING.
TO ONE pound of extra refined
sugar add one ounce of fine white starch; pound finely together and
then sift them through gauze; then beat the whites of three eggs to a
froth. The secret of success is to beat the eggs long enough, and
always one way; add the powdered sugar by degrees, or it will spoil
the froth of the eggs. When all the sugar is stirred in continue the
whipping for half an hour longer, adding more sugar if the ice is too
thin. Take a little of the icing and lay it aside for ornamenting
afterward. When the cake comes out of the oven, spread the sugar
icing smoothly over it with a knife and dry it at once in a cool
oven. For ornamenting the cake the icing may be tinged any color
preferred. For pink, use a few drops of cochineal; for yellow, a
pinch of saffron dissolved; for green, the juice of some chopped
spinach. Whichever is chosen, let the coloring be first mixed with a
little colorless spirit and then stirred into the white icing until
the tint is deep enough. To ornament the cake with it, make a cone of
stiff writing paper and squeeze the colored icing through it, so as
to form leaves, beading or letters, as the case may be. It requires
nicety and care to do it with success.
BOILED
FROSTING.
TO ONE pound of finest
pulverized sugar add three wine-glassfuls of clear water. Let it
stand until it dissolves; then boil it until it is perfectly clear
and threads from the spoon. Beat well the whites of four eggs. Pour
the sugar into the dish with the eggs, but do not mix them until the
syrup is luke-warm; then beat all well together for one-half hour.
Season
to your taste with
vanilla, rose-water, or lemon juice. The first coating may be put on
the cake as soon as it is well mixed. Rub the cake with a little
flour before you apply the icing. While the first coat is drying
continue to beat the remainder; you will not have to wait long if the
cake is set in a warm place near the fire. This is said to be a most
excellent recipe for icing.
FROSTING
WITHOUT EGGS.
AN EXCELLENT frosting may be
made without eggs or gelatine, which will keep longer and cut more
easily, causing no breakage or crumbling and withal is very
economical.
Take
one cup of granulated
sugar; dampen it with one-fourth of a cup of milk, or five
tablespoonfuls; place it on the fire in a suitable dish and stir it
until it boils; then let it boil for five minutes without stirring;
remove it from the fire and set the dish in another of cold water;
add flavoring. While it is cooling, stir or beat it constantly and it
will become a thick, creamy frosting.
GELATINE
FROSTING.
SOAK one teaspoonful of gelatine
in one tablespoonful of cold water half an hour, dissolve in two
tablespoonfuls of hot water; add one cup of powdered sugar and stir
until smooth.
GOLDEN
FROSTING.
A VERY delicious and handsome
frosting can be made by using the yolks of eggs instead of the
whites. Proceed exactly as for ordinary frosting. It will harden just
as nicely as that does. This is particularly good for orange cake,
harmonizing with the color of the cake in a way to please those who
love rich coloring.
FILLINGS
FOR LAYER CAKES.
No.
1. CREAM FILLING.
CREAM filling is made with one
pint of new milk, two eggs, three tablespoonfuls of sifted flour (or
half cup of cornstarch), one cup of sugar. Put two-thirds of the milk
on the stove to boil, stir the sugar, flour and eggs in what is left.
When the milk boils, put into it the whole and cook it until it is as
thick as custard; when cool, add vanilla extract. This custard is
nice with a cup of hickory nuts, kernels chopped fine and stirred
into it. Spread between the layers of cake. This custard can be made
of the yolks of the eggs only, saving the whites for the cake part.
No.
2. ANOTHER CREAM FILLING.
ONE cup powdered sugar,
one-fourth cup hot water. Let them simmer. Beat white of an egg and
mix with the above; when cold, add one-half cup chopped raisins,
one-half cup chopped walnuts, one tablespoonful of grated cocoanut.
No.
3. ICE-CREAM FILLING.
MAKE an icing as follows: Three
cups of sugar, one of water; boil to a thick, clear syrup, or until
it begins to be brittle; pour this, boiling hot, over the well-beaten
whites of three eggs; stir the mixture very briskly, and pour the
sugar in slowly; beat it, when all in, until cool. Flavor with lemon
or vanilla extract. This, spread between any white cake layers,
answers for "Ice-Cream Cake."
No.
4. APPLE FILLING.
PEEL and slice green tart
apples, put them on the fire with sugar to suit; when tender, remove,
rub them through a fine sieve and add a small piece of butter. When
cold, use to spread between the layers; cover the cake with plenty of
sugar.
No.
5. ANOTHER APPLE FILLING.
ONE coffeecup of sugar, one egg,
three large apples grated, one lemon grated, juice and outside of the
rind; beat together and cook till quite thick. To be cooled before
putting on the cake. Spread between layers of cake.
No.
6. CREAM FROSTING.
A CUP of sweet thick cream
whipped, sweetened and flavored with vanilla; cut a loaf of cake in
two, spread the frosting between and on the top; this tastes like
Charlotte Russe.
No.
7. PEACH-CREAM FILLING.
CUT peaches into thin slices, or
chop them and prepare cream by whipping and sweetening. Put a layer
of peaches between the layers of cake and pour cream over each layer
and over the top. Bananas, strawberries or other fruits may be used
in the same way, mashing strawberries and stewing thick with powdered
sugar.
No.
8. CHOCOLATE CREAM FOR FILLING.
FIVE tablespoonfuls of grated
chocolate, enough cream or milk to wet it, one cupful of sugar, one
egg, one teaspoonful vanilla flavoring. Stir the ingredients over the
fire until thoroughly mixed, having beaten the egg well before adding
it; then add the vanilla flavoring after it is removed from the fire.
No.
9. ANOTHER CHOCOLATE FILLING.
THE whites of three eggs beaten
stiff, one cup of sugar and one cup of grated chocolate, put between
the layers and on top.
No.
10. BANANA FILLING.
MAKE an icing of the whites of
two eggs and one cup and a half of powdered sugar. Spread this on the
layers, and then cover thickly and entirely with bananas sliced thin
or chopped fine. This cake may be flavored with vanilla. The top
should be simply frosted.
No.
11. LEMON JELLY FILLING.
GRATE the yellow from the rind
of two lemons and squeeze out the juice; two cupfuls of sugar, the
yolks and whites of two eggs beaten separately. Mix the sugar and
yolks, then add the whites and then the lemons. Now pour on a cupful
of boiling water; stir into this two tablespoonfuls of sifted flour,
rubbed smooth in half a cup of water; then add a tablespoonful of
melted butter; cook until it thickens. When cold, spread between the
layers of cake. Oranges can be used in place of lemons.
Another
filling of lemon
(without cooking) is made of the grated rind and juice of two lemons
and the whites of two eggs beaten with one cup of sugar.
No.
12. ORANGE CAKE FILLING.
PEEL two large oranges, remove
the seeds, chop them fine, add half a peeled lemon, one cup of sugar
and the well-beaten white of an egg. Spread between the layers of
"Silver Cake" recipe.
No.
13. FIG FILLING.
TAKE a pound of figs, chop fine,
and put into a stewpan on the stove; pour over them a teacupful of
water and add a half cup of sugar. Cook all together until soft and
smooth. When cold spread between layers of cake.
No.
14. FRUIT FILLING.
FOUR tablespoonfuls of very
finely chopped
citron, four tablespoonfuls of finely chopped seeded raisins, half a
cupful of blanched almonds chopped fine, also a quarter of a pound of
finely chopped figs, Beat the whites of three eggs to a stiff froth,
adding half of a cupful of sugar; then mix thoroughly into this the
whole of the chopped ingredients. Put it between the layers of cake
when the cake is hot,
so that it will cook the egg a little. This will be found delicious.
BREAD
OR RAISED CAKE.
TWO
CUPFULS of raised dough;
beat into it two-thirds of a cup of butter and two cups of sugar
creamed together, three eggs, well beaten, one even teaspoonful of
soda dissolved in two tablespoonfuls of milk, half a nutmeg grated,
one tablespoonful of cinnamon, a teaspoonful of cloves, one cup of
raisins. Mix all well together, put in the beaten whites of eggs and
raisins last; beat all hard for several minutes; put in buttered pans
and let it stand half an hour to rise again before baking. Bake in a
moderate
oven. Half a glass of brandy is an improvement, if you have it
convenient.
FRUIT
CAKE. (Superior.)
THREE pounds dry flour, one
pound sweet butter, one pound sugar, three pounds stoned raisins, two
pounds currants, three-quarters of a pound sweet almonds blanched,
one pound citron, twelve eggs, one tablespoonful allspice, one
teaspoonful cloves, two tablespoonfuls cinnamon, two nutmegs, one
wine-glass of wine, one wine-glass of brandy, one coffeecupful
molasses with the spices in it; steep this gently twenty or thirty
minutes, not boiling hot; beat the eggs very lightly; put the fruit
in last, stirring it gradually, also a teaspoonful of soda dissolved
in a tablespoonful of water; the fruit should be well floured; if
necessary add flour after the fruit is in; butter a sheet of paper
and lay it in the pan. Lay in some slices of citron, then a layer of
the mixture, then of citron again, etc., till the pan is nearly full.
Bake three or four hours, according to the thickness of the loaves,
in a tolerably hot oven, and with steady heat. Let it cool in the
oven gradually. Ice when cold. It improves this cake very much to add
three teaspoonfuls of baking powder to the flour. A fine wedding cake
recipe.
FRUIT
CAKE BY MEASURE. (Excellent.)
TWO SCANT teacupfuls of butter,
three cupfuls of dark brown sugar, six eggs, whites and yolks beaten
separately, one pound of raisins, seeded, one of currants, washed and
dried, and half a pound of citron cut in thin strips; also half a
cupful of cooking molasses and half a cupful of sour milk. Stir the
butter and sugar to a cream, add to that half a grated nutmeg, one
tablespoonful of ground cinnamon, one teaspoonful of cloves, one
teaspoonful of mace, add the molasses and sour milk. Stir all well;
then put in the beaten yolks of eggs, a wine-glass of brandy; stir
again all thoroughly, and then add four cupfuls of sifted flour
alternately with the beaten whites of eggs. Now dissolve a level
teaspoonful of soda and stir in thoroughly. Mix the fruit together
and stir into it two heaping tablespoonfuls of flour; then stir it in
the cake. Butter two common-sized baking tins carefully, line them
with letter paper well buttered, and bake in a moderate oven two
hours. After it is baked, let it cool in the pan. Afterward put it
into a tight can, or let it remain in the pans and cover tightly.
Best recipe of all.
Mrs.
S. A. Camp, Grand
Rapids, Mich.
WHITE
FRUIT CAKE.
ONE cup of butter, two cups of
sugar, one cup of sweet milk, two and one-half cups of flour, the
whites of seven eggs, two even teaspoonfuls of baking powder, one
pound each of seeded raisins, figs and blanched almonds, and one
quarter of a pound of citron, all chopped fine. Mix all thoroughly
before adding the fruit; add a teaspoonful of lemon extract. Put
baking powder in the flour and mix it well before adding it to the
other ingredients. Sift a little flour over the fruit before stirring
it in. Bake slowly two hours and try with a splint to see when it is
done. A cup of grated cocoanut is a nice addition to this cake.
MOLASSES
FRUIT CAKE.
ONE teacupful of butter, one tea
cupful of brown sugar, worked well together; next, two teacupfuls of
cooking molasses, one cupful of milk with a teaspoonful of soda
dissolved in it, one tablespoonful of ginger, one tablespoonful of
cinnamon and one teaspoonful of cloves, a little grated nutmeg. Now
add four eggs well beaten and five cups of sifted flour, or enough to
make a stiff batter. Flour a cup of raisins and one of currants; add
last. Bake in a very moderate
oven one hour. If well covered will keep six months.
SPONGE
CAKE.
SEPARATE the whites and yolks of
six eggs. Beat the yolks to a cream, to which add two teacupfuls of
powdered sugar, beating again from five to ten minutes, then add two
tablespoonfuls of milk or water, a pinch of salt and flavoring. Now
add part of the beaten whites; then two cups of flour in which you
have sifted two teaspoonfuls of baking powder; mix gradually into the
above ingredients, stirring slowly and lightly, only enough to mix
them well; lastly add the remainder of the whites of the eggs. Line
the tins with buttered paper and fill two-thirds full.
WHITE
SPONGE CAKE.
WHITES of five eggs, one cup of
flour, one cup sugar, one teaspoonful baking powder; flavor with
vanilla. Bake in a quick oven.
ALMOND
SPONGE CAKE.
THE addition of almonds makes
this cake very superior to the usual sponge cake. Sift one pint of
fine flour; blanch in scalding water two ounces of sweet and two
ounces of bitter almonds, renewing the hot water when expedient; when
the skins are all off wash the almonds in cold water (mixing the
sweet and bitter) and wipe them dry; pound them to a fine, smooth
paste (one at a time), adding, as you proceed, water or white of egg
to prevent their boiling. Set them in a cool place; beat ten eggs,
the whites and yolks separately, till very smooth and thick, and then
beat into them gradually two cups powdered sugar in turn with the
pounded almonds; lastly, add the flour, stirring it round slowly and
lightly on the surface of the mixture, as in common sponge cake; have
ready buttered a deep square pan; put the mixture carefully into it,
set into the oven and bake till thoroughly done and risen very high;
when cool, cover it with plain white icing flavored with rose-water,
or with almond icing. With sweet almonds always use a small portion
of bitter; without them, sweet almonds have little or no taste,
though they add to the richness of the cake.
Use
two heaping teaspoonfuls of
baking powder in the flour.
OLD-FASHIONED
SPONGE CAKE.
TWO CUPS of sifted white sugar,
two cups of flour measured before sifting, ten eggs. Stir the yolks
and sugar together until perfectly light; add a pinch of salt; beat
the whites of the eggs to a very stiff froth and add them with the
flour, after beating together lightly; flavor with lemon. Bake in a
moderate oven about forty-five minutes. Baking powder is an
improvement to this cake, using two large teaspoonfuls.
LEMON
SPONGE CAKE.
INTO one level cup of flour put
a level teaspoonful of baking powder and sift it. Grate off the
yellow rind of a lemon. Separate the whites from the yolks of four
eggs. Measure a scant cup of white granulated sugar and beat it to a
cream with the yolks, then add the grated rind and a tablespoonful of
the juice of the lemon. Stir together until thick and creamy; now
beat the whites to a stiff froth; then quickly and lightly mix
without
beating
a third of the flour with the yolks; then a third of the whites; then
more flour and whites until all are used. The mode of mixing must be
very light, rather cutting down through the cake batter than beating
it; beating the eggs makes them light, but beating the batter makes
the cake tough. Bake immediately until a straw run into it can be
withdrawn clean.
This
recipe is especially nice
for Charlotte Russe, being so light and porous.
PLAIN
SPONGE CAKE.
BEAT the yolks of four eggs
together with two cups of fine powdered sugar. Stir in gradually one
cup of sifted flour and the whites of four eggs beaten to a stiff
froth, then a cup of sifted flour in which two teaspoonfuls of baking
powder have been stirred, and, lastly, a scant teacupful of boiling
water, stirred in a little at a time. Flavor, add salt and, however
thin the mixture may seem, do not add any more flour. Bake in shallow
tins.
BRIDE'S
CAKE.
CREAM together one scant cup of
butter and three cups of sugar; add one cup of milk, then the beaten
whites of twelve eggs; sift three teaspoonfuls of baking powder into
one cup of cornstarch mixed with three cups of sifted flour and beat
in gradually with the rest; flavor to taste. Beat all thoroughly,
then put in buttered tins lined with letter paper well buttered; bake
slowly in a moderate
oven. A beautiful white cake. Ice the top. Double the recipe if more
is required.
ENGLISH
POUND CAKE.
ONE pound of butter, one and
one-quarter pounds of flour, one pound of pounded loaf sugar, one
pound of currants, nine eggs, two ounces of candied peel, one-half
ounce of citron, one-half ounce of sweet almonds; when liked, a
little pounded mace. Work the butter to a cream; add the sugar, then
the well-beaten yolks of eggs, next the flour, currants, candied
peel, which should be cut into neat slices, and the almonds, which
should be blanched and chopped, and mix all these well together;
whisk the whites of eggs and let them be thoroughly blended with the
other ingredients. Beat the cake well for twenty minutes and put it
into a round tin, lined at the bottom and sides with strips of white
buttered paper. Bake it from two hours to two and a half, and let the
oven be well heated when the cake is first put in, as, if this is not
the case, the currants will all sink to the bottom of it. A glass of
wine is usually added to the mixture, but this is scarcely necessary,
as the cake will be found quite rich enough without it.
PLAIN
POUND CAKE.
THIS is the old-fashioned recipe
that our mothers used to make, and it can be kept for weeks in an
earthen jar, closely covered, first dipping letter paper in brandy
and placing over the top of the cake before covering the jar.
Beat
to a cream one pound of
butter with one pound of sugar, after mixing well with the beaten
yolks of twelve eggs, one grated nutmeg, one glass of wine, one glass
of rose-water. Then stir in one pound of sifted flour and the
well-beaten whites of the eggs. Bake a nice light brown.
COCOANUT
POUND CAKE.
ONE-HALF cupful of butter, two
cupfuls of sugar, one cupful of milk, and five eggs, beaten to a
stiff froth; one teaspoonful of soda and two of cream of tartar,
stirred into four cups of sifted flour. Beat the butter and sugar
until very light; to which add the beaten yolks, then the milk^ the
beaten whites of eggs, then the flour by degrees. After beating all
well together, add a small cocoanut grated. Line the cake-pans with
paper well buttered, fill rather more than half full and bake in a
moderate
oven. Spread over the top a thin frosting, sprinkled thickly with
grated cocoanut.
CITRON
POUND CAKE.
STIR two cups of butter to a
cream, then beat in the following ingredients each one in succession:
one pint of powdered sugar, one quart of flour, a teaspoonful of
salt; eight eggs, the yolks and whites beaten separately, and a
wine-glass of brandy; then last of all add a quarter of a pound of
citron cut into thin slices and floured. Line two cake pans with
buttered paper and turn the cake batter in. Bake in a moderate
oven about three-quarters of an hour.
CITRON
CAKE.
THREE cups of white sugar and
one cup of butter creamed together; one cup of sweet milk, six eggs,
whites and yolks beaten separately, one teaspoonful of vanilla or
lemon extract, two heaping teaspoonfuls of baking powder, sifted with
four cups and a half of flour. One cup and a half of citron, sliced
thin and dredged with flour. Divide into two cakes and bake in tins
lined with buttered letter paper.
LEMON
CAKE.
THREE teacupfuls of sugar, one
cupful of butter, five eggs, a level teaspoonful of soda dissolved in
a cup of sweet milk, four full cups of sifted flour and lastly the
grated peel and juice of a lemon, the juice to be added the very
last. Bake in two shallow tins. When cold ice with lemon icing and
cut into squares.
DELICATE
CAKE.
ONE cup of cornstarch, one of
butter, two of sugar, one of sweet milk, two of flour, the whites of
seven eggs; rub butter and sugar to a cream; mix one teaspoonful
cream of tartar with the flour and cornstarch; one-half teaspoonful
soda with the sweet milk; add the milk and soda to the sugar and
butter, then add flour, then the whites of eggs; flavor to taste.
Never fails to be good.
SILVER,
OR DELICATE CAKE.
WHITES of six eggs, one cupful
of sweet milk, two cupfuls of sugar, four cupfuls of sifted flour,
two-thirds of a cup of butter, flavoring and two teaspoonfuls of
baking powder. Stir the sugar and butter to a cream, then add the
milk and flavoring, part of the flour, the beaten whites of eggs,
then the rest of the flour. Bake carefully in tins lined with
buttered white paper.
When
using the whites of eggs
for nice cakes, the yolks need not be wasted; keep them in a cool
place and scramble them. Serve on toast or with chipped beef.
GOLD
CAKE.
AFTER beating to a cream one cup
and a half of butter and two cups of white sugar, stir in the
well-whipped yolks of one dozen eggs, four cupfuls of sifted flour,
one teaspoonful of baking powder. Flavor with lemon. Line the
bake-pans with buttered paper and bake in a moderate oven for one
hour.
GOLD
OR LEMON CAKE.
TWO CUPS of sugar, half a cup of
butter, the yolks of six eggs and one whole one, the grated rind and
juice of a lemon or orange, half a teaspoonful of soda dissolved in
half a cup of sweet milk, four cups of sifted flour, sifted twice;
cream the butter and sugar, then add the beaten yolks and the flour,
beating hard for several minutes. Lastly, add the lemon or orange and
bake, frosting if liked. This makes a more suitable lemon cake than
if made with the white parts of eggs added.
SNOW
CAKE. (Delicious.)
ONE pound of arrowroot, quarter
of a pound of pounded white sugar, half a pound of butter, the whites
of six eggs, flavoring to taste of essence of almonds, or vanilla, or
lemon; beat the butter to a cream; stir in the sugar and arrowroot
gradually, at the same time beating the mixture; whisk the whites of
the eggs to a stiff froth; add them to the other ingredients and beat
well for twenty minutes; put in whichever of the above flavorings may
be preferred; pour the cake into a buttered mold or tin and bake it
in a moderate
oven from one to one and a half hours. This
is a genuine Scotch recipe.
MARBLE
CAKE.
White Part.
Whites of four eggs, one cup of white sugar, half a cup of butter,
half a cup of sweet milk, two .teaspoonfuls of baking powder, one
teaspoonful of vanilla or lemon and two and a half cups of sifted
flour.
Dark
Part.
Yolks of four eggs, one cup of brown sugar, half a cup of cooking
molasses, half a cup of butter, half a cup of sour milk, one
teaspoonful of ground cloves, one teaspoonful of cinnamon, one tea-,
spoonful of mace, one nutmeg grated, one teaspoonful of soda, the
soda to be dissolved in a little milk -and added after part of the
flour is stirred in, one and a half cups of sifted flour.
Drop
a spoonful of each kind in
a well-buttered cake-dish, first the light part, then the dark,
alternately. Try to drop it so that the cake shall be well-streaked
through, so that it has the appearance of marble.
SUPERIOR
LOAF CAKE.
TWO CUPS of butter, three cups
of sugar, two small cups of milk, seven cups of sifted flour; four
eggs, the whites and yolks separately beaten; one teacupful of seeded
raisins, one teacupful of well-washed and dried currants, one
teacupful of sliced citron, one tablespoonful of powdered cinnamon,
one teaspoonful of mace, one teaspoonful of soda and one teacupful of
home-made yeast.
Take
part of the butter and warm
it with the milk; stir in part of the flour and the yeast and let it
rise; then add the other ingredients with a wine-glass of wine or
brandy. Turn all into well-buttered cake-tins and let rise again.
Bake slowly in a moderate
oven for two hours.
FRENCH
CHOCOLATE CAKE.
THE whites of seven eggs, two
cups of sugar, two-thirds of a cup of butter, one cup of milk and
three of flour and three teaspoonfuls of baking powder. The chocolate
part of the cake is made just the same, only use the yolks of the
eggs with a cup of grated chocolate stirred into it, Bake it in
layers the layers being light and dark; then spread a custard
between them, which is made with two eggs, one pint of milk, one-half
cup of sugar, one tablespoonful of flour or cornstarch; when cool
flavor with vanilla, two teaspoonfuls. Fine.
CHOCOLATE
CAKE. No. 1.
ONE cup of butter and two cups
of sugar stirred to a cream, with the yolks of five eggs added after
they have been well beaten. Then stir into that one cup of milk, beat
the whites of two of the eggs to a stiff froth and add that also; now
put in three cups and a half of sifted flour, two heaping
teaspoonfuls of baking powder having been stirred into it. Bake in
jelly-cake tins.
Mixture
for Filling.
Take the remaining three whites of the eggs beaten very stiff,
two cupfuls of sugar boiled to almost candy or until it becomes
stringy or almost brittle; take it hot from the fire and pour it very
slowly on the beaten whites of egg, beating quite fast; add one-half
cake of grated chocolate, a teaspoonful of vanilla extract. Stir it
all until cool, then spread between each cake and over the top and
sides. This, when well made, is the premium cake of its kind.
CHOCOLATE
CAKE. No. 2.
ONE-HALF cup butter, two cups
sugar, three-quarters of a cup sweet milk, two and one-half cups
flour, whites of eight eggs, one teaspoonful of cream of tartar,
one-half teaspoonful soda; bake in shallow pans.
For
the Frosting.
Take the whites of three eggs, three tablespoonfuls of sugar and
one tablespoonful of grated chocolate (confectioners') to one egg;
put the cake together with the frosting, then frost the top of the
cake with the same.
CHOCOLATE
CAKE. No. 3.
TWO CUPS sugar, one cup butter,
yolks of five eggs and whites of two and one cup milk. Thoroughly mix
two teaspoonfuls baking powder with three and one-half cups flour
while dry; then mix all together. Bake in jelly tins.
Mixture
for Filling.
Whites of three eggs, one and one-half cups of sugar, three
tablespoonfuls of grated chocolate, one teaspoonful of vanilla. Beat
together and spread between the layers and on top of the cake.
COCOANUT
CAKE.
CREAM together three-quarters of
a cup of butter and two of white sugar; then add one cup of sweet
milk, four eggs, whites and yolks separately beaten, the yolks added
first to the butter and sugar, then the whites; flavor with lemon or
vanilla; mix three heaping teaspoonfuls of baking powder in three
cups of sifted flour and add last; bake in jelly pans.
For
Filling.
Make an icing by beating the whites of three eggs and a cup of
powdered sugar to a stiff froth. When the cake is cooled, spread a
thick layer of this frosting over each cake, and sprinkle very
thickly with grated cocoanut.
COCOANUT
AND ALMOND CAKE.
TWO AND one-half cups powdered
sugar, one cup butter, four full cups prepared flour, whites of seven
eggs whisked stiff, one small cup of milk, with a mere pinch of soda,
one grated cocoanut, one-half teaspoonful nutmeg, the juice and half
the grated peel of one lemon; cream butter and sugar; stir in lemon
and nutmeg; mix well; add the milk and whites and flour alternately.
Lastly, stir in the grated cocoanut swiftly and lightly. Bake in four
jelly-cake tins.
Filling.
One pound sweet almonds, whites of four eggs whisked stiff, one
heaping cup powdered sugar, two teaspoonfuls rose-water. Blanch the
almonds. Let them get cold and dry; then pound in a Wedgewood mortar,
adding rose-water as you go. Save about two dozen to shred for the
top. Stir the paste into the icing after it is made; spread between
the cooled cakes; make that for the top a trifle thicker and lay it
on heavily. When it has stiffened somewhat, stick the shred almonds
closely over it. Set in the oven to harden, but do not let it scorch.
COFFEE
CAKE.
ONE cup of brown sugar, one cup
of butter, two eggs, one-half cup of molasses, one cup of strong,
cold coffee, one teaspoonful of soda, two teaspoonfuls of cinnamon,
one teaspoonful of cloves, one cup of raisins or currants and five
cups of sifted flour. Add the fruit last, rubbed in a little of the
flour. Bake about one hour.
FEATHER
CAKE.
ONE egg, one cup of sugar, one
tablespoonful of cold butter, half a cup of milk, one and one-half
cups of flour, one teaspoonful of cream of tartar, half a teaspoonful
of soda. A nice plain cake to be eaten while it is fresh. A
spoonful of dried apple sauce or of peach sauce, a spoonful of jelly,
the same of lemon extract, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and spice
ground or half a cupful of raisins might be added for a change.
ELECTION
CAKE.
THREE cups milk, two cups sugar,
one cup yeast; stir to a batter and let stand over night; in the
morning add two cups sugar, two cups butter, three eggs, half a
nutmeg, one tablespoonful cinnamon, one pound raisins, a gill of
brandy.
Brown
sugar is much better than
white for this kind of cake, and it is improved by dissolving a
half-teaspoonful of soda in a tablespoonful of milk in the morning.
It should stand in the greased pans and rise some time until quite
light before baking.
CREAM
CAKE.
FOUR eggs, whites and yolks
beaten separately, two teacups of sugar, one cup of sweet cream, two
heaping cupfuls of flour, one teaspoonful of soda, mix two
teaspoonfuls of cream of tartar in the flour before sifting. Add the
whites the last thing before the flour and stir that in gently
without beating.
GOLDEN
CREAM CAKE.
YOLKS of eight eggs beaten to
the lightest possible cream, two cupfuls of sugar, a pinch of salt,
three teaspoonfuls of baking powder sifted well with flour. Bake in
three jelly-cake pans. Make an icing of the whites of three eggs and
one pound of sugar. Spread it between the cakes and sprinkle grated
cocoanut thickly over each layer. It is delicious when properly made.
DRIED
APPLE FRUIT CAKE.
SOAK three cupfuls of dried
apples over night in cold water enough to swell them; chop them in
the morning and put them on the fire with three cups of molasses;
stew until almost soft; add a cupful of nice raisins (seedless, if
possible) and stew a few moments; when cold, add three cupfuls of
flour, one cupful of butter, three eggs and a teaspoonful of soda;
bake in a steady oven. This will make two good-sized panfuls of
splendid cake; the apples will cook like citron and taste
deliciously. Raisins may be omitted; also spices to taste may be
added. This is not a dear but a delicious cake.
CAKE
WITHOUT EGGS.
BEAT together one teacupful of
butter and three teacupfuls of sugar, and when quite light stir in
one pint of sifted flour. Add to this one pound of raisins seeded and
chopped, then mixed with a cup of sifted flour one teaspoonful of
nutmeg, one teaspoonful of powdered cinnamon and lastly one pint of
thick sour cream or milk in which a teaspoonful of soda is dissolved.
Bake immediately in buttered tins one hour in a moderate
oven.
WHITE
MOUNTAIN CAKE. No. 1.
TWO CUPS of sugar, two-thirds
cup of butter, the whites of seven eggs well beaten, two-thirds cup
of sweet milk, two cups of flour, one cup of cornstarch, two
teaspoonfuls baking powder. Bake in jellycake tins.
Frosting.
Whites of three eggs and some sugar beaten together not quite as
stiff as usual for frosting; spread over the cake, add some grated
cocoanut, then put your cakes together; put cocoanut and frosting on
top.
WHITE
MOUNTAIN CAKE. No. 2.
CREAM three cupfuls of sugar and
one of butter, making it very light, then add a cupful of milk. Beat
the whites of eight eggs very stiff, add half of those to the other
ingredients. Mix well into four cups of sifted flour one
tablespoonful of baking powder; stir this into the cake, add
flavoring, then the remaining beaten whites of egg. Bake in layers
like jelly cake. Make an icing for the filling, using the whites of
four eggs beaten to a very stiff froth, with two cups of fine white
sugar and the juice of half a lemon. Spread each layer of the cake
thickly with this icing, place one on another, then ice all over the
top and sides. The yolks left from this cake may be used to make a
spice cake from the recipe of "Golden Spice Cake."
QUEEN'S
CAKE.
BEAT well together one cupful of
butter and three cupfuls of white sugar, add the yolks of six eggs
and one cupful of milk, two teaspoonfuls of vanilla or lemon extract.
Mix all thoroughly. To four cupfuls of flour add two heaping
teaspoonfuls of cream of tartar and sift gently over the cake
stirring all the time. To this add one even teaspoonful of soda
dissolved in one tablespoonful of warm water. Mix it well. Stir in
gently the whites of six eggs beaten to a stiff foam. Bake slowly. It
should be put in the oven as soon as possible after putting in the
soda and whites of eggs.
This
is the same recipe as the
one for "Citron Cake," only omitting the citron.
ANGEL
CAKE.
PUT into one tumbler of flour
one teaspoonful of cream of tartar, then sift it five times. Sift
also one glass and a half of white powdered sugar. Beat to a stiff
froth the whites of eleven eggs; stir the sugar into the eggs by
degrees, very lightly and carefully, adding three teaspoonfuls of
vanilla extract. After this add the flour, stirring quickly and
lightly. Pour it into a clean, bright tin cake-dish, which should not
be buttered or lined. Bake at once in a moderate oven about forty
minutes, testing it with a broom splint. When done let it remain in
the cake-tin, turning it upside down, with the sides resting on the
tops of two saucers so that a current of air will pass under and over
it.
This
is the best recipe found
after trying several. A perfection cake.
WASHINGTON
LOAF CAKE.
THREE cups of sugar, two scant
cups of butter, one cup of sour milk, five eggs and one teaspoonful
of soda, three tablespoonfuls of cinnamon, half a nutmeg grated and
two cups of raisins, one of currants and four cups of sifted flour.
Mix
as usual and stir the fruit
in at the last, dredged in flour. Line the cake-pans with paper well
buttered. This cake will take longer to bake than plain; the heat of
the oven must be kept at an even temperature.
RIBBON
CAKE.
THIS cake is made from the same
recipe as marble cake, only make double the quantity of the white
part, and divide it in one-half; put into it a very little cochineal.
It will be a delicate pink. Bake in jelly-cake tins and lay first the
white, then the dark, then the pink one on top of the others; put
together with frosting between. It makes quite a fancy cake. Frost
the top when cool.
GOLDEN
SPICE CAKE.
THIS cake can be made to
advantage when you have the yolks of eggs left, after having used the
whites in making white cake.
Take
the yolks of seven eggs and
one whole egg, two cupfuls of brown sugar, one cupful of molasses,
one cupful of butter, one large coffeecupful of sour milk, one
teaspoonful of soda (just even full), and five cupfuls of flour, one
teaspoonful of ground cloves, two teaspoonfuls of cinnamon, two
teaspoonfuls of ginger, one nutmeg and a small pinch of cayenne
pepper; beat eggs, sugar and butter to a light batter before putting
in the molasses, then add the molasses, flour and milk; beat it well
together and bake in a moderate
oven; if fruit is used, take two cupfuls of raisins, flour them well
and put them in last.
MAKING
THE PIES
ALMOND
CAKE.
ONE-HALF cupful butter, two
cupfuls sugar, four eggs, one-half cupful almonds, blanched by
pouring water on them until skins easily slip off and cut in fine
shreds, one-half teaspoonful extract bitter almonds, one pint flour,
one and one-half teaspoonful baking powder, one glass brandy,
one-half cupful milk. Rub butter and sugar to a smooth white cream;
add eggs, one at a time, beating three or four minutes between each.
Sift flour and powder together, add to the butter, etc., with
almonds, extract of bitter almonds, brandy and milk; mix into a
smooth, medium batter; bake carefully in a rather hot oven twenty
minutes.
ROCHESTER
JELLY CAKE.
ONE and one-half cups sugar, two
eggs, one-half cup butter, three-fourths cup milk, two heaping cups
flour with one teaspoonful cream of tartar, one-half teaspoonful of
soda, dissolved in the milk. Put half the above mixture in a small
shallow tin, and to the remainder add one teaspoonful molasses,
one-half cup raisins (chopped) or currants, one-half teaspoonful
cinnamon, cloves, allspice, a little nutmeg and one tablespoonful
flour. Bake this in same kind of tins. Put the sheets of cake
together, while warm, with jelly between.
FRUIT
LAYER CAKE.
THIS is a delicious novelty in
cake-making. Take one cup of sugar, half a cup of butter, one cup and
a half of flour, half a cup of wine, one cup of raisins, two eggs and
half a teaspoonful of soda; put these ingredients together with care;
just as if it were a very rich cake; bake it in three layers and put
frosting between the frosting to be made of the whites of two
eggs with enough powdered sugar to make it thick. The top of the cake
may be frosted if you choose.
WHIPPED
CREAM CAKE.
ONE cup of sugar and two
tablespoonfuls of soft butter stirred together; add the yolks of two
eggs well beaten, then add four tablespoonfuls of milk, some
flavoring, then the beaten whites of the eggs. Mix a teaspoonful of
cream of tartar and half a teaspoon of soda in a cup of flour, sift
it into the cake batter and stir lightly. Bake in a small
dripping-pan. When the cake is cool, have ready half of a pint of
sweet cream sweetened and whipped to a stiff froth, also flavored.
Spread it over the cake while fresh. To whip the cream easily, set it
on ice before whipping.
ROLLED
JELLY CAKE.
THREE eggs, one teacup of fine
sugar, one teacup of flour; beat the yolks until light, then add the
sugar, then add two tablespoonfuls of water, a pinch of salt; lastly
stir in the flour, in which there should be a heaping teaspoonful of
baking powder. The flour added gradually. Bake in long, shallow
biscuit-tins, well greased. Turn out on a damp towel on a
bread-board, cover the top with jelly, and roll up while warm.
TO
CUT LAYER CAKE.
WHEN cutting Layer Cakes, it is
better to first make a round hole in the cake with a knife or tin
tube about an inch and a quarter in diameter. This prevents the edge
of the cake from crumbling when cutting it.
When
making custard filling for
Layer Cake always set the dish containing the custard in another dish
of boiling water over the fire; this prevents its burning, which
would destroy its flavor.
LAYER
JELLY CAKE.
ALMOST any soft cake recipe can
be used for jelly cake. The following is excellent: One cup of sugar,
half a cup of butter, three eggs, half a cup of sweet milk, two cups
of flour, two heaping teaspoonfuls of baking powder, flavoring.
For
white, delicate cake the
rule for "Silver Cake" is fine; care should be taken,
however, that the oven is just right for this cake, as it browns very
easily. To be baked in jelly-cake tins in layers, with filling put
between when done.
CUSTARD
OR CREAM CAKE.
CREAM together two cups of sugar
and half a cup of butter; add half a cup of sweet milk in which is
dissolved half a teaspoonful of soda. Beat the whites of six eggs to
a stiff froth and add to the mixture. Have one heaping teaspoonful of
cream of tartar stirred thoroughly into three cups of sifted flour
and add quickly. Bake in a moderate oven in layers like jelly cake,
and, when done, spread custard between.
For
the Custard. Take
two cups of sweet milk, put it into a clean suitable dish, set it in
a dish of boiling
water on the range or stove. When the milk comes to a boil add two
tablespoonfuls of cornstarch or flour stirred into half a cup of
sugar, adding the yolks of four eggs and a little cold milk. Stir
this into the boiling milk and when cooked thick enough set aside to
cool; afterwards add the flavoring, either vanilla or lemon. It is
best to make the custard first, before making the cake part.
HICKORY
NUT OR WALNUT CAKE.
TWO CUPS of fine white sugar
creamed with half a cup of butter, three eggs, two-thirds of a cup of
sweet milk, three cups of sifted flour, one heaping teaspoonful of
baking powder sifted through the flour; a tablespoonful (level) of
powdered mace, a coffeecup of hickory nut .or walnut meats chopped a
little. Fill the cake-pans with a layer of the cake, then a layer of
raisins upon that, then strew over these a handful of nuts, and so on
until the pan is two-thirds full, Line the tins with well-buttered
paper and bake in a steady, but not quick, oven. This is most
excellent.
CHEAP
CREAM CAKE.
ONE cup of sugar, one egg, one
cup sweet milk, two cups flour, one tablespoonful butter, two heaping
teaspoonfuls of baking powder; flavor to taste. Divide into three
parts and bake in round shallow pans.
Cream.
Heat one egg and one-half cup sugar together, then add
one-quarter cup flour, wet with a very little milk and stir this
mixture into one-half pint of boiling milk, until thick; flavor to
taste. Spread the cream when cool between the cakes.
SOFT
GINGER CAKE.
STIR to a cream one cupful of
butter and half a cupful of brown sugar; add to this two cupfuls of
cooking molasses, a cupful of sweet milk, a tablespoonful of ginger,
a teaspoonful of ground cinnamon; beat all thoroughly together, then
add three eggs, the whites and yolks beaten separately; beat into
this two cups of sifted flour, then a teaspoonful of soda dissolved
in a spoonful of water and last, two more cupfuls of sifted flour.
Butter and paper two common square bread pans, divide the mixture and
pour half into each. Bake in a moderate oven. This cake requires long
and slow baking, from forty to sixty minutes. I find that if sour
milk is used the cakes are much lighter, but either sweet or sour is
most excellent.
HARD
GINGERBREAD.
MADE the same as "Soft
Gingerbread," omitting the eggs and mixing hard enough to roll
out like biscuit; rolled nearly half an inch thick and cut out like
small biscuits, or it can be baked in a sheet or on a biscuit-tin;
cut slits a quarter of an inch deep across the top of the tin from
side to side. When baked and while hot, rub over the top with
molasses and let it dry on.
These
two recipes are the best I
have ever found among a large variety that I have tried, the
ingredients giving the best proportion for flavor and excellence.
PLAIN
GINGERBREAD.
ONE cup of dark
cooking molasses, one cup of sour cream, one egg, one teaspoonful of
soda dissolved in a little warm water, a teaspoonful of salt and one
heaping teaspoonful of ginger; make about as thick as cup cake. To be
eaten warm.
WHITE
GINGER BISCUIT.
ONE cup of butter, two cups of
sugar, one cup of sour cream or milk, three eggs, one teaspoonful of
soda dissolved in a tablespoonful of warm water, one tablespoonful of
ginger, one teaspoonful of ground cinnamon and five cups of sifted
flour, or enough to roll out soft.
Cut out rather thick like biscuits; brush over the tops, while hot,
with the white of an egg, or sprinkle with sugar while hot.
The
grated rind and the juice of
an orange add much to the flavor of ginger cake.
GOLD
AND SILVER CAKE.
THIS cake is baked in layers
like jelly cake. Divide the silver cake batter and color it pink with
a little cochineal; this gives you pink, white and yellow layers. Put
together with frosting. Frost the top.
This
can be put together like
marble cake, first a spoonful of one kind, then another, until the
dish is full.
BOSTON
CREAM CAKES.
PUT into a large-sized saucepan
half a cup of butter and one cup of hot water; set it on the fire;
when the mixture begins to boil, turn in a pint of sifted flour at
once, beat and work it well with a vegetable masher until it is very
smooth. Remove from the fire, and when cool enough add five eggs that
have been well beaten, first the yolks and then the whites, also half
a teaspoonful of soda and a teaspoonful of salt. Drop on buttered
tins in large spoonfuls about two inches apart. Bake in a quick oven
about fifteen minutes. When done and quite cold, open them on the
side with a knife or scissors and put in as much of the custard as
possible.
Cream
for Filling.
Made of two eggs, three tablespoonfuls of sifted flour (or half
cup of cornstarch) and one cup of sugar. Put two-thirds of a pint of
milk over the fire in a double boiler; in a third of a pint of milk,
stir the sugar, flour and beaten eggs. As soon as the milk looks like
boiling, pour in the mixture and stir briskly for three minutes,
until it thickens; then remove from the fire and add a teaspoonful of
butter; when cool, flavor with vanilla or lemon and fill your cakes.
CHOCOLATE
ECLAIRS.
MAKE the mixture exactly like
the recipe for "Boston Cream Cakes." Spread it on buttered
pans in oblong pieces about four inches long and one and a half wide,
to be laid about two inches apart; they must be baked in a rather
quick oven about twenty-five minutes. As soon as baked ice with
chocolate icing, and when this is cold split them on one side and
fill with the same cream as " Boston Cream Cakes."
HUCKLEBERRY
CAKE.
BEAT a cup of butter and two
cups of sugar together until light, then add a half cup of milk, four
eggs beaten separately, the yolks to a cream and the whites to a
stiff froth, one teaspoonful of grated nutmeg, the same of cinnamon
and two teaspoonfuls of baking powder. The baking powder to be rubbed
into the flour. Rub one quart of huckleberries well with some flour
and add them last, but do not mash them. Pour into buttered pans,
about an inch thick; dust the tops with sugar and bake. It is better
the day after baking.
SWEET
STRAWBERRY CAKE.
THREE eggs, one cupful of sugar,
two of flour, one tablespoonful of butter, a teaspoonful, heaped, of
baking powder. Beat the butter and sugar together and add the eggs
well beaten. Stir in the flour and baking powder well sifted
together. Bake in deep tin plate. This quantity will fill four
plates. With three pints of strawberries mix a cupful of sugar and
mash them a little. Spread the fruit between the layers of cake. The
top layer of strawberries may be covered with a meringue made with
the white of an egg and a tablespoonful of powdered sugar.
Save
out the largest berries and
arrange them around in circles on the top in the white frosting.
Makes a very fancy dish, as well as a most delicious cake.
MOLASSES
CUP CAKES.
ONE cup of butter, one of sugar,
six eggs, five cupfuls of sifted flour, one tablespoonful of
cinnamon, two tablespoonfuls of ginger, three teacupfuls of cooking
molasses and one heaping teaspoonful of soda. Stir the butter and
sugar to a cream; beat the eggs very light, the yolks and whites
separately, and add to it; after which put in the spices; then the
molasses and flour in rotation, stirring the mixture all the time;
beat the whole well before adding the soda and but little afterwards.
Put into well-buttered patty-pan tins and bake in a very moderate
oven. A baker's recipe.
BAKERS'
GINGER SNAPS.
BOIL all together the following
ingredients: Two cups of brown sugar, two cups of cooking molasses,
one cup of shortening, which should be part butter, one large
tablespoonful of ginger, one tablespoonful of ground cinnamon, one
teaspoonful of cloves; remove from the fire and let it cool. In the
meantime, sift four cups of flour and stir part of it into the above
mixture. Now dissolve a teaspoonful of soda in a tablespoonful of
warm water and beat into this mixture, stir in the remainder of the
flour and make stiff enough to roll into long rolls about an inch in
diameter, and cut off from the end into half-inch pieces. Place them
on well-buttered tins, giving plenty of room to spread. Bake in a
moderate oven. Let them cool before taking out of the tins.
GINGER
COOKIES.
ONE cup sugar, one cup molasses,
one cup butter, one egg, one tablespoonful vinegar, one tablespoonful
ginger, one teaspoonful soda dissolved in boiling water, mix like
cooky dough, rather soft.
GINGER
SNAPS.
ONE cup brown sugar, two cups
molasses, one large cup butter, two teaspoonfuls soda, two
teaspoonfuls ginger, three pints flour to commence with; rub
shortening and sugar together into the flour; add enough more flour
to roll very smooth, very thin, and bake in a quick oven. The dough
can be kept for days by putting it in the flour barrel under the
flour, and bake a few at a time. The more flour that can be worked in
and the smoother they can be rolled, the better and more brittle they
will be. Should be rolled out to wafer-like thinness. Bake quickly
without burning. They should become perfectly cold before putting
aside.
DOMINOES.
HAVE a plain cake baked in
rather thin sheets and cut into small oblong pieces the size and
shape of a domino, a trifle larger. Frost the top and sides. When the
frosting is hard, draw the black lines and make the dots with a small
brush dipped in melted chocolate. These are very nice for children's
parties.
FANCY
CAKES.
THESE delicious little fancy
cakes may be made by making a rich jumble-paste rolling out in any
desired shape; cut some paste in thick, narrow strips and lay around
your cakes, so as to form a deep, cup-like edge; place on a
well-buttered tin and bake. When done, fill with iced fruit prepared
as follows: Take rich, ripe peaches (canned ones will do if fine and
well drained from all juice) cut in halves; plums, strawberries,
pineapples cut in squares or small triangles, or any other available
fruit, and dip in the white of an egg that has been very slightly
beaten and then in pulverized sugar, and lay in the centre of your
cakes.
WAFERS.
DISSOLVE four ounces of butter
in half a teacup of milk; stir together four ounces of white sugar,
eight ounces of sifted flour and the yolk of one egg, adding
gradually the butter and milk, a tablespoonful of orange-flour water
and a pinch of salt; mix it well. Heat the wafer-irons, butter their
inner surfaces, put in a tablespoonful of the batter and close the
irons immediately; put the irons over the fire, and turn them
occasionally, until the wafer is cooked; when the wafers are all
cooked roll them on a small round stick, stand them upon a sieve and
dry them; serve with ices.
PEACH
CAKES.
TAKE the yolks and whites of
five eggs and beat them separately (the whites to a stiff froth.)
Then mix the beaten yolks with half a pound of pulverized and sifted
loaf or crushed sugar, and beat the two together thoroughly. Fifteen
minutes will be none too long for the latter operation if you would
have excellence with your cakes.
Now
add half a pound of fine
flour, dredging it in a little at a time, and then put in the whites
of the eggs, beating the whole together for four or five minutes.
Then with a large spoon, drop the batter upon a baking tin, which has
been buttered and floured, being careful to have the cakes as nearly
the same size as possible and resembling in shape the half of a
peach. Have a quick oven ready and bake the cakes about ten minutes,
watching them closely so that they may only come to a light brown
color. Then take them out, spread the flat side of each with peach
jam, and stick them together in pairs, covering the outside with a
thin coat of icing, which when dry can be brushed over on one side of
the cake, with a little cochineal water.
CUP
CAKES.
TWO CUPS of sugar, one cup of
butter, one cup of milk, three cups and a half of flour and four
eggs, half a teaspoonful of soda, large spoon cream of tartar; stir
butter and sugar together and add the beaten yolks of the eggs, then
the milk, then flavoring and the whites. Put cream of tartar in flour
and add last. Bake in buttered gem-pans, or drop the batter, a
teaspoonful at a time, in rows on flat buttered tins.
To
this recipe may be added a
cup of English currants or chopped raisins; and also another variety
of cake may be made by adding a half cup citron sliced and floured, a
half cupful of chopped almonds and lemon extract.
VARIEGATED
CAKES.
ONE cup powdered sugar, one-half
cup of butter creamed with the sugar, one-half cup of milk, four
eggs, the whites only, whipped light, two and one-half cups prepared
flour. Bitter almond flavoring, spinach juice and cochineal. Cream
the butter and sugar; add the milk, flavoring, the whites and flour.
Divide the batter into three parts. Bruise and pound a few leaves of
spinach in a thin muslin bag until you can express the juice. Put a
few drops of this into one portion of the batter, color another with
cochineal, leaving the third white. Put a little of each into small,
round pans or cups, giving a light stir to each color as you add the
next. This will vein the cakes prettily. Put the white between the
pink and green, that the tints may show better. If you can get
pistachio nuts to pound up for the green, the cakes will be much
nicer. Ice on sides and top.
CORNSTARCH
CAKES.
ONE cupful each of butter and
sweet milk and half a cup of cornstarch, two cupfuls each of sugar
and flour, the whites of five eggs beaten to a stiff froth, two
teaspoonfuls of cream of tartar and one of soda; flavor to taste.
Bake in gem-tins or patty-pans.
SPONGE
DROPS.
BEAT to a froth three eggs and
one teacup of sugar; stir into this one heaping coffeecup of flour,
in which one teaspoonful of cream of tartar and half a teaspoonful of
saleratus are thoroughly mixed. Flavor with lemon. Butter tin sheets
with washed butter and drop in teaspoonfuls about three inches apart.
Bake instantly in a very quick oven. Watch closely as they will burn
easily. Serve with ice cream.
SAVORY
BISCUITS OR LADY FINGERS.
Pur nine tablespoonfuls of fine
white sugar into a bowl and put the bowl into hot water to heat the
sugar; when the sugar is thoroughly heated, break nine eggs into the
bowl and beat them quickly until they become a little warm and rather
thick; then take the bowl from the water and continue beating until
it is nearly or quite cold; now stir in lightly nine tablespoonfuls
of sifted flour; then with a paper funnel, or something of the kind,
lay this mixture out upon papers, in biscuits three inches long and
half an inch thick, in the form of fingers; sift sugar over the
biscuits and bake them upon tins to a light brown; when they are done
and cold, remove them from the papers, by wetting them on the back;
dry them and they are ready for use. They are often used in making
Charlotte Russe.
PASTRY
SANDWICHES.
PUFF paste, jam of any kind, the
white of an egg, sifted sugar.
Roll
the paste out thin; put
half of it on a baking sheet or tin, and spread equally over it
apricot, greengage, or any preserve that may be preferred. Lay over
this preserve another thin paste, press the edges together all round,
and mark the paste in lines with a knife on the surface, to show
where to cut it when baked. Bake from twenty minutes to half an hour;
and, a short time before being done, take the pastry out of the oven,
brush it over with the white of an egg, sift over pounded sugar and
put it back in the oven to color. When cold, cut it into strips; pile
these on a dish pyramidically and serve.
This
may be made of jelly-cake
dough, and, after baking, allowed to cool before spreading with the
preserve; either way is good, as well as fanciful.
NEAPOLITAINES.
ONE cup of powdered sugar, half
a cup of butter, two tablespoonfuls of lemon juice, three whole eggs
and three yolks, beaten separately, three cups of sifted flour. Put
this all together with half a teaspoonful of soda dissolved in a
tablespoonful of milk. If it is too stiff to roll out, add just
enough more milk. Roll it a quarter of an inch thick and cut it out
with any tin cutter. Place the cakes in a pan slightly greased and
color the tops with beaten egg and milk, with some chopped almonds
over them. Bake in a rather quick oven.
BRUNSWICK
JELLY CAKES.
STIR one cup of powdered white
sugar and one-half cup of butter together, till perfectly light; beat
the yolks of three eggs till very thick and smooth; sift three cups
of flour and stir it into the beaten eggs with the butter and sugar;
add a teaspoonful of mixed spice (nutmeg, mace and cinnamon) and half
a glass of rose-water or wine; stir the whole well and lay it on your
paste-board, which must first be sprinkled with flour; if you find it
so moist as to be unmanageable, throw in a little more flour; spread
the dough into a sheet about half an inch thick and cut it out in
round cakes with a biscuit-cutter; lay them in buttered pans and bake
about five or six minutes; when cold, spread over the surface of each
cake a liquor of fruit jelly or marmalade; then beat the whites of
three or four eggs till they stand alone; beat into the froth, by
degrees, a sufficiency of powdered loaf sugar to make it as thick as
icing; flavor with a few drops of strong essence of lemon, and with a
spoon heap it up on each cake, making it high in the centre; put the
cakes into a cool oven, and as soon as the tops are colored a pale
brown, take them out.
LITTLE
PLUM CAKES.
ONE cup of sugar and half a cup
of butter beaten to a smooth cream; add three well-beaten eggs, a
teaspoonful of vanilla extract, four cups of sifted flour, one cup of
raisins and one of currants, half of a teaspoonful of baking soda
dissolved in a little water, and milk enough to make a stiff batter;
drop this batter in drops on well-buttered tins and bake in a quick
oven.
JUMBLES.
CREAM together two cups of sugar
and one of butter, add three well-beaten eggs and six tablespoonfuls
of sweet milk, two teaspoonfuls of baking powder, flavor to taste,
flour enough to make into a soft dough; do not roll it on the
paste-board, but break off pieces of dough the size of a walnut and
make into rings by rolling out rolls as large as your finger, and
joining the ends; lay them on tins to bake, an inch apart, as it
rises and spreads; bake in a moderate
oven. These jumbles are very delicate and will keep a long time.
WINE
JUMBLES.
ONE cup of butter, two of sugar,
three eggs, one wine-glass of wine, one spoonful of vanilla and flour
enough to roll out. Boll as thin as the blade of a knife and cut with
an oval cutter. Bake on tin-sheets in a quick oven until a dark
brown. These will keep a year if kept in a tin box and in a dry
place.
COCOANUT
JUMBLES.
GRATE one large cupful of
cocoanut; rub one cupful of butter with one and a half cupfuls of
sugar; add three beaten eggs, whites and yolks separately, two
tablespoonfuls of milk and five cupfuls of sifted flour; then add by
degrees the grated nut, so as to make a stiff dough, rolled thin and
cut with a round cutter, having a hole in the middle. Bake in a quick
oven from five to ten minutes.
PHILADELPHIA
JUMBLES.
TWO CUPS of sugar, one cup of
butter, eight eggs beaten light; essence of bitter almond or rose to
taste; enough flour to enable you to roll them out.
Stir
the sugar and butter to a
light cream, then add the well-whipped eggs, the flavoring and flour;
mix well together, roll out in powdered sugar in a sheet a quarter of
an inch thick; cut into rings with a jagging-iron and bake in a quick
oven on buttered tins.
ALMOND
JUMBLES.
THREE cupfuls of soft sugar, two
cupfuls of flour, half a cupful of butter, one teacupful of loppered
milk, five eggs well beaten, two tablespoonfuls of rose-water,
three-quarters of a pound of almonds, blanched and chopped very fine,
one teaspoonful of soda dissolved in boiling water.
Cream
butter and sugar; stir in
the beaten yolks the milk, flour, rose-water, almonds and, lastly,
the beaten whites very lightly and quickly; drop in rings on buttered
paper and bake at once.
FRUIT
JUMBLES.
TWO CUPS of sugar, one cup of
butter, five cupfuls of flour, five eggs, one small teacupful of
milk, in which dissolve half a teaspoonful of soda; cream the butter,
add the sugar, cream again; then add yolks of eggs, the milk, beaten
whites and flour; a little cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and ground
cloves and one-quarter of a pound of currants, rolled in flour.
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