Household hints

little more flour, the dough is so thin ; do not hesitate, or your cake will be lost. It should be baked in a moderatelyhot oven. If there is any trouble about the top not being smooth, lay the cake on a platter downside up and frost it. Lemon is a delicate flavor for sponge cake. These particulars are given for the benefit of young housewives who, like Bella Wilf er, are puzzling their brains over "The Complete British Housewife," or its American equivalent. White Sponge Cake. — Two tumblers of flour, one tumbler and a half of sugar, whites of ten eggs, two tea-spoonfuls of cream of tartar ; no soda. Flavor to taste. Floral's Sponge Cake, — One pint of sugar, one pint of flour, seven eggs, and half a tea-spoonful of baking powder ; flavor with lemon. Stir the flour in last, and very slowly. Coffee Cake. — Two cups of flour, one cup of sugar, one cup of fruit, half a cup of molasses, half a cup of butter, half a cup of cold coffee, two eggs, one tea-spoonful each of *mace, cloves, and soda, one table-spoonful of cinnamon. A nice fruit cake may be made by adding more fruit. Van Buren Cake, — One cup of sugar, half a cup of butter, three eggs, half a cup of chopped raisins, two tea-spoonfuls of baking powder, about two cups of flour ; flavor with nutmeg. . Put the butter, sugar, milk, and well-beaten eggs together, then stir the flour and raisins in. By putting them in together I have never had any trouble about the raisins falling to the bottom of the cake, but they have been evenly distributed through it. A cake with raisins needs a little more flour than one without them. This cake will keep well. Walnut Cake, — One coffee-cup of sugar, one cup and a half of flour, two cups of raisins, one cup of walnut meats, half a cup of butter, half a cup of sweet milk, three eggs, half a nutmeg, half a tea-spoonful of soda or two tea-spoonfuls of baking powder ; flavor with lemon or vanilla. Dolly Varden Cake. — Three eggs, two cups of sugar, two thirds of a cup of butter, one cup of sweet milk, three cups of flour, one tea-spoonful of cream of tartar, and half a tea-spoonful of soda or two tea-spoonfuls of baking powder. Take half of this mixture and flavor it with lemon, and bake it in two tins as for layer cake. To the other half add one table-spoonful of molasses, one cupful of chopped raisins, one tea-spoonful each of cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mace may also be added if desired. Bake this also in two tins, then put the layers together with jelly between. Put a light-colored layer at the bottom ; it is less likely to crumble. White Cake. — One cup of butter, two cups of sugar, one cup of sweet milk, whites of five eggs, three cups of flour, two tea-spoonfuls of baking powder. Black Cake. — One pound of browned flour, one pound of fresh butter, one pound of brown sugar, one pound of citron, twelve eggs, two pounds of raisins, two pounds of currants, two table-spoonfuls of mace and cinnamon mixed, two nutmegs powdered, a large glass of wine and brandy, half a wine-glass full of rose water. Put a layer of the cake mixture in the pan and then a layer of sliced citron, and so on until all is in. Bake slowly for two hours.