4. NATURE OF CUP AND DROP CAKES.--CUP CAKES are a variety of small cakes
baked in muffin pans. Many of the mixtures used for large cakes may be
made into cup cakes by baking them in pans of this kind. Instead of
pouring the mixture into the pans from the bowl, as is done in the case
of large cakes, it is put into them by means of a spoon, as shown in
Fig. 1. The pans should be filled only about half full in order to give
the mixture an opportunity to rise. When the cakes are baked, they
usually reach the top of the pans.
[Illustration: FIG. 1]
5. Cup cakes may be served plain or they may be iced in any desired way.
Fig. 2 shows a group of cakes of this kind, the three on the right being
cup cakes without any icing or decoration and the rest, cup cakes iced
and then decorated in a variety of ways. As will be observed, cup cakes
lend themselves well to decoration. The materials used here for the
decorating are chiefly citron and maraschino cherries, both of which may
be cut into a variety of shapes. The cakes are first covered with a
white icing for a foundation, and the decorative materials are applied
before it becomes dry. Other materials may, of course, be used for
decorating cup cakes, and original designs may be worked out in a number
of attractive ways.
[Illustration: FIG. 2]
6. DROP CAKES differ from cup cakes in that a stiffer batter is used and
the mixture is then dropped from a spoon on a greased and floured cooky
sheet. As shown in Fig. 3, which illustrates a plate of drop cakes
ready to serve, cakes of this kind are not generally iced. However, the
mixture used for them often contains fruits and nuts.
7. RECIPES FOR CUP AND DROP CAKES.--Several recipes for cup cakes and
drop cakes are here given. No difficulty will be experienced in carrying
out any of them if the suggestions already given are applied. With each
recipe is mentioned the approximate number of cakes the recipe will
make. The exact number it will produce will depend, of course, on the
size of the cakes; the smaller they are the greater will be
their number.
[Illustration: FIG. 3]
CUP CAKES
(Sufficient for 1-1/2 Dozen Cakes)
2/3 c. butter
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
3-1/4 c. flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. mace
1 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
Cream the butter and add the sugar. Beat the eggs and add them. Sift the
flour, baking powder, and mace together, and add alternately with the
milk. Flavor with the vanilla, put into greased and floured muffin pans,
and bake. Cover with chocolate icing and serve.
BROWNIES
(Sufficient for 1 Dozen Cakes)
1/3 c. butter
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. molasses
1 egg
1-1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/3 tsp. soda
1/2 c. chopped nut meats
Cream the butter, add the sugar and molasses, beat the egg and add it.
Mix the flour, baking powder, and soda together, and sift into the
mixture. Fold in the chopped nut meats, put in thin layers into muffin
pans, and bake in a hot oven until done. Remove from the pans, cool,
and serve.
CINNAMON CUP CAKES
(Sufficient for 1 Dozen Cakes)
1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
4 tsp. baking powder
2 c. flour
1 Tb. cinnamon
1/2 c. milk
Cream the butter and add the sugar. Beat the eggs and add them. Sift the
baking powder, flour, and cinnamon together, and add alternately with
the milk. Put into greased and floured muffin pans and bake.
COCOA CUP CAKES
(Sufficient for 1-1/2 Dozen Cakes)
1/3 c. shortening
1-1/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 c. flour
1/2 c. cocoa
1/8 tsp. soda
3 tsp. baking powder
3/4 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
Cream the shortening and add the sugar. Beat the eggs and add them. Sift
the flour, cocoa, soda, and baking powder together and add alternately
with the milk. Flavor with the vanilla, put into greased and floured
muffin pans, and bake in a hot oven. Remove from the pans, cool, and
serve. If desired, these cakes may be iced with white icing and
sprinkled with coconut.
ROXBURY CAKES
(Sufficient for 1 Dozen Cakes)
1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c. molasses
1/2 c. milk
1-3/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. soda
3/4 c. raisins
1/2 c. English walnut meats
Cream the butter and add the sugar gradually. Beat the eggs and add
them. Add the molasses and milk. Mix and sift the dry ingredients and
stir these into the first mixture. Fold in the finely chopped raisins
and nuts. Bake in a moderate oven and ice with white icing.
APPLE-SAUCE CAKES
(Sufficient for 1-1/2 Dozen Cakes)
1/4 c. butter
1 c. sugar
2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 c. apple sauce
1 c. raisins
Cream the butter and add the sugar gradually. Sift the dry ingredients
together and add alternately with the apple sauce made according to the
following directions. Stir in the raisins dredged with a little of the
flour. Bake in muffin pans in a moderate oven for about 15 minutes.