Foods and home making

In a small pan, melt the fat. Do not heat the fat any more than is necessary to melt it. Let it cool a few seconds, then add it to the egg mixture. Beat until the fat is well blended. Add the flour through a sifter to the other ingredients. Add the flavoring. Beat about i minute. Pour into a greased cake pan. What size of pan should be used for cake ? Sometimes a cake is disappointing because it is not so high or so large as the maker expected. In such case, it may be that the proper pan was not selected for the cake recipe. One cannot expect to get a thick cake when a small amount of cake batter is put in a large pan. In any kind of cake the quantity of flour determines the size. Since sponge cakes usually contain a larger proportion of eggs to flour than do butter cakes, in judging the size of a sponge cake it is well to consider both the quantity of flour and the number of eggs. Layer-cake pans in common use vary in upper outside diameter from 8 to io inches. A butter cake containing two cups of flour will fill two 8-inch layer-cake pans, or one 9-inch square pan. A butter cake containing three cups of flour will fill three 8- inch layer-cake pans, or two 10-inch layer-cake pans, or one 9- inch loaf-cake (or bread) pan. Cake is often baked in muffin pans. Cakes so baked are called cup cakes. Of what materials should cake pans be made ? Layer butter cakes, being thin, may be baked at a higher temperature and for a shorter time than thicker cakes. Since aluminum and tin pans (see page 588) heat quickly, these materials are desirable for layer-cake pans. Loaf cakes need to bake more slowly. Cakes 555 Tin or aluminum pans may be used for such cakes. However, granite pans and glass baking dishes are very satisfactory for loaf cakes. Cake pans should always be greased for butter cakes. Unless a pan has a removable bottom or is a clean-cut pan (see Figure 147, page 550), it should have paper on the bottom. The pan should be greased after it is lined with paper. At what temperature should butter cakes be baked ? If you have neither a heat-regulated oven nor a portable oven ther- mometer, test the oven as follows : Put a piece of paper or a shallow pan containing a spoonful of white flour in the oven. Note the time. After two minutes open the oven door. The flour or paper should he light brown. Follow the suggestions for checking the baking given on page 552. With a heat-regulated oven, the following temperature and time may be used for butter cakes : Layer cakes .... 3750 F 25 to 30 minutes Cup cakes 375° F 20 to 25 minutes Loaf cakes .... 350° F 45 to 60 minutes What should be done with a butter cake after it is taken from the oven? Let the cake remain in the pan for about two min- utes. Then carefully loosen the sides of the cake with a spatula or knife. If the pan has been lined with paper or if it has a removable bottom, the cake may be taken from the pan easily. Remove the paper or run a knife between the cake and remov- able bottom. Then place the cake on a cake cooler and let it stand until it is cool. When it is cold, store the cake in a tightly covered tin box.