This is usually handed round after dinner, and should be drunk well
sweetened, with the addition of a little brandy or liqueurs, which may
be added or not at pleasure. The coffee should be made very strong, and
served in very small cups, but never mixed with milk or cream. _Café
noir_ may be made of the essence of coffee by pouring a tablespoonful
into each cup, and filling it up with boiling water. This is a very
simple and expeditious manner of preparing coffee for a large party,
but the essence for it must be made very good, and kept well corked
until required for use.
CAKES, Making and Baking of.
_Eggs_ should always be broken into a cup, the whites and yolks
separated, and they should always be strained. Breaking the eggs thus,
the bad ones may be easily rejected without spoiling the others, and so
cause no waste. As eggs are used instead of yeast, they should be very
thoroughly whisked; they are generally sufficiently beaten when thick
enough to carry the drop that falls from the whisk.
_Loaf Sugar_ should be well pounded, and then sifted through a fine
sieve.
_Currants_ should be nicely washed, picked, dried in a cloth, and then
carefully examined, that no pieces of grit or stone may be left amongst
them. They should then be laid on a dish before the fire, to become
thoroughly dry; as, if added damp to the other ingredients, cakes will
be liable to be heavy.
_Good Butter_ should always be used in the manufacture of cakes; and,
if beaten to a cream, it saves much time and labour to warm, but not
melt, it before beating.
Less butter and eggs are required for cakes when yeast is mixed with
the other ingredients.
The heat of the oven is of great importance, especially for large
cakes. If the heat be not tolerably fierce, the batter will not rise.
If the oven is too quick, and there is any danger of the cake burning
or catching, put a sheet of clean paper over the top: newspaper, or
paper that has been printed on, should never be used for this purpose.
To know when a cake is sufficiently baked, plunge a clean knife into
the middle of it; draw it quickly out, and if it looks in the least
sticky put the cake back, and close the oven door until the cake is
done.
Cakes should be kept in closed tin canisters or jars, and in a dry
place. Those made with yeast do not keep so long as those made without
it.
CAKES, nice Breakfast.
_Ingredients._—1 lb. of flour, ½ teaspoonful of tartaric acid,
½ teaspoonful of salt, ½ teaspoonful of carbonate of soda, 1½
breakfast-cupful of milk, 1 oz. of sifted loaf sugar, 2 eggs.
_Mode._—These cakes are made in the same manner as the soda bread, with
the addition of eggs and sugar. Mix the flour, tartaric acid, and salt
well together, taking care that the two latter ingredients are reduced
to the finest powder, and stir in the sifted sugar, which should also
be very fine. Dissolve the soda in the milk, add the eggs, which should
be well whisked, and with this liquid work the flour, &c. into a light
dough. Divide it into small cakes, put them into the oven immediately,
and bake for about 20 minutes. _Time._—20 minutes.
CAKE, Christmas.
_Ingredients._—5 teacupfuls of flour, 1 teacupful of melted butter, 1
teacupful of cream, 1 teacupful of treacle, 1 teacupful of moist sugar,
2 eggs, ½ oz. of powdered ginger, ½ lb. of raisins, 1 teaspoonful of
carbonate of soda, 1 tablespoonful of vinegar. _Mode._—Make the butter
sufficiently warm to melt it, but do not allow it to oil; put the flour
into a basin, add to it the sugar, ginger, and raisins, which should
be stoned and cut into small pieces. When these dry ingredients are
thoroughly mixed, stir in the butter, cream, treacle, and well-whisked
eggs, and beat the mixture for a few minutes. Dissolve the soda in
the vinegar, add it to the dough, and be particular that these latter
ingredients are well incorporated with the others; put the cake into
a buttered mould or tin, place it in a moderate oven immediately, and
bake it from 1¾ to 2¼ hours. _Time._—1¾ to 2¼ hours. _Average cost_,
1_s._ 6_d._
CAKE, Common (suitable for sending to Children at School).
_Ingredients._—2 lbs. of flour, 4 oz. of butter or clarified dripping,
½ oz. of caraway seeds, ¼ oz. of allspice, ½ lb. of pounded sugar, 1
lb. of currants, 1 pint of milk, 3 tablespoonfuls of fresh yeast.
_Mode._—Rub the butter lightly into the flour; add all the dry
ingredients, and mix these well together. Make the milk warm, but not
hot; stir in the yeast, and with this liquid mix the whole into a light
dough; knead it well, and line the cake-tins with strips of buttered
paper: this paper should be about 6 inches higher than the top of the
tin. Put in the dough; stand it in a warm place to rise for more than
an hour, then bake the cakes in a well-heated oven. If this quantity
be divided into two, they will take from 1½ to 2 hours’ baking,
_Time._—1½ to 2 hours. _Average cost_, 1_s._ 9_d._ _Sufficient_ to make
2 moderate-sized cakes.
CAKE, Economical.
[Illustration: CAKE-MOULD.]
_Ingredients._—1 lb. of flour, ¼ lb. of sugar, ¼ lb. of butter or lard,
½ lb. of currants, 1 teaspoonful of carbonate of soda, the whites of 4
eggs, ½ pint of milk. _Mode._—In making many sweet dishes, the whites
of eggs are not required, and if well beaten and added to the above
ingredients, make an excellent cake with or without currants. Beat the
butter to a cream, well whisk the whites of the eggs, and stir all the
ingredients together but the soda, which must not be added until all
is well mixed, and the cake is ready to be put into the oven. When the
mixture has been well beaten, stir in the soda, put the cake into a
buttered mould, and bake it in a moderate oven for 1½ hour. _Time._—1½
hour. _Average cost_, 1_s._ 3_d._
CAKE, Good Holiday.
_Ingredients._—1½_d._ worth of Borwick’s German baking-powder, 2 lbs.
of flour, 6 oz. of butter, ¼ lb. of lard, 1 lb. of currants, ½ lb. of
stoned and cut raisins, ¼ lb. of mixed candied peel, ½ lb. of moist
sugar, 3 eggs, ¾ pint of cold milk. _Mode._—Mix the baking-powder with
the flour; then rub in the butter and lard; have ready the currants,
washed, picked, and dried, the raisins stoned and cut into small pieces
(not chopped), and the peel cut into neat slices. Add these with the
sugar to the flour, &c., and mix all the dry ingredients well together.
Whisk the eggs, stir to them the milk, and with this liquid moisten the
cake; beat it up well, that all may be very thoroughly mixed; line a
cake-tin with buttered paper, put in the cake, and bake it from 2¼ to
2¾ hours in a good oven. To ascertain when it is done, plunge a clean
knife into the middle of it, and if, on withdrawing it, the knife looks
clean, and not sticky, the cake is done. To prevent it burning at the
top, a piece of clean paper may be put over whilst the cake is soaking,
or being thoroughly cooked in the middle. A steamer, such as is used
for steaming potatoes, makes a very good cake-tin, if it be lined at
the bottom and sides with buttered paper. _Time._—2¼ to 2¾ hours.
_Average cost_, 2_s._ 6_d._ _Seasonable_ at any time.
CAKE, Luncheon.
_Ingredients._—½ lb. of butter, 1 lb. of flour, ½ oz. of caraway seeds,
¼ lb. of currants, 6 oz. of moist sugar, 1 oz. of candied peel, 3 eggs,
½ pint of milk, 1 small teaspoonful of carbonate of soda. _Mode._—Rub
the butter into the flour until it is quite fine; add the caraway
seeds, currants (which should be nicely washed, picked, and dried),
sugar, and candied peel cut into thin slices; mix these well together,
and moisten with the eggs, which should be well whisked. Boil the milk,
and add to it, whilst boiling, the carbonate of soda, which must be
well stirred into it, and, with the milk, mix the other ingredients.
Butter a tin, pour the cake into it, and bake it in a moderate oven
from 1 to 1½ hour. _Time._—1 to 1½ hour. _Average cost_, 1_s._ 8_d._
_Seasonable_ at any time.
CAKE, a nice useful.
_Ingredients._—¼ lb. of butter, 6 oz. of currants, ¼ lb. of sugar,
1 lb. of dried flour, 2 teaspoonfuls of baking-powder, 3 eggs, 1
teacupful of milk, 2 oz. of sweet almonds, 1 oz. of candied peel.
_Mode._—Beat the butter to a cream; wash, pick, and dry the currants;
whisk the eggs; blanch and chop the almonds, and cut the peel into neat
slices. When all these are ready, mix the dry ingredients together;
then add the butter, milk, and eggs, and beat the mixture well for a
few minutes. Put the cake into a buttered mould or tin, and bake it for
rather more than 1½ hour. The currants and candied peel may be omitted,
and a little lemon or almond flavouring substituted for them; made in
this manner, the cake will be found very good. _Time._—Rather more than
1½ hour. _Average cost_, 1_s._ 9_d._
CAKE, a Pavini.
_Ingredients._—1-2 lb. of flour, ½ lb. of ground rice, ½ lb. of raisins
stoned and cut into small pieces, ¼ lb. of currants, ¼ lb. of butter,
2 oz. of sweet almonds, ¼ lb. of sifted loaf sugar, ½ nutmeg grated,
1 pint of milk, 1 teaspoonful of carbonate of soda. _Mode._—Stone and
cut the raisins into small pieces; wash, pick, and dry the currants;
melt the butter to a cream, but without oiling it; blanch and chop the
almonds, and grate the nutmeg. When all these ingredients are thus
prepared, mix them well together; make the milk warm, stir in the soda,
and with this liquid make the whole into a paste. Butter a mould,
rather more than half fill it with the dough, and bake the cake in a
moderate oven from 1½ to 2 hours, or less time should it be made into 2
cakes. _Time._—1½ to 2 hours. _Average cost_, 1_s._ 8_d._ _Seasonable_
at any time.
CAKE, a nice Plain.
_Ingredients._—1 lb. of flour, 1 teaspoonful of Borwick’s
baking-powder, ¼ lb. of good dripping, 1 teacupful of moist sugar, 3
eggs, 1 breakfast-cupful of milk, 1 oz. of caraway seeds, ½ lb. of
currants. _Mode._—Put the flour and the baking-powder into a basin;
stir these together; then rub in the dripping, add the sugar, caraway
seeds, and currants; whisk the eggs with the milk, and beat all
together very thoroughly until the ingredients are well mixed. Butter a
tin, put in the cake, and bake it from 1½ to 2 hours. Let the dripping
be quite clean before using: to insure this, it is a good plan to
clarify it. Beef dripping is better than any other for cakes, &c., as
mutton dripping frequently has a very unpleasant flavour, which would
be imparted to the preparation. _Time._—1½ to 2 hours, _Average cost_,
1_s._ _Seasonable_ at any time.
CAKE, a nice Plain, for Children.
_Ingredients._—1 quartern of dough, ¼ lb. of moist sugar, ¼ lb. of
butter or good beef dripping, ¼ pint of warm milk, ½ grated nutmeg or
½ oz. of caraway seeds. _Mode._—It you are not in the habit of making
bread at home, procure the dough from the baker’s, and as soon as
it comes in put it into a basin near the fire; cover the basin with
a thick cloth, and let the dough remain a little while to rise. In
the mean time, beat the butter to a cream, and make the milk warm;
and when the dough has risen, mix with it thoroughly all the above
ingredients, and knead the cake well for a few minutes. Butter some
cake-tins, half fill them, and stand them in a warm place, to allow the
dough to rise again. When the tins are three parts full, put the cakes
into a good oven, and bake them from 1¾ to 2 hours. A few currants
might be substituted for the caraway seeds when the flavour of the
latter is disliked. _Time._—1¾ to 2 hours. _Average cost_, 1_s._ 2_d._
_Seasonable_ at any time.
CAKE, Queen.
_Ingredients._—1 lb. of flour, ½ lb. of butter, ½ lb. of pounded loaf
sugar, 3 eggs, 1 teacupful of cream, ½ lb. of currants, 1 teaspoonful
of carbonate of soda, essence of lemon, or almonds to taste.
_Mode._—Work the butter to a cream; dredge in the flour, add the sugar
and currants, and mix the ingredients well together. Whisk the eggs,
mix them with the cream and flavouring, and stir these to the flour;
add the carbonate of soda, beat the paste well for 10 minutes, put it
into small buttered pans, and bake the cake from ¼ to ½ hour. Grated
lemon-rind may be substituted for the lemon and almond flavouring,
which will make the cakes equally nice. _Time._—¼ to ½ hour. _Average
cost_, 1_s._ 9_d._ _Seasonable_ at any time.
CAKE, Saucer, for Tea.
_Ingredients._—¼ lb. of flour, ¼ lb. of _tous-les-mois_, ¼ lb. of
pounded white sugar, ¼ lb. of butter, 2 eggs, 1 oz. of candied orange
or lemon-peel. _Mode._—Mix the flour and _tous-les-mois_ together;
add the sugar, the candied peel cut into thin slices, the butter
beaten to a cream, and the eggs well whisked. Beat the mixture for 10
minutes, put it into a buttered cake-tin or mould, or, if this is not
obtainable, a soup-plate answers the purpose, lined with a piece of
buttered paper. Bake the cake in a moderate oven from 1 to 1¼ hour, and
when cold, put it away in a covered canister. It will remain good some
weeks, even if it be cut into slices. _Time._—1 to 1¼ hour. _Average
cost_, 1_s._ _Seasonable_ at any time.
CAKES, Scrap.
_Ingredients._—2 lbs. of leaf, or the inside fat of a pig; 1½ lb.
of flour, ¼ lb. of moist sugar, ½ lb. of currants, 1 oz. of candied
lemon-peel, ground allspice to taste. _Mode._—Cut the leaf, or flead,
as it is sometimes called, into small pieces; put it into a large dish,
which place in a quick oven; be careful that it does not burn, and in
a short time it will be reduced to oil, with the small pieces of leaf
floating on the surface; and it is of these that the cakes should be
made. Gather all the scraps together, put them into a basin with the
flour, and rub them well together. Add the currants, sugar, candied
peel, cut into thin slices, and the ground allspice. When all these
ingredients are well mixed, moisten with sufficient cold water to make
the whole into a nice paste; roll it out thin, cut it into shapes,
and bake the cakes in a quick oven from 15 to 20 minutes. These are
very economical and wholesome cakes for children, and the lard, melted
at home, produced from the flead, is generally better than that you
purchase. To prevent the lard from burning, and to insure its being a
good colour, it is better to melt it in a jar placed in a saucepan of
boiling water; by doing it in this manner, there will be no chance of
its discolouring. _Time._—15 to 20 minutes. _Sufficient_ to make 3 or 4
dozen cakes. _Seasonable_ from September to March.