A manual of home-making

Recipes for butter cakes call for various proportions of ma* terials. Results produced by such variations are discussed l>rieHy on pages 474 to 477. With a fair understanding of the fMissiliilities of substituting one material for another, cake re- cipvs may be varied to make the best use of the materials on liand or to proihice the desired result in lightness or richness. Formulas that are good to usci as a basis for substitution ajTe — given on page 482. Because of the difference in grades of flour, H it is difficult to give the exact amount of flour required to pro- duce the best rc^sylt. Butter cakes include cup cakes, pound cakes, cooki(?s, and wafers. They may be plain or may contain fruit or nuts. DirtH'tions for mixing and baking liutt^r cakes are given on pages 478 and 479- Directions for filling the pans are given on page 479. IKGREDIENTS USED IN CAKES A discussion of the essential mat<*rials used in cakes is given on pages 474 to 477. Following are suggestions on certain ac- cesftory materials.^ ♦ Mills, Kfithmm H Making Cake, P»rt I. CorneU Reading-Gbune for the Farm Homt», Bulb 73, CAKES 485 Several types of fruit are eomnionly used in making cake; first, driwi fruits and candied fruits, such iis currants, raisins, citron, cherries, pineapple; second, fresh raw fruits, such as blueberries, and cherries; third, cooked fruit pulp, such as apple- sauce and Ijlackberry jam. As a p^encral raile it may \ye said that when fruit is used in making cake, the batter will need to be stiller than for ordinary cake^ the stitTuess depeutiing on the weight of the pieces of the fruit to be held in place. A cake dough {Containing raisins will neecl to be stiffer than one containing bluel>erries, and a cake dougli containing l>hiebeiTiesJ wilt need to be stiffer than one made with appk^sauce or jam.* Thii presence of [larticles of dried fruit increases the difficultit^s in baking cake, as fruit scorches easily and some of the fruit will he at the surface of the cake. Rich fruit cakes should, therefore, be baked in a very slow oven. This not only prevents scorching, but also improves the flavor^ since the fruit flavor blends with that of the other ingredients. Chocolate contains a hard fat which adds richness to cake, but which tends to make it stiff as it dries out or if the cake is kept in a very cold place. Chocolate cake that is made wiHi sour milk and soda is usually softer and darker in color than that made with sweet milk and baking powder. Chocolate contains starch which thickens the batter, so that less flour is needed for chocolate cake than for white cake, AlkaH darkens a chocolate mixture, and a little soda adiled to the meltetl choco- late Ix^fore putting it into the batter will not only darken the cake, but also neutralize any free fatty acid in the chocolate and help to make the cake light. The large amoimt of soda in eome recipes for cSiocolate cake sei'ves the same purpose. Cocoa should be substituted for chocolate by weight instead of by measure. In manufacturing cocoa nearly all of the fat has teen removed from it, so that cakes made by substituting cocoa in a recipe calling for chocolate are likely to be bready unless a small quantity of additional fat is addtnl (the equivalent of about 14 tablespoonfui of butter for each ounce, or 14 cup- ful, of cocoa used).