Twenty lessons in domestic science

Do not use butter for greasing the pans, as there is the same objection to it as in all other forms of cooking, it burns too easily. Use vegetable oil or lard. Begin the baking of cakes in a low oven. As soon as the cake batter has risen to its full extent, increase the heat and when well set and lightly browned, reduce the heat if not quite baked. The texture of a cake containing many eggs may be toughened by too hot an oven, just the same as a puff omelet is spoiled by over cooking. If sour milk is used, neutralize its acid with the smallest bit of soda and use about half as much baking powder as with sweet milk. If fruit or nuts sink to the bottom of the cake, it shows that the batter is too thin. An accurate unit of measure could not be established for unsifted flour, as its density differs. That is why we always say sift the flour once before measuring. Then add the baking powder and sift two or three times to insure the perfect mixing of the two materials. When cakes are properly mixed, the materials are in right proportion and an efficient baking powder is used, there is no danger of the usual activity around the house disturbing the cake or causing it to fall. "When many egg whites are required a few drops of lemon juice added to the whites when beaten foamy will be an advantage, as the acid has the property of keeping the air cells intact. This is particularly desirable in the making of meringues. A cake is ready to take from the oven when it will spring back after a slight pressure of the finger. Cakes baked in shallow or layer cake pans require about one-fifth more flour than when baked in loaf pans. A corresponding proportion of baking powder should also be used. Before the advent of baking powder, cakes were made without leavening in some instances, such as fruit cakes and pound cakes, but the habit of the people is different from that of sixty years ago ; we now Domestic Science LESSON No. 3 Carbohydrates demand that bread and cake mixtures be leavened in order that the digestive process be not taxed by the use of heavy cakes and breads. It is therefore advisable to add baking powder and soda to some of the old fashioned fruit cake recipes. Use of soda should be restricted to the amount necessary to neutralize the acid of the milk or molasses. Too little carbon dioxide would be thus generated to leaven the amount of flour used for such mixtures, therefore it is necessary to supply the carbon dioxide in the form of baking powder in the proportion of half a level teaspoon to each cup of flour, when soda is used with the acid of molasses or sour milk. Adjusting Oven : The tendency of many ovens is to accumulate too great heat in the upper part. It is sometimes necessary to place a shallow pan or kettle cover on the upper rack directly over the cake. The appearance while baking, is a guide to regulating the heat. The cake should look raw and bubbly over the top until just as high as it is going to be, then increase the heat slightly. The last ten minutes of baking, the heat is usually decreased. ♦ One Egg Cake 1 egg 12/3 cups sifted flour *4 cup butter Vz cup sugar Vz cup milk \Vi teaspoons CALUMET Baking 3 drops flavoring extract Powder Preparation : Sift the flour once before measuring and four times after adding the baking powder.