_Cakes._--Cakes made with fat resemble other batters, except that the
fat, sugar, and eggs are usually larger in amount and the texture of the
baked batter is finer and more tender.
When preparing cake, first get the pans ready. Grease them or line them
with greased paper. Make sure that the oven is at the proper
temperature. For a small cake, the oven should be hot enough to brown a
piece of unglazed paper or a tablespoonful of flour in three minutes.
Bake a small cake from twenty to thirty minutes. When done, the cake
will shrink from the sides of the pan; the crust will spring back when
touched with the finger; the loud ticking sound will cease; a fine
knitting-needle will come out clean if the cake is pierced; and the
crust will be nicely browned. When the cake is removed from the oven,
let it stand in the pan for about three minutes, then loosen, and turn
out gently. Do not handle while hot. Keep in a clean, ventilated tin box
in a cool, dry place.
_Cocoa._--Chocolate and cocoa are prepared from the bean of a tropical
tree. This bean is rich in protein, fat, carbohydrate, mineral matter,
and a stimulant called theobromine. In the preparation of chocolate the
seeds are cleaned, milled, and crushed into a paste. In the preparation
of cocoa much of the fat is removed, and the cocoa is packed for market
in the form of a fine powder. Cocoa is more easily digested than
chocolate, because it contains less fat. Though the amount of cocoa used
in a cup of this beverage is not large, when prepared with milk it
serves as a nutritious food. It is slightly stimulating as well, because
of the theobromine present and because it is served hot.
_Coffee and Tea._--Coffee and tea have no food value when prepared as
beverages. They contain stimulating properties that are harmful to the
body if taken in large quantities and, on this account, they should be
used with discretion. They should never be given to children or to those
troubled with indigestion. If carelessly prepared, both coffee and tea
may be decidedly harmful to the body. Coffee should not be boiled for
more than eight minutes. Tea should never be permitted to boil. Fresh,
boiling water should be poured on the leaves and left for three minutes.
It should then be strained off and kept hot until used.