starch; pound finely together and then sift them through gauze; then
beat the whites of three eggs to a froth. The secret of success is to
beat the eggs long enough, and always one way; add the powdered sugar
by degrees, or it will spoil the froth of the eggs. When all the sugar
is stirred in continue the whipping for half an hour longer, adding
more sugar if the ice is too thin. Take a little of the icing and lay
it aside for ornamenting afterward. When the cake comes out of the
oven, spread the sugar icing smoothly over it with a knife and dry it
at once in a cool oven. For ornamenting the cake the icing may be
tinged any color preferred. For pink, use a few drops of cochineal;
for yellow, a pinch of saffron dissolved; for green, the juice of some
chopped spinach. Whichever is chosen, let the coloring be first mixed
with a little colorless spirit and then stirred into the white icing
until the tint is deep enough. To ornament the cake with it, make a
cone of stiff writing paper and squeeze the colored icing through it,
so as to form leaves, beading or letters, as the case may be. It
requires nicety and care to do it with success.
BOILED FROSTING.
To one pound of finest pulverized sugar add three wine-glassfuls of
clear water. Let it stand until it dissolves; then boil it until it is
perfectly clear and threads from the spoon. Beat well the whites of
four eggs. Pour the sugar into the dish with the eggs, but do not mix
them until the syrup is luke-warm; then beat all well together for
one-half hour.
Season to your taste with vanilla, rose-water, or lemon juice. The
first coating may be put on the cake as soon as it is well mixed. Rub
the cake with a little flour before you apply the icing. While the
first coat is drying continue to beat the remainder; you will not have
to wait long if the cake is set in a warm place near the fire. This is
said to be a most excellent recipe for icing.
FROSTING WITHOUT EGGS.
An excellent frosting may be made without eggs or gelatine, which will
keep longer and cut more easily, causing no breakage or crumbling and
withal is very economical.
Take one cup of granulated sugar; dampen it with one-fourth of a cup
of milk, or five tablespoonfuls; place it on the fire in a suitable
dish and stir it until it boils; then let it boil for five minutes
without stirring; remove it from the fire and set the dish in another
of cold water; add flavoring. While it is cooling, stir or beat it
constantly and it will become a thick, creamy frosting.
GELATINE FROSTING.
Soak one teaspoonful of gelatine in one tablespoonful of cold water
half an hour, dissolve in two tablespoonfuls of hot water; add one cup
of powdered sugar and stir until smooth.
GOLDEN FROSTING.
A very delicious and handsome frosting can be made by using the yolks
of eggs instead of the whites. Proceed exactly as for ordinary
frosting. It will harden just as nicely as that does. This is
particularly good for orange cake, harmonizing with the color of the
cake in a way to please those who love rich coloring.
FILLINGS FOR LAYER CAKES.
No. 1. CREAM FILLING.
Cream filling is made with one pint of new milk, two eggs, three
tablespoonfuls of sifted flour (or half cup of cornstarch), one cup of
sugar. Put two-thirds of the milk on the stove to boil, stir the
sugar, flour and eggs in what is left. When the milk boils, put into
it the whole and cook it until it is as thick as custard; when cool,
add vanilla extract. This custard is nice with a cup of hickory nuts,
kernels chopped fine and stirred into it. Spread between the layers of
cake. This custard can be made of the yolks of the eggs only, saving
the whites for the cake part.
No. 2. ANOTHER CREAM FILLING.
One cup powdered sugar, one-fourth cup hot water. Let them simmer.
Beat white of an egg and mix with the above; when cold, add one-half
cup chopped raisins, one-half cup chopped walnuts, one tablespoonful
of grated cocoanut.
No. 3. ICE-CREAM FILLING.
Make an icing as follows: Three cups of sugar, one of water; boil to a
thick, clear syrup, or until it begins to be brittle; pour this,
boiling hot, over the _well-beaten_ whites of three eggs; stir the
mixture very briskly, and pour the sugar in slowly; beat it, when all
in, until cool. Flavor with lemon or vanilla extract. This, spread
between any white cake layers, answers for "Ice-Cream Cake."
No. 4. APPLE FILLING.
Peel and slice green tart apples, put them on the fire with sugar to
suit; when tender, remove, rub them through a fine sieve and add a
small piece of butter. When cold, use to spread between the layers;
cover the cake with plenty of sugar.
No. 5. ANOTHER APPLE FILLING.
One coffeecup of sugar, one egg, three large apples grated, one lemon
grated, juice and outside of the rind; beat together and cook till
quite thick. To be cooled before putting on the cake. Spread between
layers of cake.
No. 6. CREAM FROSTING.
A cup of sweet thick cream whipped, sweetened and flavored with
vanilla; cut a loaf of cake in two, spread the frosting between and on
the top; this tastes like Charlotte Russe.
No. 7. PEACH-CREAM FILLING.
Cut peaches into thin slices, or chop them and prepare cream by
whipping and sweetening. Put a layer of peaches between the layers of
cake and pour cream over each layer and over the top. Bananas,
strawberries or other fruits may be used in the same way, mashing
strawberries and stewing thick with powdered sugar.
No. 8. CHOCOLATE CREAM FOR FILLING.
Five tablespoonfuls of grated chocolate, enough cream or milk to wet
it, one cupful of sugar, one egg, one teaspoonful vanilla flavoring.
Stir the ingredients over the fire until thoroughly mixed, having
beaten the egg well before adding it; then add the vanilla flavoring
after it is removed from the fire.
No. 9. ANOTHER CHOCOLATE FILLING.
The whites of three eggs beaten stiff, one cup of sugar and one cup of
grated chocolate, put between the layers and on top.
No. 10. BANANA FILLING.
Make an icing of the whites of two eggs and one cup and a half of
powdered sugar. Spread this on the layers, and then cover thickly and
entirely with bananas sliced thin or chopped fine. This cake may be
flavored with vanilla. The top should be simply frosted.
No. 11. LEMON JELLY FILLING.
Grate the yellow from the rind of two lemons and squeeze out the
juice; two cupfuls of sugar, the yolks and whites of two eggs beaten
separately. Mix the sugar and yolks, then add the whites and then the
lemons. Now pour on a cupful of boiling water; stir into this two
tablespoonfuls of sifted flour, rubbed smooth in half a cup of water;
then add a tablespoonful of melted butter; cook until it thickens.
When cold, spread between the layers of cake. Oranges can be used in
place of lemons.
Another filling of lemon (without cooking) is made of the grated rind
and juice of two lemons and the whites of two eggs beaten with one cup
of sugar.
No. 12. ORANGE CAKE FILLING.
Peel two large oranges, remove the seeds, chop them fine, add half a
peeled lemon, one cup of sugar and the well-beaten white of an egg.
Spread between the layers of "Silver Cake" recipe.
No. 13. FIG FILLING.
Take a pound of figs, chop fine, and put into a stewpan on the stove;
pour over them a teacupful of water and add a half cup of sugar. Cook
all together until soft and smooth. When cold spread between layers of
cake.
No. 14. FRUIT FILLING.
Four tablespoonfuls of _very finely_ chopped citron, four
tablespoonfuls of finely chopped seeded raisins, half a cupful of
blanched almonds chopped fine, also a quarter of a pound of finely
chopped figs. Beat the whites of three eggs to a stiff froth, adding
half of a cupful of sugar; then mix thoroughly into this the whole of
the chopped ingredients. Put it between the layers of cake when the
cake is _hot_, so that it will cook the egg a little. This will be
found delicious.
BREAD OR RAISED CAKE.
Two cupfuls of raised dough; beat into it two-thirds of a cup of
butter and two cups of sugar creamed together, three eggs, well
beaten, one even teaspoonful of soda dissolved in two tablespoonfuls
of milk, half a nutmeg grated, one tablespoonful of cinnamon, a
teaspoonful of cloves, one cup of raisins. Mix all well together, put
in the beaten whites of eggs and raisins last; beat all hard for
several minutes; put in buttered pans and let it stand half an hour to
rise again before baking. Bake in a _moderate_ oven. Half a glass of
brandy is an improvement, if you have it convenient.
FRUIT CAKE. (Superior.)
Three pounds dry flour, one pound sweet butter, one pound sugar, three
pounds stoned raisins, two pounds currants, three-quarters of a pound
sweet almonds blanched, one pound citron, twelve eggs, one
tablespoonful allspice, one teaspoonful cloves, two tablespoonfuls
cinnamon, two nutmegs, one wine-glass of wine, one wine-glass of
brandy, one coffeecupful molasses with the spices in it; steep this
gently twenty or thirty minutes, not boiling hot; beat the eggs very
lightly; put the fruit in last, stirring it gradually, also a
teaspoonful of soda dissolved in a tablespoonful of water; the fruit
should be well floured; if necessary add flour after the fruit is in;
butter a sheet of paper and lay it in the pan. Lay in some slices of
citron, then a layer of the mixture, then of citron again, etc., till
the pan is nearly full. Bake three or four hours, according to the
thickness of the loaves, in a tolerably hot oven, and with steady
heat. Let it cool in the oven gradually. Ice when cold. It improves
this cake very much to add three teaspoonfuls of baking powder to the
flour. A fine wedding cake recipe.
FRUIT CAKE BY MEASURE, (Excellent.)
Two scant teacupfuls of butter, three cupfuls of dark brown sugar, six
eggs, whites and yolks beaten separately, one pound of raisins,
seeded, one of currants, washed and dried, and half a pound of citron
cut in thin strips; also half a cupful of cooking molasses and half a
cupful of sour milk. Stir the butter and sugar to a cream, add to that
half a grated nutmeg, ope tablespoonful of ground cinnamon, one
teaspoonful of cloves, one teaspoonful of mace, add the molasses and
sour milk. Stir all well; then put in the beaten yolks of eggs, a
wine-glass of brandy; stir again all thoroughly, and then add four
cupfuls of sifted flour alternately with the beaten whites of eggs.
Now dissolve a level teaspoonful of soda and stir in thoroughly. Mix
the fruit together and stir into it two heaping tablespoonfuls of
flour; then stir it in the cake. Butter two common-sized baking tins
carefully, line them with letter paper well buttered, and bake in a
moderate oven two hours. After it is baked, let it cool in the pan.
Afterward put it into a tight can, or let it remain in the pans and
cover tightly. Best recipe of all.
_Mrs. S. A. Camp, Grand Rapids, Mich._
WHITE FRUIT CAKE.
One cup of butter, two cups of sugar, one cup of sweet milk, two and
one-half cups of flour, the whites of seven eggs, two even
teaspoonfuls of baking powder, one pound each of seeded raisins, figs
and blanched almonds, and one quarter of a pound of citron, all
chopped fine. Mix all thoroughly before adding the fruit; add a
teaspoonful of lemon extract. Put baking powder in the flour and mix
it well before adding it to the other ingredients. Sift a little flour
over the fruit before stirring it in. Bake slowly two hours and try
with a splint to see when it is done. A cup of grated cocoanut is a
nice addition to this cake.
MOLASSES FRUIT CAKE.
One teacupful of butter, one teacupful of brown sugar, worked well
together; next, two teacupfuls of cooking molasses, one cupful of milk
with a teaspoonful of soda dissolved in it, one tablespoonful of
ginger, one tablespoonful of cinnamon and one teaspoonful of cloves,
a little grated nutmeg. Now add four eggs well beaten and five cups of
sifted flour, or enough to make a stiff batter. Flour a cup of raisins
and one of currants; add last. Bake in a very _moderate_ oven one
hour. If well covered will keep six months.
SPONGE CAKE.
SEPARATE the whites and yolks of six eggs. Beat the yolks to a cream,
to which add two teacupfuls of powdered sugar, beating again from five
to ten minutes, then add two tablespoonfuls of milk or water, a pinch
of salt and flavoring. Now add part of the beaten whites; then two
cups of flour in which you have sifted two teaspoonfuls of baking
powder; mix gradually into the above ingredients, stirring slowly and
lightly, only enough to mix them well; lastly add the remainder of the
whites of the eggs. Line the tins with buttered paper and fill
two-thirds full.
WHITE SPONGE CAKE.
Whites of five eggs, one cup of flour, one cup sugar, one teaspoonful
baking powder; flavor with vanilla. Bake in a quick oven.
ALMOND SPONGE CAKE.
The addition of almonds makes this cake very superior to the usual
sponge cake. Sift one pint of fine flour; blanch in scalding water two
ounces of sweet and two ounces of bitter almonds, renewing the hot
water when expedient; when the skins are all off wash the almonds in
cold water (mixing the sweet and bitter) and wipe them dry; pound them
to a fine, smooth paste (one at a time), adding, as you proceed, water
or white of egg to prevent their boiling. Set them in a cool place;
beat ten eggs, the whites and yolks separately, till very smooth and
thick, and then beat into them gradually two cups powdered sugar in
turn with the pounded almonds; lastly, add the flour, stirring it
round slowly and lightly on the surface of the mixture, as in common
sponge cake; have ready buttered a _deep_ square pan; put the mixture
carefully into it, set into the oven and bake till thoroughly done and
risen very high; when cool, cover it with plain white icing flavored
with rose-water, or with almond icing. With sweet almonds always use a
small portion of bitter; without them, _sweet_ almonds have little or
no taste, though they add to the richness of the cake.
Use two heaping teaspoonfuls of baking powder in the flour.
OLD-FASHIONED SPONGE CAKE.
Two cups of sifted white sugar, two cups of flour measured before
sifting, ten eggs. Stir the yolks and sugar together until perfectly
light; add a pinch of salt; beat the whites of the eggs to a very
stiff froth and add them with the flour, after beating together
lightly; flavor with lemon. Bake in a _moderate_ oven about forty-five
minutes. Baking powder is an improvement to this cake, using two large
teaspoonfuls.
LEMON SPONGE CAKE.
Into one level cup of flour put a level teaspoonful of baking powder
and sift it. Grate off the yellow rind of a lemon. Separate the whites
from the yolks of four eggs. Measure a scant cup of white granulated
sugar and beat it to a cream with the yolks, then add the grated rind
and a tablespoonful of the juice of the lemon. Stir together until
thick and creamy; now beat the whites to a stiff froth; then quickly
and lightly mix _without beating_ a third of the flour with the yolks;
then a third of the whites; then more flour and whites until all are
used. The mode of mixing must be very light, rather cutting down
through the cake batter than to beating it; beating the eggs makes
them light, but beating the batter makes the cake tough. Bake
immediately until a straw run into it can be withdrawn clean.
This recipe is especially nice for Charlotte Russe, being so light and
porous.
PLAIN SPONGE CAKE.
Beat the yolks of four eggs together with two cups of fine powdered
sugar. Stir in gradually one cup of sifted flour and the whites of
four eggs beaten to a stiff froth, then a cup of sifted flour in which
two teaspoonfuls of baking powder have been stirred, and, lastly, a
scant teacupful of boiling water, stirred in a little at a time.
Flavor, add salt and, however thin the mixture may seem, do not add
any more flour. Bake in shallow tins.
BRIDE'S CAKE.
Cream together one scant cup of butter and three cups of sugar; add
one cup of milk, then the beaten whites of twelve eggs; sift three
teaspoonfuls of baking powder into one cup of cornstarch mixed with
three cups of sifted flour and beat in gradually with the rest; flavor
to taste. Beat all thoroughly, then put in buttered tins lined with
letter paper well buttered; bake slowly in a _moderate_ oven. A
beautiful white cake. Ice the top. Double the recipe if more is
required.
ENGLISH POUND CAKE.
One pound of butter, one and one-quarter pounds of flour, one pound of
pounded loaf sugar, one pound of currants, nine eggs, two ounces of
candied peel, one-half ounce of citron, one-half ounce of sweet
almonds; when liked, a little pounded mace. Work the butter to a
cream; add the sugar, then the well-beaten yolks of eggs, next the
flour, currants, candied peel, which should be cut into neat slices,
and the almonds, which should be blanched and chopped, and mix all
these well together; whisk the whites of eggs and let them be
thoroughly blended with the other ingredients. Beat the cake well for
twenty minutes and put it into a round tin, lined at the bottom and
sides with strips of white buttered paper. Bake it from two hours to
two and a half, and let the oven be well heated when the cake is first
put in, as, if this is not the case, the currants will all sink to the
bottom of it. A glass of wine is usually added to the mixture, but
this is scarcely necessary, as the cake will be found quite rich
enough without it.
PLAIN POUND CAKE.
This is the old-fashioned recipe that our mothers used to make, and it
can be kept for weeks in an earthen jar, closely covered, first
dipping letter paper in brandy and placing over the top of the cake
before covering the jar.
Beat to a cream one pound of butter with one pound of sugar, after
mixing well with the beaten yolks of twelve eggs, one grated nutmeg,
one glass of wine, one glass of rose-water. Then stir in one pound of
sifted flour and the well-beaten whites of the eggs. Bake a nice light
brown.
COCOANUT POUND CAKE.
One-half cupful of butter, two cupfuls of sugar, one cupful of milk,
and five eggs, beaten to a stiff froth; one teaspoonful of soda and
two of cream of tartar, stirred into four cups of sifted flour. Beat
the butter and sugar until very light; to which add the beaten yolks,
then the milk, the beaten whites of eggs, then the flour by degrees.
After beating all well together, add a small cocoanut grated. Line the
cake-pans with paper well buttered, fill rather more than half full
and bake in a _moderate_ oven. Spread over the top a thin frosting,
sprinkled thickly with grated cocoanut.
CITRON POUND CAKE.
Stir two cups of butter to a cream, then beat in the following
ingredients each one in succession: one pint of powdered sugar, one
quart of flour, a teaspoonful of salt; eight eggs, the yolks and
whites beaten separately, and a wine-glass of brandy; then last of all
add a quarter of a pound of citron cut into thin slices and floured.
Line two cake pans with buttered paper and turn the cake batter in.
Bake in a _moderate_ oven about three-quarters of an hour.
CITRON CAKE.
Three cups of white sugar and one cup of butter creamed together; one
cup of sweet milk, six eggs, whites and yolks beaten separately, one
teaspoonful of vanilla or lemon extract, two heaping teaspoonfuls of
baking powder, sifted with four cups and a half of flour. One cup and
a half of citron, sliced thin and dredged with flour. Divide into two
cakes and bake in tins lined with buttered letter paper.
LEMON CAKE.
Three teacupfuls of sugar, one cupful of butter, five eggs, a level
teaspoonful of soda dissolved in a cup of sweet milk, four full cups
of sifted flour and lastly the grated peel and juice of a lemon, the
juice to be added the very last. Bake in two shallow tins. When cold
ice with lemon icing and cut into squares.
DELICATE CAKE.
One cup of cornstarch, one of butter, two of sugar, one of sweet milk,
two of flour, the whites of seven eggs; rub butter and sugar to a
cream; mix one teaspoonful cream of tartar with the flour and
cornstarch; one-half teaspoonful soda with the sweet milk; add the
milk and soda to the sugar and butter, then add flour, then the whites
of eggs; flavor to taste. Never fails to be good.
SILVER, OR DELICATE CAKE.
Whites of six eggs, one cupful of sweet milk, two cupfuls of sugar,
four cupfuls of sifted flour, two-thirds of a cup of butter, flavoring
and two teaspoonfuls of baking powder. Stir the sugar and butter to a
cream, then add the milk and flavoring, part of the flour, the beaten
whites of eggs, then the rest of the flour. Bake carefully in tins
lined with buttered white paper.
When using the whites of eggs for nice cakes, the yolks need not be
wasted; keep them in a cool place and scramble them. Serve on toast or
with chipped beef.
GOLD CAKE.
After beating to a cream one cup and a half of butter and two cups of
white sugar, stir in the well-whipped yolks of one dozen eggs, four
cupfuls of sifted flour, one teaspoonful of baking powder. Flavor with
lemon. Line the bake-pans with buttered paper and bake in a moderate
oven for one hour.
GOLD OR LEMON CAKE.
Two cups of sugar, half a cup of butter, the yolks of six eggs and one
whole one, the grated rind and juice of a lemon or orange, half a
teaspoonful of soda dissolved in half a cup of sweet milk, four cups
of sifted flour, sifted twice; cream the butter and sugar, then add
the beaten yolks and the flour, beating hard for several minutes.
Lastly, add the lemon or orange and bake, frosting if liked. This
makes a more suitable _lemon_ cake than if made with the white parts
of eggs added.
SNOW CAKE. (Delicious.)
One pound of arrowroot, quarter of a pound of pounded white sugar,
half a pound of butter, the whites of six eggs, flavoring to taste of
essence of almonds, or vanilla, or lemon; beat the butter to a cream;
stir in the sugar and arrowroot gradually, at the same time beating
the mixture; whisk the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth; add them
to the other ingredients and beat well for twenty minutes; put in
which-ever of the above flavorings may be preferred; pour the cake
into a buttered mold or tin and bake it in a _moderate_ oven from one
to one and a half hours. _This is a genuine Scotch recipe_.
MARBLE CAKE.
_White Part._--Whites of four eggs, one cup of white sugar, half a cup
of butter, half a cup of sweet milk, two teaspoonfuls of baking
powder, one teaspoonful of vanilla or lemon and two and a half cups of
sifted flour.
_Dark Part._--Yolks of four eggs, one cup of brown sugar, half a cup
of cooking molasses, half a cup of butter, half a cup of sour milk,
one teaspoonful of ground cloves, one teaspoonful of cinnamon, one
teaspoonful of mace, one nutmeg grated, one teaspoonful of soda, the
soda to be dissolved in a little milk and added after part of the
flour is stirred in, one and a half cups of sifted flour.
Drop a spoonful of each kind in a well-buttered cake-dish, first the
light part, then the dark, alternately. Try to drop it so that the
cake shall be well-streaked through, so that it has the appearance of
marble.
SUPERIOR LOAF CAKE.
Two cups of butter, three cups of sugar, two small cups of milk, seven
cups of sifted flour; four eggs, the whites and yolks separately
beaten; one teacupful of seeded raisins, one teacupful of well-washed
and dried currants, one teacupful of sliced citron, one tablespoonful
of powdered cinnamon, one teaspoonful of mace, one teaspoonful of soda
and one teacupful of home-made yeast.
Take part of the butter and warm it with the milk; stir in part of the
flour and the yeast and let it rise; then add the other ingredients
with a wine-glass of wine or brandy. Turn all into well-buttered
cake-tins and let rise again. Bake slowly in a _moderate_ oven for two
hours.
FRENCH CHOCOLATE CAKE.
The whites of seven eggs, two cups of sugar, two-thirds of a cup of
butter, one cup of milk and three of flour and three teaspoonfuls of
baking powder. The chocolate part of the cake is made just the same,
only use the yolks of the eggs with a cup of grated chocolate stirred
into it. Bake it in layers--the layers being light and dark; then
spread a custard between them, which is made with two eggs, one pint
of milk, one-half cup of sugar, one tablespoonful of flour or
cornstarch; when cool flavor with vanilla, two teaspoonfuls. Fine.
CHOCOLATE CAKE. No. 1.
One cup of butter and two cups of sugar stirred to a cream, with the
yolks of five eggs added after they have been well beaten. Then stir
into that one cup of milk, beat the whites of two pf the eggs to a
stiff froth and add that also; now put in three cups and a half of
sifted flour, two heaping teaspoonfuls of baking powder having been
stirred into it. Bake in jelly-cake tins.