The Pattern cook-book

Fruit, such as raisins, currants, etc., should not be washed just before using, as, even when the cake is well done, the water softening the fruit would make it heavy and cause it to sink to the bottom. When the fruit is received from the grocer, pick over the raisins and currants, wash them, rub the currants in a coarse towel to dislodge the minute stems, and dry both thoroughly on tins. Leave llie fruit in a warm place all day, to make sure it is perfectly dry, and put it away in closely covered tin cans. When needed for subsequent baking, the currants require only to be well fioured, and the raisins to be seeded and floured. This will be found a most convenient plan. Never melt or warm the butter, unless so directed in the recipe. Beat it to a cream with the sugar. Use cups of uniform size to measure all materials. In baking fruit cake, always line the tins with wellbuttered paper, fitting it neatly. Grease the cake pans with butter. Lard, which many recommend, is of questionable advantage for this purpose. If the butter is very salt, wash the salt from it before using. Never mix cake in a tin basin, but always use an earthenware dish.; for, when the butter and sugar are rubbed together, they will be found much darkened by the tin. Mix the spices with the flour or the sugar. The whites of the eggs will beat up quickly if the eggs are kept in a cool place. Add a pinch of salt to the whites before beating, as salt is cooling. Use a fork in beating the whites, instead of the egg-beater, unless the work must be hurried, as more froth may be produced with the fork than with the beater. In rubbing the butter and sugar together, use a spoon instead of the hand. To keep cake fresh, place it in a tightly covered tin box. WEDDING FRUIT CAKE. One pound of brown sugar. Two cupfuls of molasses. One pound of butter. One wine-glassful of brandy. One pound of tlour. One-half ounce of mace. Four pounds of raisins. One-half ounce of cinnamon. Three pounds of currants. One-half ounce of nutmeg. One pound of citron. One-half ounce of cloves. Ten eggs. Seed the raisins, and chop them rather coarsely. Wash the currants, scrub off the little stems by vigorously rubbing the currants in a coarse towel, and dry the fruit well before using. Cut the citron in rather small pieces. Sift the flour, put in it all the spice, and sift again to thoroughly mix. Rub the butter and sugar together until they form a light cream. Separate the whites and yolks of the eggs, beat the yolks light, and add them to the butter and sugar ; then add the molasses and the brandy, stirring well after each addition. Sift a little of the flour on the raisins and currants, and slir the rest of it into the mixture, beating until smooth ; then add the fruit, and lastly the beaten whites of the eggs. Line two medium-sized cake tins with well-buttered paper, divide the mixture between them, and bake two hours in a slow oven. This makes a fine wedding-cake, and it will last for years. Keep it in a stone or tin jar in a cool place. Cut in small squares for serving. The cake is v^^v rich, and much at a time is not required. PLAIN FRUIT-CAKE. One cupful of butter. Two tea-spoonfuls of cinnamon. Two cupfuls of brown sugar. Two tea-spoonfuls of cloves.