dered for nice cake, the granulated is too coarse a
grain), and measure the butter you need; in cold
weather let the butter stand long enough to soften so
as to cut easily, but if it melts at all, it will make the
cake heavy or soggy. Sift and measure the flour,
then sift the second time, after you have stirred the
baking-powder in it. In hot weather lay the eggs
for one-half hour in very cold water as they
will beat lighter. This should be the first thing
to do. I always take for all kinds of cake^ just
half as much butter as sugar, except fried cakes.
This gives the best grain to the cake. For fruit
cake, seed the raisins, clean, wash and dry the
currants the day before. Sprinkle two tablespoons
of flour on every pound of raisins after slightly
chopping them, using the dryest and best
brown sugar. Add the raisins after the flour and milk
is stirred in. Stir the cake in an earthen dish (never
in tin) with a wooden spoon. In cold weather warm
the dish by letting warm water stand in the dish till
warmed through, not hot enough to melt the butter.
First put the rolled sugar in the dish, then in the cen-
ter put the cut up butter and stir to a perfectly light
cream. This is best for all cakes, even cookies or
or fried cakes are more delicate. Always beat the
yolks and whites separately on a flat plate or platter
with a steel knife, using it deftly by slightly lifting it
and not stirring, to give it a light foam. I have pur-
chased several egg beaters and tried two of our own
invention, but have discarded them all and gone back
to the steel kitchen knife; the eggs are much lighter.
Stir the well-beaten yolks in next till very light color,
then the whites, then the flour and milk, about one-
fourth at a time gradually, till all is in, adding the
flavoring. Do not leave the cake after you once bq;ui
The Queen Cook Book 191
to mix it; always stir the same way and put right in a
moderate oven that you can hold your hand in to count
thirty. It must be heated through to the center ere it
bakes, so as to rise even; the heat must not decrease,
or it will fall, but be kept a steady heat. It must rise
fully before a crust is formed. If the cake browns too
fast cover it with brown paper, and open one of the
oven dampers for a short time. As much depends on
the heat of the oven and your intelligent management
of it as in mixing. Count the number of minutes it
takes to bake bread, for cake a little less. When the
cake rises and cracks open you may be sure there is
too much flour. Some flours swell more than others.
Open the oven door as little as possible and close it
quickly, do not turn it round till it is set in center.
There are three simple tests to tell when cake is done.
It will cleave from the pan around the edges; will not
stick to a broom corn run into the center of cake; and
put your ear to the cake and if you hear it tick or sing
loudly it is not done; return it to the oven; if very
faintly it may be done. Do not take out of pan till
half cooled, then put it on the flat bottom of a larger
cake pan and frost if you wish to Remember to use
only good, fresh eggs and perfectly sweet butter. It is
well to weigh and measure one pound each of flour,
sugar and butter "and get cups that twice even full of
sugar will be one pound and four times even full of
flour will be one pound, and once full and one-third or
more one pound of butter. Do not allow these cups
to be used for any other purpose, and they are always
ready. It is more convenient than weighing. I shall
give my recipes by measure as far as possible. I do
not wish to enlarge the book by repeating how to mix
every recipe. I will give it in more condensed form.
Beat the butter and sugar to a cream, then beat the
192 The Queen Cook Book
Page 74
Presented as published in 1895. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
dered for nice cake, the granulated is too coarse a grain), and measure the butter you need; in cold weather let the butter stand long enough to soften so as to cut easily, but if it melts at all, it will make the cake heavy or soggy. Sift and measure the flour, then sift the second time, after you have stirred the baking-powder in it. In hot weather lay the eggs for one-half hour in very cold water as they will beat lighter. This should be the first thing to do. I always take for all kinds of cake^ just half as much butter as sugar, except fried cakes. This gives the best grain to the cake. For fruit cake, seed the raisins, clean, wash and dry the currants the day before. Sprinkle two tablespoons of flour on every pound of raisins after slightly chopping them, using the dryest and best brown sugar. Add the raisins after the flour and milk is stirred in. Stir the cake in an earthen dish (never in tin) with a wooden spoon. In cold weather warm the dish by letting warm water stand in the dish till warmed through, not hot enough to melt the butter. First put the rolled sugar in the dish, then in the center put the cut up butter and stir to a perfectly light cream. This is best for all cakes, even cookies or or fried cakes are more delicate. Always beat the yolks and whites separately on a flat plate or platter with a steel knife, using it deftly by slightly lifting it and not stirring, to give it a light foam. I have purchased several egg beaters and tried two of our own invention, but have discarded them all and gone back to the steel kitchen knife; the eggs are much lighter. Stir the well-beaten yolks in next till very light color, then the whites, then the flour and milk, about onefourth at a time gradually, till all is in, adding the flavoring. Do not leave the cake after you once bq;ui
The Queen Cook Book 191
to mix it; always stir the same way and put right in a moderate oven that you can hold your hand in to count thirty. It must be heated through to the center ere it bakes, so as to rise even; the heat must not decrease, or it will fall, but be kept a steady heat. It must rise fully before a crust is formed. If the cake browns too fast cover it with brown paper, and open one of the oven dampers for a short time. As much depends on the heat of the oven and your intelligent management of it as in mixing. Count the number of minutes it takes to bake bread, for cake a little less. When the cake rises and cracks open you may be sure there is too much flour. Some flours swell more than others. Open the oven door as little as possible and close it quickly, do not turn it round till it is set in center. There are three simple tests to tell when cake is done. It will cleave from the pan around the edges; will not stick to a broom corn run into the center of cake; and put your ear to the cake and if you hear it tick or sing loudly it is not done; return it to the oven; if very faintly it may be done. Do not take out of pan till half cooled, then put it on the flat bottom of a larger cake pan and frost if you wish. Remember to use only good, fresh eggs and perfectly sweet butter. It is well to weigh and measure one pound each of flour, sugar and butter "and get cups that twice even full of sugar will be one pound and four times even full of flour will be one pound, and once full and one-third or more one pound of butter. Do not allow these cups to be used for any other purpose, and they are always ready. It is more convenient than weighing. I shall give my recipes by measure as far as possible. I do not wish to enlarge the book by repeating how to mix every recipe. I will give it in more condensed form. Beat the butter and sugar to a cream, then beat the
192 The Queen Cook Book