The fact that soda and cream of tartar are the ingredients of the best baking powders is well understood.

Dr. Lillis Wood Starr says: “Cream of tartar belongs to the same class with soda. Soda is bi-carbonate of sodium; cream of tartar is bi-tartrate of potassium. Sodium, potassium and calcium (lime) all belong to the same group of metals and are injurious to the tissues of our bodies.”

Dr. Lauretta Kress—“Cream of tartar or Potassium Bi-tartrate is a gastro-intestinal irritant like soda. By combining cream of tartar and soda, we have Rochelle salts. If needed as a cathartic, they are better given as such on an empty stomach; then the system quickly gets rid of them. If taken in food they are retained longer and become more irritating.”

“Sugar when largely used is more injurious than meat.”

Cake at its best is not to be recommended, but for those who have not yet discarded it, we give a variety of recipes for cakes without baking powder or soda: there are some, also, without eggs.

When a few more eggs are used in a cake than would be required with chemicals, remember that less of the nitrogenous is necessary in other dishes: also, that the health of your family is of the first importance and it would be better not to give them any cake at all than that which will poison their systems.

Suggestions

Use pastry flour for all cakes; and since different brands even of pastry flour differ, it is best to use the same brand when you find a good one and become accustomed to it.

Sift flour once before measuring; and from 3–5 times for angel and other sponge cakes after measuring. The best way to sift flour several times is to lay down two pieces of large letter or Manila paper and to sift the flour first on to one and then on to the other.

All measurements have the sifted flour laid lightly into the cup with a spoon. If the cup is shaken or knocked on the side with the spoon there will be too much flour.

Skimmed milk and oil may be used in cakes and the cream saved for other purposes.

At great altitude, more flour and less shortening and sugar will be required in cakes.

In recipes calling for cream of tarter, use lemon juice in the proportion of 1 tablespn. or more to each teaspoon of cream of tartar. A larger quantity of lemon juice makes the cake more tender.

2 whites of eggs are said to equal 1 rounded teaspn. of baking powder, for lightness.

Boil molasses or syrup before using in cakes.

Half oil instead of all butter may be used in nearly all cakes, and in some cases, all oil is better. Use salt with oil.

It is usually thought important to cream butter and sugar well together, but one professional cake-maker told me that cakes were lighter when the butter and sugar were just mixed.

Always add a little of the flour for cakes to the creamed butter or sugar and butter, before adding eggs, milk or other liquids.

Saffron is used for both color and flavor: a very small quantity only, is required of the imported for a deep color.

For variety, thin slices of sweet prunes or dates are nice in place of other fruits in cakes.

Round tube pans bake cake the most evenly, Turk’s head molds being the best of all.

Do not oil the tins, for cakes without shortening. For cakes with shortening, oil the tins and sprinkle flour over, shaking off all flour that is loose; or, line tins with well oiled paper.

Some recommend dipping angel cake pans into cold water and filling while wet; then the cake falls out white when cold, leaving the crust sticking to the mold.

Always beat whites of eggs on a platter or in a large cake bowl or “bombe” with a whip, not with a revolving beater.

Chop and fold, never stir, the whites into cake, the flour also.

Have all ingredients and utensils for sponge cake cold, and if possible, put it together in a cold room.

For sponge cakes, follow directions for putting nut and citron cake together, or the hot water way following sponge layer cake.

Bake sponge cakes very slowly and evenly in an oven that bakes well from the bottom. They will retain their lightness better if carefully inverted in the tin after baking and left in that position until cool.

Bake cakes with shortening in a moderate oven.

Cool all cakes slowly. One colored cook told me that she always set her cakes on the stove hearth for a little while after taking them out of the oven. Of course they should be handled carefully.

Set warm layer and other cakes on a cloth wrung out of cold water and they will quickly loosen from the pan.

Loaf or layer cakes may be set in ice box in tins for 2 hrs. before baking.

3 or 4 rose geranium leaves laid in the bottom of the tin before the batter is poured in will flavor cake with rose, or the leaves may be laid between layers after baking, while cooling. If the loaf is one that will bear removing from the tin while warm, lay it on some of the leaves.

Cakes may be steamed instead of baked—sponge cakes 1 hour, fruit cakes longer. One recipe for fruit cake says, steam 4 hours and bake 1 hour. Use your judgment.

Sponge cakes—angel and others, are supposed to be broken apart with 2 forks, not cut.

If loaves of cake that are to be covered with whipped cream are cut before the cream is put on, the cake will look smooth and nice and the pieces will come out more neatly.

Cakes made with yeast require to be kept a little warmer than bread (unless you keep bread too warm), and flour, fruit and all ingredients should be warm when added.

? Nut and Citron Cake

• 3 large or 4 small eggs
• 1 scant cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespn. lemon juice
• 1 tablespn. ice water
• ?–¾ cup Brazil nut, almond, pecan or shell-bark meal
• ½ cup (¼ lb.) fine chopped or ground citron
• 1 cup pastry flour
• salt

Have all the ingredients as nearly ice cold as possible; sift the sugar, sift the flour twice and leave it in the sifter; beat the yolks of the eggs in a cake bowl with a revolving egg-beater (a large one if you have it), adding sugar gradually. When stiff, add part of the water and more sugar; beat, add more water, sugar and half the lemon juice, beating, until all the sugar is in.

Stir into this mixture half the nut meal, a pinch of salt and the citron. Rest the egg beater on a quart measure (or some dish of the required height) by the side of the bowl, and let it drain into the bowl while beating the whites of the eggs. It will drain much cleaner than it could be scraped, besides saving the time. Beat the whites of the eggs to a moderately stiff froth, add the remaining half tablespn. of lemon juice and whip till dry and feathery; let them stand a moment, then slide onto the yolk mixture; sprinkle part of the nut meal over them and sift on a little flour; chop in lightly, dipping from the bottom with a large thin spoon three times; add more meal and flour; chop; continue this until the flour is all in. Take care not to mix too much; the mixture must not get soft. Put into pan at once and bake slowly until the cake stops singing, or does not stick to a broom splint. Bake 1½ hours, according to the heat of the oven. The fine particles of citron give an unusually delightful flavor to the cake. Preserved orange peel, ground, may be used sometimes; or fine cut raisins or dried blueberries.

? Julia’s Birthday Cake

• 2 cups sugar
• ½–1 cup butter
• 8 eggs
• 2 cups flour
• flavoring

Cream butter and sugar; add flavoring and a little of the flour, then the beaten yolks; beat well. Slide the stiffly-beaten whites on to this mixture, sift flour over gradually and chop together as for nut and citron cake; bake in moderate oven in 3 medium sized layers; sift a little sugar over one layer before baking, sometimes, to make a crust for the top. If possible, set in ice box for an hour before baking.

Patty Cakes

Use ?–½ cup of milk and 2½–2¾ cups of flour in preceding recipe, and bake in patty pans.

Cocoanut Loaf or Layer Cake

• 2 cups sugar
• 4 level tablespns. butter
• 8 eggs
• 2 cups fine grated or ground cocoanut
• 2 teaspns. lemon juice
• 1–2 teaspns. vanilla if desired
• 2 cups flour

Put together the same as “Julia’s Birthday Cake,” let stand on ice for 2 hours, or bake at once in loaf or layers.

If baked in layers, use Washington pie filling with it.

Rich Loaf Cake

• 1 cup butter
• 1? cup granulated sugar
• 5 eggs
• 2–2¼ cups flour

Cream butter, add sugar and work very light; add 1 egg at a time and stir only until no yolk can be seen; mix in flour, turn into paper-lined pan and set in ice box for 2 hours. Bake in slow oven about an hour, or until the cake stops singing.

Rice Flour Cake

• ¾ cup butter
• 2 scant cups sugar
• 2¼ cups rice flour
• 6 eggs
• 2–3 tablespns. lemon juice with grated rind

Cream butter, add sugar, a little of the flour and beaten yolks with half the juice and all the rind of lemon.

Beat whites of eggs with a little salt, adding the remainder of the lemon juice when half beaten; slip on to cake batter, sift flour over gradually, and fold all lightly together. Put into pan to depth of not over 2 in. Bake in moderate oven.

Fruit and Nut Cake. Unsurpassed

• 1? cup sugar
• ? cup butter
• 1? cup flour
• 6 eggs
• 4 cups (1? lb.) seeded raisins
• 3 cups (1 lb.) currants
• 1½ cup (½ lb.) ground citron
• large ¾ cup blanched almonds, ground
• ¼–½ teaspn. extract rose, according to strength
• (rose leaves in their season)

Mix fruit with part of the flour, add nuts; cream butter with a little of the flour; beat together the sugar and yolks of eggs until very light and add with extract to creamed butter; beat well; whip whites of eggs with pinch of salt to stiff froth, add fruit and nuts to yolk mixture, chop in beaten whites and remainder of flour; bake in well oiled tin 1½–2½ hrs. in moderate and slow oven; cover when necessary.

The cake may be steamed 3–4 hrs. and baked ½–1 hr.

This cake will keep a long time with care and is unusually desirable. 3 times the quantity given will make 4 medium sized loaves.

Corn Starch Cake

• 6 eggs
• ½ cup butter (part oil)
• 1? cup sugar
• 1½ cup flour
• 3 tablespns. corn starch
• flavoring

Beat yolks with half the sugar and cream butter with the other half; mix, beat. (Part of the flour and corn starch may be added to the butter and sugar.) Beat whites of eggs stiff, slide on to the mixture, add flour and corn starch (which have been sifted together) gradually, chopping and folding in with the whites; bake in moderate oven. Two thick round layers.

? Silver Cake

• 1 lb. (2 cups and 3 tablespns.) sugar
• ¾ lb. (3?–3½ cups) flour
• 6 oz. (¾ cup soft) butter
• rose flavor
• 1½ cup citron or prunes in slices
• whites of 14 eggs

Cream butter and sugar, add flavoring, beaten whites and flour, lay slices of fruit in and on top of cake. One very large square, or two rather small round loaves.

? Scotch Short Bread—no eggs

• ½ cup butter
• ½ cup granulated or brown, or slightly rounded ½ cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspn. caraway seed or not
• 2 cups flour

Cream butter, add sugar and flour mixed, seeds also if used. A little of the flour may be saved for rolling.

Roll to about 1 in. thick, of the shape to fit your tin; crinkle the edges, press them with a fork or cut with pastry jagger, slide on to tin, prick lightly with fork and bake in a slow oven for 1 hour; or, roll ½ in. thick and bake ½ hour only. The cake is sometimes creased in squares before baking, or the dough may be cut in round cakes and the edges crinkled.

The cake is better with oil and ¼ teaspn. of salt in place of butter. One cup of sugar is sometimes used with ½ cup of butter or oil, and again, 1 cup of butter or oil with ½ cup of sugar, but the cake is very nice with the proportions given. By some, brown sugar is considered most suitable.

German Light Cake

• 1? cup butter or 1¼ cup oil
• 1¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2½–2¾ cups flour
• ? cup almonds, blanched and chopped
• 4 eggs
• grated orange rind
• ground coriander seed

Cream butter with a little flour, add eggs, one at a time, beating, add sugar (except a little for the top), rind and flour; spread thin in oiled pans, sprinkle with almonds, coriander and sugar, bake in moderate oven, cut in squares while hot, leave in pan to cool.

? Sister Elliott’s Plain Loaf Cake and Cookies

• ½ cup oil
• 1½ cup sugar
• yolks 2 eggs
• 4½ cups flour
• 1 cup milk
• salt, flavoring
• whites 3 eggs

Cream oil and sugar, add a little flour, yolks of eggs, salt and flavoring, then milk and flour alternately; beat well and fold in the stiff whites of eggs. Chill, or bake at once thoroughly, in 1 large or 2 small loaves in moderate oven that bakes well from the bottom.

For cookies, use 2 whites of eggs only and make dough stiff enough to roll.

Molasses Cake

• 4 large eggs
• 3 level tablespns. butter
• ½ cup molasses
• ½ cup sugar, brown or white
• 1 teaspn. lemon juice
• 1½ teaspn. grated orange peel
• 1½ tablespn. browned flour
• 1 cup pastry flour

Beat eggs and lemon juice in bowl set in boiling water, add sugar, then boiling molasses, with butter and orange peel, and lastly the flour.

Molasses Sugar Cakes

• 4 eggs
• ? cup (4½ level tablespns.) butter
• ? cup molasses sugar
• ? teaspn. lemon extract
• 1 cup pastry flour
• 1½ tablespn. browned flour
• 1 teaspn. lemon juice

Mix butter and sugar and add to beaten yolks, beating well; slide on to this the whites beaten with salt and lemon juice, then sift over gradually the two flours mixed, chopping and folding them in with the whites. Bake in small cakes in moderate oven 15–20 m. Use grated maple sugar for maple cakes.

? Molasses Bread or Hard Molasses Cake—no eggs

• 1¾ qt. (7 cups) flour
• 1 cup butter (part oil)
• 1¼ cup pressed down, medium brown sugar
• 1 cup molasses
• 1 teaspn. ground anise seed
• salt

Cream butter and sugar, add anise and molasses, beat well and add flour; turn mixture out on floured board, mold up and put into flat tins about 1 in. deep, wash over with milk and bake in a very slow oven.

When done, wrap or cover with damp cloths and keep at least 4 days before using. If necessary, moisten the cloths again, and perhaps again. The cakes will be hard and dry when taken from the oven, but keeping them for a few days in damp (not wet) cloths makes them nice and tender. Grated orange peel and vanilla, together or separate, may be used for flavoring; but the delicate flavor of anise is especially agreeable.

By weight, the ingredients are 1½ lb. pastry flour, ½ lb. butter, ½ lb. brown sugar, ? lb. molasses.

YEAST CAKES

It is especially important to use pastry flour in cakes made with yeast.

A good liquid yeast gives better results in cake, but compressed yeast may be used.

? Saffron Cake—no eggs

• 2 cups milk
• 4 tablespns. yeast
• 8½ cups flour
• 2 cups (1 lb.) butter
• 2½ cups sugar
• ¼ cup domestic saffron, not more than 1 teaspn. of imported
• 1 cup water in which saffron has been steeped ½ hr.
• 3 cups currants
• 2 cups fine cut or ground citron
• 1 teaspn. lemon extract

?–1 cake compressed yeast dissolved in a very little water, with sugar, may be used instead of soft yeast, and 1 extra tablespn. of water added to the sponge.

Make a sponge at night of the milk (just warm), yeast and 4½ cups of flour, and in the morning add the cup of warm saffron water. Cream the butter and sugar with a little flour, add the sponge gradually, mixing and beating, then the remainder of the flour warm (except a little which has been used to dust the fruit), beat well, add the extract and warmed, floured fruit, mix and pour into 3 good sized paper lined cake pans. Let stand until bubbles appear in the batter, usually 2–3 hrs. with soft yeast; not so long, perhaps, with compressed; when light, put into a slow oven; let cakes come up slowly and bake very moderately until they stop singing, 1½–2 hrs., depending upon the heat of the oven, but they must bake slowly.

When cake is started in the morning, 6 tablespns. of soft, or a whole cake of compressed yeast may be used. The quantity of flour may need to be varied a little according to the brand.

Citron and Cocoanut Cakes—no eggs

• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespns. yeast, (or ?–½ cake compressed yeast with extra ½ tablespn. of water in sponge)
• 4¼ cups flour
• 1 cup butter
• 1¼ cup sugar
• ½ cup water
• ¾–1 cup ground citron
• ¼ teaspn. weak extract rose
• 1 cup shredded cocoanut
• 1 teaspn. vanilla

Prepare as in preceding recipe (of which it is just half) and at the last divide into 2 parts, add the citron and rose to one, and the cocoanut and vanilla to the other. The loaves will not be very large.

White Fruit Cake—no eggs

The whole of the above recipe, using only ¾ cup of butter, with ¾–1 cup of citron, 1 cup of cocoanut and ? cup of almonds, all ground.

? Dried Apple Cake—yeast

Cut 2 cups dried apples into small pieces with shears, soak over night in 1½ cup water, then cook in ¾ cup molasses until transparent.

Sponge—1 cup water, 1 cake compressed yeast, 2½ cups flour.

When light, add ? cup butter (or half oil) and ½ cup sugar creamed together, the dried apples, grated rind of orange or lemon, 2 beaten eggs and 2 cups flour.

One egg only may be used; the cake is excellent with no eggs.

? Washington Cake—no eggs

Remember to lay flour lightly into cup.

• 1 pt. milk
• 1 cake yeast
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 qt. flour

• salt
• 1–1¼ cup sugar
• 1 cup water in which a little saffron has been steeped
• 1½ cup oil and butter, half of each
• ¾–1 teaspn. lemon extract
• 6½ cups flour

Prepare same as saffron cake and bake in not too thick loaves.

Washington Pie—no eggs

Bake Washington cake in rather thin, flat loaf, split and put the following cream between and around, or put cream over and around cake without splitting.

• 1½ tablespn. cooking oil
• 2½–2¾ tablespns. flour
• 1 pt. milk
• salt
• large ½ cup sugar
• yellow color
• 1 teaspn. vanilla

Heat oil, add flour, then hot milk, salt and sugar, stirring smooth at different stages. Steep a trifle of saffron in the milk. Add vanilla when cold.

• 1 tablespn. butter
• 2½ tablespns. flour
• 1 pt. boiling milk
• ? cup sugar
• salt
• 1 egg
• flavoring

Elizabeth’s Raised Cake

• 5–5¼ cups flour
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 tablespns. yeast (or ½ cake compressed yeast)
• 1½ cup milk

• 1½ cup sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup raisins
• ? cup citron

Make sponge at night with soft yeast or early in the morning with compressed.

When light, add the butter, well creamed with the sugar, and beaten eggs. Beat all very thoroughly and put into the tins. When partly risen, stick the fruit in all over the top; let rise about 1½ hr., or until bubbles may be seen; bake 1 hr. in moderate oven. The cake is excellent without fruit.

German Almond Loaf

• ¾ cup milk
• 3 tablespns. liquid yeast or 1 cake compressed yeast
• 3 cups flour

• 4 yolks of eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• ¾ cup butter
• ¾ cup of warm milk
• 3–4 cups flour
• halved blanched almonds or halves of pecans or walnuts
• grated rind of 1–1½ lemon

Beat yolks with sugar and add to butter which has been creamed with part of the flour; then add the flavoring, the sponge, the milk and the flour alternating, beating until the flour is all in. Butter tube mold or other pans thick with cold butter and stick almonds to sides in regular rows. Do not put any in the bottom. Half fill pan with batter and let rise until pan is nearly full; bake 1 hr., or until cake stops singing, in moderate and slow oven so as not to burn nuts.

Cake Without Chemicals

• 1 large cup thin bread sponge
• 3 eggs, save out 1 white or yolk
• 1 cup sugar
• 5 tablespns. oil
• ? cup flour

Beat eggs and sugar, add oil, then the sponge, lastly fold in the flour; put into 3 layer cake pans and let stand for 2 or 3 hours in a not very warm place. Bake in moderate oven.

Filling—Beat the white of egg stiff, add 1 tablespn. sugar and 2 tablespns. thick cream, or, make a cream sauce of the yolk.

Maple Loaf Cake

• 1 cup bread dough
• ½ cup butter
• 1 egg
• 1 cup maple sugar

Cream the butter, add the sugar and beaten egg and mix all thoroughly with the dough; add a little flour, turn into tin and let rise ½ hr. or longer before baking.

Raised Molasses Cake—no eggs or two whites

Sponge—2 cups skimmed milk, 4 tablespns. yeast, 4½ cups flour.

When light—2 cups (1 lb.) butter, 2 cups molasses which has been boiled and cooled to lukewarm, 3 cups (not too fine) nuts, raisins, citron or cocoanut or combinations of same, 4–4½ cups flour, part for fruit. The whites of 2 eggs may be used with the 4 cups of flour.

Attend to sponge and cake as soon as light. Steam or bake.

German Coffee Cake—no eggs

• 1 pt. milk
• 1 tablespn. butter
• 2 tablespns. sugar
• ½–1 cake compressed yeast
• salt
• flour for soft dough

Let rise, knead, spread on flat tin with floured hand, ¾–1 in. thick, spread with butter, sprinkle with sugar and ground coriander seed; or, spread with an egg beaten with a teaspn. of sugar, sprinkle with sugar and chopped or split blanched almonds; let rise; bake in moderate oven.

Use universal crust dough if a more tender cake is desired.

? Royal Sponge Cake

• 3 eggs
• ? cup sugar
• 1 tablespn. lemon juice
• 1 tablespn. ice water
• ? cup pastry flour
• 3 drops extract rose

Put together and bake same as nut and citron cake except for the nut meal. This makes 1 loaf or 2 small layers. 3 times the quantity makes 2 large square loaves, or 4 large layers.

May use 1½ tablespn. of orange juice with yolks of eggs and ½ tablespn. lemon juice with whites in place of the water and lemon juice. Flavor sugar with oil of orange and add ½ teaspn. vanilla to the cake. Finished with royal filling and icing, this makes a cake suitable for a royal occasion.

Variations of Royal Sponge Cake

(1) Use 2 tablespns. of cream in cake instead of lemon juice and water, with or without 1 teaspn. of lemon juice in whites of eggs.

(2) Use ? cup of molasses in place of the sugar, no water, 1 teaspn. only, of lemon juice in the whites of eggs, 1 cup of flour and 1–2 teaspns. ground coriander seed.

(3) Use brown sugar in place of white, and orange or vanilla flavoring.

? Sponge Layer Cake

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 tablespns. water
• 1–1½ cup flour

Boil sugar and water till syrup will thread, pour hot syrup slowly over beaten yolks; beat until cool, chop in stiffly-beaten whites and flour; flavor if desired. 2 small layers.

The sponge layer cake and all sponge cakes containing the yolks of eggs may be put together as follows: Break the eggs into a cake bowl, set the bowl into a pan of boiling water on the table and beat until light; add hot water (if any) and the sugar (or the hot syrup) gradually, beating. When light, remove from water, add flavoring and fold in flour lightly.

? Old Friend Sponge Cake

• 1½ cup granulated sugar flavored with oil of lemon
• large ½ cup cold water
• 7 eggs
• 1–1½ tablespn. lemon juice
• 2½ cups flour, sifted 5 or 6 times after measuring

Pour cold water over sugar, heat and boil slowly until perfectly clear; cool, beat yolks of eggs, add syrup and half the lemon juice and beat very light; slide whites of eggs beaten to a stiff froth with the remainder of the lemon juice on to mixture, sift flour over, a little at a time, and chop in with whites until all the flour is in. Bake ¾–1 hr. in slow oven until just done, no longer. 1 large loaf in deep square tin.

Cocoanut Sponge Cake. 1846

• 6 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup flour
• a trifle of salt
• 1½ cup grated fresh cocoanut
• lemon or vanilla flavoring

Put together as nut and citron cake, or beat eggs in dish set in hot water, add sugar, cocoanut and flavoring, then flour. Put mixture 1½ in. deep in pans lined with buttered paper.

Rice Flour Sponge Cake. 1846

• 6 eggs
• ½ cup sugar
• flavoring
• ? cup rice flour
• scant ? cup pastry flour

Beat eggs in dish set in hot water, add sugar, flavoring and rice and pastry flour mixed. Bake in moderate oven.

Angel Cake

• 1 cup of egg whites 8 large or 10 small eggs
• 1¼ cup granulated or 1½ cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1–2 tablespns. lemon juice
• a pinch of salt
• 1 teaspn. vanilla

Sift 2 or 3 cups of sugar twice; measure out 1 cup; sift a sifter of flour 4 times; measure out 1 cup and mix it with the cup of sugar; put both in the sifter and sift once, return to the sifter and set in cold place; separate the eggs, putting the whites into the dish in which they are to be beaten and set them in a cold place for 15–20 m.; when cool, add the salt to the eggs and begin beating with a long slow stroke, gradually increasing the velocity until the eggs begin to stiffen, then pour the lemon juice over and beat more rapidly for a time; continue beating until whites are stiff and feathery, then add flavoring; sift flour and sugar mixture over gradually, chopping and folding it in carefully; when all is in, drop by spoonfuls evenly into the pan and bake in slow oven 35–50 m., testing with broom straw. When done, turn the pan upside down with the sides resting on two saucers (unless you have the pans with projections for that purpose), so that a current of air will pass under and over the cake.

Tri-Colored Layer Cake

Angel cake—½ white flavored with vanilla; ½ pink flavored with rose, 3 or 4 large layers. Other layers, of sponge layer cake lemon flavored, or some nice light brown cake such as molasses sugar cake or sponge layer cake with part browned flour. Filling of raisin dressing.

Miss Lubey’s Cream Puffs. 1 doz.

• 1 large cup boiling water
• ½ cup butter or oil
• 1 cup pastry flour
• 3 eggs
• salt

Add dry flour all at once to boiling water and butter; stir quickly over the fire until mixture forms a ball which leaves the pan; remove from fire and stir till partly cool; add beaten yolks of eggs, part at a time, beating well, then slightly beaten whites; beat; set in cold place, covered, for 1 hr. or more; drop by spoonfuls about 2 in. apart on oiled and floured tin, flatten with brush or fingers dipped in milk (may leave without shaping); have oven rather quick at first, then slower until there is no “singing”. Puffs are light weight when done. They will keep for several days. Reheat before filling. To fill, cut open at the side with shears.

The butter and flour may be creamed together first, and the boiling water poured over, then the whole cooked as before.

• 1 pt. milk
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tablespn. flour
• 2 eggs
• salt
• 1 teaspn. vanilla

Mix sugar and flour, pour boiling milk over, boil up well; pour over beaten eggs, return to fire until just creamy, not boiling, cool; add salt and flavoring.

If cream is preferred thicker, use ½ cup of flour and cook in double boiler 15 m. before adding the eggs.

Whipped cream may be used for the filling, but does not harmonize as well with the shells.

These shells are sometimes used for trumese and celery salad, or for creamed meat dishes.

Dainty little puffs filled with different creams may be used for garnishes for desserts, or piled on fancy plates for cakes.

Additions to Cookies and Small Cakes

Caraway or anise seeds, ground coriander or anise seed; chopped shelled nuts; grated or shredded cocoanut; grated orange or lemon rind; English currants; fine cut or ground raisins, citron, figs and dates; sometimes a raisin or half a blanched almond or half of a pecan or hickory nut meat in the center of each.

Suggestive Combinations

Coriander, English currants and English walnuts; raisins in molasses cookies; almonds chopped without blanching, and raisins; almonds same, and caraway or ground coriander seed.

Graham flour cookies with English currants; 1 part raisins and ? part each of nuts, cocoanut and citron, with or without vanilla or lemon.

All cooky dough should be set in a cold place for 2 hrs. or longer before rolling out. Roll out in cool room on well floured board. Cut the cakes all out, put on tins and set in cold place before beginning to bake them as the baking will require all one’s attention.

Very thin dough may be cut oblong, round or in any desired shape and some of the following fillings placed between each two pieces before they are baked—

Ground or mashed dates or figs rolled thin and cut with the same cutter that the dough was cut with; raspberry or other fruit jams and jellies or orange marmalade, also some of the suitable cake fillings.

It may sometimes be more convenient to cut the dough into strips 4 in. wide, spread half the width with the fruit, fold the other half over, pinch down the edge and cut into 3 in. lengths.

Tops of cookies may sometimes be brushed with white of egg and water or with syrup of ½ cup each sugar and water boiled together; or, sprinkled with sugar, coriander, chopped nuts or suitable fruits.

Instead of sprinkling cookies with different materials, brush the tops with milk and turn them on to any preparation or mixture desired.

Grated and sifted maple sugar may be used in place of other sugar in cookies by using a somewhat smaller quantity.

Oil and flour pans for baking cookies.

It is a good plan to bake cookies on the bottom of inverted dripping pans. This prevents them from burning on the bottom and it is easier to remove them from the tins.

? Rich Small Cakes—Cookies

• 1 cup butter
• scant 1¼ cup sugar
• 2?–2? cups pastry flour
• 2 eggs
• vanilla, almond or any desired flavoring

• ½ lb. butter,
• ½ lb. sugar,
• 10 ozs. flour.

Cream butter, add sugar, beaten eggs, flavoring and flour; let stand in cold place until thoroughly cold; roll ?–½ in. thick. Bake in oven which is moderately hot at first, so cakes will not spread. Be careful not to burn.

A little more flour may be used if preferred, also half oil instead of all butter, and brown sugar instead of granulated.

For Jumbles, break off pieces of dough the size of a walnut and make into rings by rolling out rolls as large as the finger and joining the ends; or, cut in rings; dust with sugar.

Yolk Jumbles

• ¼ cup butter
• ½ cup sugar
• lemon flavoring
• yolks 4 eggs
• scant pint of flour
• salt

Poach yolks of eggs dry and mealy; rub them smooth and add butter gradually, creaming; add sugar and flavoring, then flour, a little at a time; cool, roll thin, cut with doughnut cutter, dust with sugar, bake.

? Cream Cookies

• 1½ cup sugar
• 1 cup thin cream
• 1 teaspn. vanilla
• yolks of 3 eggs
• scant ¾ cup butter and oil half and half
• about 4½ cups flour

Cream butter and sugar, stir in a little flour, add beaten yolks, beat well, then add the cream gradually with the flavoring, and lastly, all of the flour. Handle after mixing the same as rich small cakes. Fruits, nuts or seeds maybe added. These cookies will keep almost indefinitely.

Lunch Cakes

Take ½ the sugar and a little more flour in rich small cakes, or cream cookies, and roll to ½ or 1 in. in thickness. Cut of the size to fit tins, crinkle edges or press with fork, crease in squares and bake in moderate oven. Caraway or other flavoring may be used. Chopped nuts, a little sugar and ground or shredded citron may be mixed on a board or flat pan and one side of the cakes pressed into the mixture before baking. Set in cold place before rolling out.

Anise Wafers, or German Christmas Cakes

• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• ¾ teaspn. ground anise seed or 1 teaspn. whole seed
• flour for soft dough

Cream butter, add sugar and a little flour, with seeds, then the yolks of the eggs, one at a time, and the stiffly-beaten whites, with flour, folding together lightly; knead in flour for soft dough, cover and set in cold place; roll rather thin, cut cakes about the size of a half dollar.

Sour Cream Cookies—no soda

• 1½ cup sugar
• 1 cup thick sour cream
• yolks 3 eggs
• scant ¾ cup oil or butter
• any desired flavoring, fruits nuts or seeds
• 5–5½ cups pastry flour

Mix lightly, set in cold place, roll rather thin.

Honey Wafers

• 1 cup honey boiled and cooled
• ? cup butter
• 2 small eggs or 1 large one
• pinch salt
• 5 cups flour

Cream butter with a little flour, add beaten egg and honey, then remainder of flour.

Molasses Cookies

• ¾ cup molasses
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup butter
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½–¾ teaspn. lemon extract
• 2 tablespns. browned flour
• about 3½ cups pastry flour

Heat molasses to boiling and pour slowly, stirring, over well beaten eggs; cool; cream butter and sugar, stir in browned flour mixed with a little of the white flour, add flavoring with eggs and molasses, then the remainder of the flour or enough to make a not too soft dough. Set in cold place and roll out the same as small cakes. Care must be taken in baking, as molasses burns easily.

Or, boil and cool molasses, cream butter and sugar, add beaten eggs, a little flour, then molasses gradually, beating well, and finally, the flour.

Browned flour may be omitted and a few drops of rose extract used in flavoring.

? Molasses Cakes—no eggs

• 1¼ cup oil or butter
• 2 cups molasses
• orange or lemon rind or
• coriander, anise, rose or vanilla flavoring
• pastry flour

Cream butter with a little flour, add molasses which has been boiled and cooled, with flavoring, and flour for stiff dough, about 2¼ qts. Mix as little as possible, cover and set in cold place for several hours. Shape into small thick cakes, or, roll about ½ in. thick, prick with fork or crease and cut into small cakes. Bake in moderate oven. Remove from tins as soon as baked.

With nice flavored molasses, no other flavoring is necessary. More shortening may be used.

? Molasses Snaps—no eggs

• ½ cup oil or butter, or half of each
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups molasses
• flavoring
• more flour

Cream butter, sugar and the 2 cups of flour, pour hot molasses over, add flavoring and flour for stiff dough, perhaps about 6 cups; press together lightly, set in cold place for several hours; roll thin, bake in moderately quick oven and remove from tins at once. These cakes will be brittle when first made and will grow softer with time. One cup of butter may be used for richer cakes.

Nut Wafers

• 1 cup chopped English walnut, pecan or hickory nut meats
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 4 level tablespns. flour
• salt

Beat eggs, add sugar gradually, beating well; then add flour, salt and nuts. Mix, spread as thin as possible on buttered pans, set in cold place, bake in quick oven. When nearly cold, cut into squares.

Nut Cakes—Bro. Hurdon

• 1 cup chopped nut meats
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 egg

Mix, drop on well oiled tins some distance apart, bake. Remove from tins when taken from the oven.

Hard Sponge Cakes

Cream together ¼ cup butter and 1 cup sugar, add 1 well beaten egg and 1 cup of flour to which has been added a pinch of salt; stir in 1 cup chopped nut meats; drop in spoonfuls on buttered tins and flatten or shape a little; bake in moderate oven.

Risen Doughnuts—Baked

Add dissolved yeast and flour to warm milk, beat well, let rise.

• ½ cup sugar
• 5 tablespns. oil or melted butter
• vanilla, lemon, coriander or anise for flavoring
• 2–2½ cups flour
• ¼ teaspn. salt

Beat oil and sugar together with a little flour, add flavoring, salt and light sponge, gradually, beating; then enough flour for a moderately stiff dough; knead a little and let rise. When well risen, roll ½ or ¾ in. thick, cut with doughnut cutter and place on floured, oiled tins some distance apart. Let rise, bake.

Roll in sugar with or without ground coriander seed or chopped nuts before laying on tins, if desired, or moisten with sugar syrup or white of egg and water and roll in sugar after baking.

Another half-spoon of oil may be added to sponge, with 1 white and 2 yolks of eggs well beaten, but eggs are not necessary. If a yellow color is desired, use a little saffron. Mix softer when eggs are used.

Risen Doughnuts

• 1 cup skimmed milk
• ? cake compressed, or
• 2 tablespns. soft yeast
• 2 cups flour

• 3 tablespns. oil or melted butter
• ½ cup sugar
• salt
• flavouring
• yolk of 1 egg or not
• flour for rather stiff dough

Proceed as in baked doughnuts, lay on floured board, cover; when very light, fry in cooking or olive oil, hot enough for the cakes to rise to the top almost instantly. Turn at once with a fork. ? of a cup of oil may be used in the cakes and 1 whole well beaten egg.

Our grandmothers’ twisted doughnuts are dear to all our hearts.

Sometimes roll the dough thin, cut with biscuit cutter and put a teaspoonful of some jelly or jam on one side, fold the other side over, having moistened the edges, press well together, fry when light, roll in sugar. Baked doughnuts may be prepared the same.

Crullers

• ?–½ cup butter
• ?–½ cup sugar
• 3 eggs (separate if desired)
• flour for soft dough

Mix, chill, roll thin, cut in strips 3½ in. long and 2 in. wade; cut 2 slits in each piece and give each strip of dough a twist. Fry in oil or bake in oven. When to be fried, use the smaller quantity of butter and sugar.

Crullers may have 4 incisions made lengthwise to within ? of an in. of each end. To fry, take up the second and fourth strips and let the others separate in the middle from those in the hand as you drop them into the hot oil. For baking, it is better to twist the strips.

Fried Cakes

• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup sugar
• salt, flour
• 3 tablespns. oil or melted butter

Add sugar and yolks of eggs to cold milk, agitate with wire batter whip until full of bubbles, sprinkle flour in gradually, keeping up the agitating motion. When the batter is quite stiff, beat in the oil gradually, and chop in the stiffly-beaten whites of eggs. Add flour for rather stiff dough and set in cold place for 2 hrs. or longer. Shape and fry the same as risen doughnuts.

ICINGS AND FILLINGS FOR CAKES

Starch, which is changed into sugar in the process of digestion, and cane sugar, form so large a part of all cakes as to furnish in themselves an excess of that element; so why should we put a coating of almost solid sugar over the outside? Certainly not for hygienic reasons. If a cake is well baked, the icing only hides its beauty, and the excessive sweetness destroys the flavors of the finest cake. Let us not use it. Protest and recipes are both given.

Instead of icing, sometimes sift granulated, brown or powdered sugar over the top of the loaf of cake, or over one layer to be used for the top, before baking.

Glaze the top of molasses cookies or cakes before baking with a mixture of 1 yolk of egg and 2 tablespns. of milk.

Sprinkle half a cup of chopped or ground blanched almonds or other nuts over the top of the cake just before it goes into the oven, and cover the cake until nearly done to prevent browning the nuts.

The tops of cakes may be brushed after baking with equal parts of molasses and milk mixed.

Water Icing

The simplest of icings is granulated, powdered or xxxx confectioner’s sugar formed into a paste so that it will run just smooth, by the addition of hot or cold water. That made from granulated sugar must be made with hot water and be pretty stiff. It takes longer to dry and is more likely to run; that from powdered sugar is also quite likely to run. The icing made from confectioner’s sugar is the most satisfactory. It is usually made with cold water, but one authority recommends hot water very positively.

One recipe for granulated sugar frosting is—

1 cup sugar, 1 tablespn. boiling water, beat until it will spread.

Fruit Juice Icing

Stir rolled and sifted confectioner’s sugar into any desired fruit juice until of the right consistency to spread; use a knife dipped in cold water to smooth the icing; 1–1½ tablespn. of liquid will be enough for the top of a medium sized loaf of cake.

If you have never made such an icing, you will be surprised to see how much sugar a little liquid will take. More icing is quickly made if you do not have enough.

When juices of different fruits are used in their season, the top of the cake may be decorated with the fruit whole, in halves or in slices. For instance, slices from the heart of strawberries, or, halves of red raspberries. The fruit may also be placed between the layers of the cake.

Cream Icing

Stir confectioner’s sugar into cream, plain or whipped, for both filling and icing.

If you have a little of these icings left over, cover it and set in a cold place, and add more liquid and sugar to it the next time.

White of Egg Icing—Miss Stokes

• white of 1 egg
• 1 tablespn. ice water
• speck of salt
• 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
• flavoring

Beat white of egg with water, flavoring and salt to a stiff dry froth; add sugar until of the right consistency to spread, if too stiff, add quickly 1 teaspn. of cream or a few drops of water.

The icing is sometimes made by mixing the water and egg without beating and stirring the sugar in, making a smoother and more tender frosting. May use powdered sugar.

White of Egg Icing with Lemon Juice

• white of 1 egg
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespn. lemon juice
• ½ teaspn. vanilla

Put the white of egg into a bowl and add the sugar by degrees, beating; when the sugar is all in, add lemon juice and vanilla.

Golden Icing

Yolks of 2 or 3 eggs and powdered sugar to make stiff enough to spread, about 1 cupful for 3 yolks; vanilla or orange flavoring or both. Beat until thick and creamy.

For an orange cake, use the juice and grated rind of a small orange to 3 yolks with the powdered sugar, and use for filling and icing. Sections of orange may be laid on top. Confectioner’s sugar may be used.

? Butter Frosting—almost like whipped cream

Work together 1 cup confectioner’s sugar and 1 level tablespn. of butter. Flavor with vanilla. Add 1¼–1½ tablespn. of milk. Beat well.

Jelly Icing

Beat a glass of jelly, a little at a time, into the whites of 2 eggs. If the jelly is very tart, use 2–3 tablespns. powdered sugar. Prepare the icing some little time before it is to be used and set on ice. Elder-berry jelly gives a delightful flavor and beautiful color. Quince is also nice.

Boiled Icing

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ? cup water
• white of 1 egg
• ½ teaspn. vanilla, or the proper proportion of any desired flavoring

Stir sugar and water together over the fire until sugar is dissolved, then boil without stirring until the syrup will spin in threads when dropped from the tines of a fork, or until a hard ball is formed when dropped into cold water. Pour slowly over the stiffly-beaten white of egg, beating briskly, until stiff enough to spread. If the icing gets too stiff, set over hot water or thin with a trifle of lemon or other fruit juice, or hot water. ½–1 teaspn. of lemon juice added to the white of egg when about half beaten will make the icing more creamy. Some beat the white of egg slightly, only.

2 or 3 whites may be used with this quantity of syrup. One writes that she turns her syrup on to a platter and allows it to become perfectly cold before beating in the eggs, and she thinks it is much smoother and nicer.

One combination of flavors is, ¼ teaspn. each vanilla, orange and strawberry, or 1 or 2 drops of rose in place of strawberry.

Bro. Cornforth’s directions are excellent: “Boil the sugar and water till it threads well, not just till it begins to thread; then set the dish off the stove and cover tight while you beat the whites stiff; then pour the hot syrup in a small stream into the whites, beating continuously; beat till it becomes cool enough to spread on the cake.”

Boiled Milk Icing—no egg

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 tablespns. milk, with or
• without a little butter
• or 1½ cup sugar and ½ cup milk

Boil 5 m., or until syrup stiffens in cold water; stir until thick enough to spread.

Caramel Icing—no egg

1½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup cream. Boil until syrup stiffens when dropped in water. Substitute ? cup sour cream for sweet, with brown or granulated sugar.

Boiled Maple Icing—no egg

Add ¾ cup sweet cream to 2 cups rolled or grated maple sugar. Boil slowly until mixture will thread. Cool about half, stir in ½ cup chopped English walnut meats, beat until creamy, and spread over cake.

Half granulated sugar may be used, and ½ cup of milk with a little butter substituted for the cream.

Maple Syrup Icing and Filling

Boil ¾–1 cup of maple syrup until it will form a soft ball in cold water. Pour over beaten white of egg. Beat until stiff enough to spread. If desired, stir in ½ cup of rolled butternut meats just before spreading on the cake. The syrup may be boiled until it threads.

Whipped Cream

Flavored with vanilla is delightful, of course, on the top of thin loaves of cake cut in squares. Or, for filling, with chopped, blanched almonds, dry, fine-cut stewed prunes, or slices of banana.

Molasses cake baked in layers, with whipped cream between the layers and over the top, with or without a sprinkling of grated cocoanut, is considered a great treat in some households.

Cocoanut Cream

• 1 cup cream, whipped.
• ? cup sugar
• 1½ cup fresh grated cocoanut

Two layers and on top of cake, with cocoanut sprinkled over top. Some additional flavoring if desired.

Butternut Filling

1 cup sweet cream, ½–¾ cup sugar and 1 cup rolled butternut meats, mixed without whipping cream. Flavoring if desired.

? Sour Cream Filling

Before I gave up cake I used to think this filling had no equal:

• ½ cup thick sour cream
• ½ cup sugar
• 1½ cup chopped blanched almonds
• 1 teaspn. vanilla

Whip cream (ice-cold), sugar and vanilla together until just thick, taking care not to whip too long as sour cream turns to butter more easily than sweet; add the almonds, spread quickly between layers of cake and roughly on top. The nuts may be sprinkled over the layers of cream instead of being mixed with it. The white of an egg beaten stiff with part of the sugar is sometimes added to the whipped cream. Shellbark, English walnut or rolled butternut meats may be substituted for almonds.

Creamed Apple

White of 1 large egg, 1½ cup granulated, powdered or confectioner’s sugar, 2 or 3 medium sized apples. Peel apples and grate on to unbeaten white of egg and sugar in large bowl; beat for 20 m.; or until light and creamy. Lemon, rose or strawberry may be used if flavoring is desired. Spread between layers and on top of cold cake. Bananas, peaches and other fruits rubbed through a fine colander may be used the same as apples.

Steamed quarters of apples may be used.

Cocoanut Filling

Spread under and upper sides of layers of warm cake with soft icing. Sprinkle tops with fresh grated cocoanut and put other layers on. Use plenty of icing on top of last layer and sprinkle well with cocoanut.

Date Filling

Stone and skin dates after boiling a moment, mash or grind them, and add water if necessary; spread between layers of cake. Cover the top of the cake with coffee icing with cream. Chopped nuts may be mixed with the dates and sprinkled over the top of the cake.

Pineapple Filling and Icing

Chop fresh pineapple and sprinkle with sugar; drain after 3 or 4 hrs; add beaten whites of 2 eggs, ? cup sugar and 1 teaspn. lemon juice to 1 cup of pineapple and place between layers. Use some of the juice with confectioner’s sugar for icing the top and sides of the cake. When using confectioner’s sugar with pineapple omit whites of eggs.

Drain canned pineapple very dry, chop and add lemon juice and confectioner’s sugar, when fresh pineapple is not obtainable.

Imperial Filling

Spread layers of cake with jelly and the following:

• 1 cup chopped raisins
• ½ cup chopped almonds
• ½ cup grated cocoanut
• white of 1 egg

Beat white stiff, add other ingredients and spread.

Coffee Icing

Add confectioner’s sugar and vanilla to strong cereal coffee, with or without a little heavy cream.

Fig Jelly Filling

• 1 lb. figs, chopped fine
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup boiling water

Boil to a jelly, stirring constantly, or cook in double boiler until thick.

Prune Filling

Stew ½ lb. of prunes in a very little water, rub through colander or cut fine, add whites of 2 eggs beaten to a stiff froth with 2 tablespns. of sugar.

Nut and Raisin Filling

• 1½ cup sugar
• ½ cup water
• white of 1 large or 2 small eggs
• 1 cup each of chopped or ground raisins and nut meats
• 1 teaspn. vanilla

Boil sugar and water till the syrup will form a soft ball in cold water; pour it into the stiffly-beaten white of egg, add nuts and raisins and spread while warm between the layers. Raisins or nuts alone may be used. Shellbarks or butternuts are especially enjoyable. Figs or dates may be substituted for the raisins or for the nuts.

? Cream Filling

• 1 cup milk
• ?–½ cup sugar
• 2¼ tablespns. (¼ cup) flour
• 1 egg or 2 yolks, or 1 egg and yolk of another
• ½ teaspn. vanilla

Mix sugar and flour dry, pour boiling milk over, boil up, turn over beaten eggs, stirring, return to fire and heat until creamy but do not boil; set dish at once into cold water, add flavoring.

Use ½ tablespn. less of flour for Washington Pie, and ¼ cream (or a small piece of butter) in the milk.

½ cup of flour is sometimes used. Add cocoanut for a cocoanut cake.

Royal Filling and Icing

• ¼ cup milk
• ¼ cup orange juice
• ¼ cup flour
• ½ cup sugar
• yolk of 1 egg
• oil from rind of half an orange
• 6 drops vanilla
• 1 drop rose

Flavor sugar with oil of orange, make cream according to directions for cream filling and add rose and vanilla when partly cool. Icing of cream and confectioner’s sugar, tinted with pink.

I have usually used this for Royal Sponge Cake and this quantity is sufficient for one large layer.

Filling for Lemon Pie Cake and Washington Pie

• ¾–1 cup sugar
• 1½ tablespn. corn starch or 2 of flour
• 1 teaspn. butter
• 1 cup water
• yolk 1 egg
• 3 tablespns. lemon juice
• 2–6 drops lemon extract or grated rind of ½ a lemon
• salt

Mix sugar and corn starch or flour, drop the teaspoon of butter on and pour the boiling water over gradually, stirring; boil up well and add 2 or 3 tablespns. to the yolk of egg stirring; then add yolk to the mixture and cook like custard. Remove from fire and when partially cooled add flavoring. Use sometimes for the filling of a cake with whipped cream on the top.

Lemon Cheese for Cakes

• ¼ cup butter
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 whites and 3 yolks of egg
• 3 tablespns. lemon juice
• grated rind of 1 lemon

Cook in double boiler, cool, spread between layers of sponge or other cake or on crisp pastry, or put it into cream puff shells; or, without cooking put into pastry in patty pans and bake in moderate oven.

Marshmallow Filling

1 oz. (about 4 tablespns.) sifted powdered gum arabic, 4 tablespns. water, ½ cup sugar, whites 3 eggs, 1 teaspn. vanilla. Soak gum arabic in water for 1 hour, add sugar, cook in double boiler ½ hour, add stiffly-beaten whites of eggs and vanilla, beat until stiff and white.

Nice for 2 or 3-days old angel cake split in halves or thirds.