Twentieth century home cook book

The quantity of fruit is according to how rich the cake is to be made. The proportions for a rich, dark cake may be : Two pounds of raisins (stoned), two pounds of currants, one pound of almonds (blanched), one pound of citron or candied peel and fruit, one pound of moist sugar, one pound of butter, one pound of flour, one dozen eggs, one teaspoonful of mace, one tablespoonful of cinnamon, one nutmeg, one wineglassful of brandy, and one of wine. The fruit should be cut up rather coarse, and the almonds in not more than three pieces. Roll the fruit in flour to separate it, reserving some almonds and citron for sticking in the top of the cake, but entirely out of sight. Beat the fruit into the eggs after they have been perfectly whisked ; also the butter and sugar after they are creamed together. Let the rest of the flour be lightly stirred in just before putting the cake to rise. Put embers under it, and let it rise for three hours. Bake slowly for three hours, or until, by trying with a straw, you find it quite done. When taken from the oven, let the cake stand in the pan at least two hours, or if it is very large, leave it in a warm place all night. It will then be ready for frosting, and will keep indefinitely in a dark, cool place. The pan in which it is baked must be lined with buttered white paper. The white paper is also used for pound cake. VIII. Rich Pound-Cake. Take one pound each of white sugar, butter, and tiour; ten eggs, a wineglassful of brandy, half a nutmeg, and a teaspoonfu] of vanilla or essence of lemon. Beat the sugar and butter to a cream, whisk the eggs to a froth, and beat all the ingredients together until perfectly light. Bake in a moderately heated oven an hour. Turn the cake out of the tin, invert it, and set the cake on the bottom to cool. Put on the frosting when cold. Cocoanut Pound-Cake. — This is made with one pound of sugar, half a pound of butter, one teacupful of fresh milk, one pound of flour, one cocoanut grated, four eggs, the peel of half a lemon grated, or half a teaspoonful of essence of lemon, and a teaspoonful of carbonate of soda. Make as directed for pound-cake, but put in the cocoanut last. Bake in buttered tins, the cake-batter being put in an inch deep. The heat should be rather quick, and the cake is to be iced as directed for fruit cake. SPONGE-CAKE PjVNS. DEEP JELLY-CAKE PANS IX. Miscellaneous Cakes. Roll Jelly Cake. — Take one cupful of white sugar, one-half teacupful of sweet milk, two eggs, one cupful of flour, two teaspoonfuls of cream of tartar, one-fourth of a teaspoonful saleratus, apinch of salt, and such flavoring as you like. This will make two cakes in a square tin. Have the oven read}^ put the cakes in, and while they are baking, get a cloth and the jelly ready on the table. As soon as they are baked, take them out and turn them one at a time on the cloth, spread quickly with jelly or marmalade, and roll up tightly in the cloth and lay them where they will cool. Handle them carefully or they may fall. Cut them with a sharp knife in slices. Sponge Cake. — Take one pound of granulated sugar beaten with the yolks of ten eggs. Grate into this the yellow rind of two lemons, and add the juice of one; then beat the whites of the ten eggs separately, very light, and add the same, stirring lightly together. To this add three-fourths of a pound of flour, and stir lightly without beating. This will make three good-sized loaves. Care must be taken in baking not to put the pans in too hot an oven. French Cream Cake. — Take three eggs, one cupful of sugar, one and a half cupfuls of flour, one teaspoonful of baking powder, and two tablespoonfuls of cold water. This is enough for two pans. Split the cakes while warm and spread the custard while hot between them.