Common Sense in the Household 56

Common Sense in the Household 56

ELLIE’S CAKE. ✠

 

1 cup of sugar.

½ cup of butter.

3 eggs.

½ cup sweet milk.

2½ cups prepared flour.

 

Bake in jelly-cake tins, and fill with jelly or chocolate. A simple and

excellent cake.

 

 

SPONGE CAKE.

 

1 teacup powdered sugar.

3 eggs.

½ teaspoonful cream-tartar.

¼ teaspoonful soda.

1 teacupful flour.

 

Flavor with lemon—half the juice and half the rind of one. Bake twenty

minutes in shallow tins.

 

 

MRS. M.’S SPONGE-CAKE. ✠

 

12 eggs.

The weight of the eggs in sugar.

Half their weight in flour.

1 lemon, juice and rind.

 

Beat yolks and whites _very_ light, the sugar into the former when they

are smooth and stiff; next, the juice and grated peel of the lemon,

then the beaten whites; lastly, the flour, _very_ lightly.

 

The lady from whom I had this admirable receipt was celebrated among

her acquaintances for her beautiful and delicious sponge-cake.

 

“Which should always be baked in tins like these,” she said to me once,

sportively, “or it does not taste just right.”

 

The moulds were like a large brick in shape, with almost perpendicular

sides. I instantly gave an order for a couple precisely like them,

and really fancied that cake baked in them was a little better than

in any other form. But you can hardly fail of success if you prepare

yours precisely as I have directed, bake in whatever shape you will.

Be careful that your oven is steady, and cover the cake with paper to

prevent burning.

 

It is a good plan to line the pans in which sponge-cake is baked with

buttered paper, fitted neatly to the sides and bottom.

 

 

POUND CAKE (_No. 1._)

 

1 lb. sugar.

1 lb. flour.

¾ lb. butter.

9 eggs.

2 teaspoonfuls cream-tartar.

1 teaspoonfuls soda.

 

Cream the butter and sugar with great care; beat the yolks and whites

separately; sift the cream-tartar well through the flour. Add the flour

last.

 

 

POUND CAKE (_No. 2._)

 

1 lb. flour.

1 lb. eggs.

1 lb. sugar.

¾ lb. butter.

1 glass brandy.

1 nutmeg.

1 teaspoonful mace.

 

Cream half the flour with the butter, and add brandy and spice. Beat

the yolks until light, add the sugar, then the beaten whites and the

rest of the flour alternately. When this is thoroughly mixed, put all

together and beat steadily for half an hour.

 

If properly made and baked this is a splendid cake.

 

 

WASHINGTON CAKE.

 

3 cups sugar.

2 cups butter.

5 eggs.

1 cup milk.

4 cups flour.

2 teaspoonfuls cream-tartar.

1 teaspoonful soda.

 

Mix as usual and stir in, at the last—

 

½ lb. currants well washed and dredged.

¼ lb. raisins seeded and chopped fine, then floured.

A handful of citron sliced fine.

Cinnamon and nutmeg to taste.

 

Fruit-cake takes longer to bake than plain, and the heat must be kept

steady.

 

 

LINCOLN CAKE.

 

¾ lb. butter.

1 lb. sugar.

1 lb. flour.

6 eggs.

2 cups sour cream or milk.

1 grated nutmeg.

1 teaspoonful powdered cinnamon.

¼ lb. citron.

1 tablespoonful rose-water.

1 teaspoonful soda dissolved in hot water, and stirred into the

milk just before adding the latter to the cake.

 

Cream the butter and sugar, put with them the yolks whipped light,

then the cream and spice, next the flour, then the rose-water, and a

double-handful of citron cut in slips and dredged; finally, the beaten

whites of the eggs. Stir all well, and bake in a loaf or in a “card,”

using a square shallow baking-pan.

 

This is a good cake, and keeps well.

 

 

BLACK OR WEDDING CAKE.

 

1 lb. powdered sugar.

1 lb. butter.

1 lb. flour.

12 eggs.

1 lb. currants well washed and dredged.

1 lb. raisins seeded and chopped.

½ lb. citron cut into slips.

1 tablespoonful cinnamon.

2 teaspoonfuls nutmeg.

1 teaspoonful cloves.

1 wineglass brandy.

 

Cream the butter and sugar, add the beaten yolks of the eggs, and stir

all _well_ together before putting in half of the flour. The spice

should come next, then the whipped whites stirred in alternately with

the rest of the flour, lastly the brandy.

 

The above quantity is for two large cakes. Bake at least two hours in

deep tins lined with well-buttered paper.

 

The icing should be laid on stiff and thickly. This cake, if kept in a

cool, dry place, will not spoil in two months.

 

I have eaten wedding-cake a year old.

 

Test the cakes well, and be sure they are quite done before taking them

from the oven.

 

 

FRUIT-CAKE (_plainer._)

 

1 lb. powdered sugar.

1 lb. flour.

¾ lb. butter.

7 eggs.

½ lb. currants—washed, picked over, and dredged.

½ lb. raisins—seeded and chopped, then dredged.

¼ lb. citron cut into slips.

1 teaspoonful nutmeg.

1 teaspoonful cinnamon.

1 glass brandy.

 

Cream butter and sugar; add the beaten yolks, then the spice and the

whipped whites alternately with the flour; the fruit and brandy last.

 

 

ALMOND CAKE.

 

1 lb. powdered sugar.

1 lb. flour.

¼ lb. butter.

8 eggs.

1 coffee-cupful sweet almonds, blanched by putting them into hot

water, and, when stripped of their skins and perfectly cold,

beaten to a smooth paste in a Wedgewood mortar, with a little

rose-water and half a teaspoonful essence of bitter almonds.

 

Beat whites and yolks separately; stir butter and sugar to a cream; add

to this the yolks; beat very hard before putting in the flour; stir in

the almond-paste alternately with the whites. Put in the brandy last. Season the icing with rose-water.