Foods, their selection and preparation

Cream of tartar is the acid most used in making angel-food cake. This acid is more accurately measured than lemon juice, and since egg whites contain more moisture than the yolks, the extra liquid is not essential. A few authorities suggest a small amount of liquid, however. With the mild-flavored egg white, usually a more delicate flavoring than lemon juice is used, though that is a personal matter. Two flavors are especially effective in giving an interesting or delicate subtle fragrance : almond and vanilla make a good combination. In a sunshine cake either lemon juice or cream of tartar may be used as the acid, or a combination of the two. A small amount of liquid may be added if the batter seems too stiff. The proportion of egg is so high in this group of cakes that very little, if any, additional liquid is needed. The egg, there¬ fore, supplies not only the leavening, but also most of the liquid, and, at the same time, the protein necessary to give rigidity to the cooked cake. Methods of Mixing. In combining the in¬ gredients for a plain yellow sponge cake, the yolks should be beaten until very thick and light yellow in color. Then half the sifted sugar is beaten gradually into the yolks until the mixture is so stiff it will hold its shape. One of the most common faults in mixing sponge cakes is insufficient beating of the yolks and sugar. A double rotary beater does the job best. Next the hot water and lemon juice are beaten gradually into the yolk mixture. The salt, cream of tartar, and remaining sugar are sifted over the egg whites and the whites beaten until they are stiff enough to hold a point when the beater is removed. The sifted flour and the stiffly beaten whites are folded into the stiff yolk mixture, a little of each (about one sixth) added to¬ gether at a time. The object here is thor¬ oughly to combine the egg whites with the other ingredients without stirring out the air in the beaten whites. It is the expansion of this air that makes the cake light, but if the [108] whites are not well mixed with the other ingredients, the cake will be coarse and un¬ even in texture. Turn the batter at once into a floured pan for baking. (Do not grease the pan.) Another method of combining the in¬ gredients for sponge cake is known as the "sirup method." In this, the sugar and egg white are combined as in the preparation of a cooked icing, the sugar being cooked with half as much water as sugar to a sirup that boils at 238° to 240° F. While hot, this sirup is poured slowly over the stiffly beaten whites, to which the salt has been added during the beating. The yolks are beaten until thick and light-yellow and the lemon juice and hot water added to them. Then the yolk mix¬ ture is carefully folded into the sirup-eggwhite mixture until the color is even. Lastly, the sifted flour is folded into the egg mixture. Since sunshine cake contains both parts of the egg, the methods of combining are the same as for plain sponge cake. In combining the ingredients for angelfood cake, the method must be changed somewhat, since only the whites of the eggs are used. A better cake is obtained when at least a part of the sugar is added to the whites before the flour. Sift from J to § of the sugar with the sifted flour to mix well. Then add the salt and cream of tartar to the whites and beat