The Rural cook book

Berwick Sponge Cake. — Six eggs ; powdered white sugar, three cupfiils; sifted flour, tour even cupfuls; cream of tartar, two teaspoonfuls ; soda, one teaspoonful ; one cupful cold water, one-half of a lemon. First beat the eggs two minutes, add the sugar and beat five minutes more, then stir the cream of tartar in two cupfuls of the flour and beat one minute; dissolve the soda in the water and add; wash the lemon dry, then grate the rind and squeeze in the juice. Finally, add the remaining two cupfuls of flour and beat all one minute. Put into deep pans in a moderate oven. This will make two bars, or loaves. When it is done it smells like fresh popcorn. There is considerable beating about this cake, and therein lies the success. You can use three tablespoonfuls baking powder (if you wish, in place of cream of tartar and soda), but sift it in the two last cupfuls of flour. Have about the same heat as for raised bread, put into the oven and let it remain certainly 20 minutes without looking at it. If it can bake until done without the oven door being opened, so much the better. Boiled Sponge Cake. — One and one-half cupful granulated sugar, twothirds cupful water, boiled until clear; pour over (beating while you pour) the whites of five eggs which have been beaten very stiff in a large platter ; now beat until cold, and add yolk of eggs beaten smooth, juice of a half lemon and one cupful of flour folded in gently. Bake in a slow oven about three-fourths hour. Bake in oblong pan about two to 2J4 inches deep. Can be iced with any icing preferred, and will keep indefinitely. Never-Fail Sponge Cake. — This can be made and baked in 35 minutes. A good sponge should be yellow as gold, of velvety softness and tender as a marshmallow. If the rule here given is strictly followed, such a cake will be the sure result ; Separate the whites and yolks of four eggs. Beat the whites until stiff enough to remain in bowl if it n inverted, then beat into them one-half cup of sugar, which must be fine granulated (powdered sugar makes tough cake and proper beating does away entirely with the grains). Beat the yolks, add to them one-half cupful of sugpr, beating for five minutes by the clock— this latter being important, as the delicate texture of the cake depends upon it; add to the yolks the grated rind and juice of one lemon. Now beat well together the yolks and white. At this stage beating is in order, but must be absolutely avoided after adding the flour, of which take one cupful. The mixture should now look like a puff ball, and the flour is to be tossed or stirred into it with a light turn of the wooden spooa Stirring is quite different from beating. The cupful of sugar must be generous, the flour scanty. Bake for 25 minutes in a moderate oven. Just before putting in the oven sprinkle on top through a sifter about a tablespoonful of granulated sugar. This gives the "erackly" top Just so desirable. Tory Wafers.— Melt a teacup of butter, a half a cup of lard, and mix them with a quart of flour, a couple of beaten eggs, a teaspoonful of salt, and flavoring. Add milk till of the right consistency to roll out; roll it out about the third of an inch in thickness, cut it into cakes with a cookie cutter, lay them on buttered baking plates, and bake them a few minutes. Frost them as soon as baked, and sprinkle comfits or sugar sand on the toii. Venetian Cake.— This makes a handsome loaf, and is very good. Beat together the yolks of six eggs and half a pint of sugar for 20 minutes. Fold in the stiffly beaten whites and mix in lightly i^A rounded tablespoonfuls of flour. Pour into a buttered mold dusted with equal parts of flour and sugar. Bake half an hour, with an increasing heat, putting it into a moderate oven at first. When done invert it on the pastry rack, and when cold frost with a vanilla chocolate icing.