Original White House Cookbook

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. CAKES — FILLINGS. 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 VEEY 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-heaten 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.” CAKES — FILLINGS. 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 RILLING. 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.