The best way to make light cakes is always to take the fruit, flour, and spices, and mix well together first; then take the butter and sugar and beat to a cream; beat the eggs, yolks and whites, separately; add them to the butter and sugar; then mix the other ingredients in slowly, until properly concentrated; beat for half an hour, and bake in a hot oven. Be careful to observe these rules, and you will succeed in making good cakes. The heat of the oven is important; it must always be quick, or the batter will not rise. To prevent it from burning, place a piece of white paper on the top. Use a clean knife or straw when trying if the cake is properly cooked. Cakes must be well soaked in a gentle oven.
AN ICE CAKE.—For a large one, mix eight ounces of finely sifted flour with four spoonfuls of rose water, the whites of eggs, whisked to a snow; when the cake is almost cold, dip a feather in the icing, and pass it over the cake; set it in the oven to harden, but do not let it stay too long or it will become discolored. Put the cake in a dry place.
TO ICE A VERY LARGE CAKE.—Beat the whites of twenty eggs, by degrees, in a pound of double refined sugar; mix these well in a deep earthenware pan; add orange flower water, and a piece of lemon peel, enough flower water to flavor and no more; whisk it for three hours, till the mixture is thick and white; then, with a thin, broad bit of board, spread it over the top and sides, and set it in a cool oven; an hour will harden it.
A RICH SODA CAKE.—Mix together one pound of flour, one pound of chopped raisins, one pound of currants, or half a pound will do, a quarter of a pound of citron, a quarter of a pound of blanched almonds, one pound of butter, one pound of brown sugar, the rind of one lemon, one pint of milk, five eggs, one teaspoonful of soda mixed in the flour, and any flavoring spices that are preferred.
A PLAIN SODA CAKE, No. 1.—Follow the same directions as above, with the omission of the fruit.
A PLAIN SODA CAKE, No. 2.—Beat together one egg, half a pound of butter, one cup of sweet milk, dissolve a teaspoonful of carbonate of soda in it, one pound of flour, two teaspoonfuls of cream of tartar rubbed well in the flour, and a little essence of lemon; mix all well together, and bake in a quick oven.
A FINE COWLEDGE, OR WEDDING CAKE.—Wash two and a half pounds of fresh butter in spring water first, then in rose water, beat the butter to a cream; beat twenty eggs, yolks and whites separately, half an hour; have ready two pounds and a half of the finest flour, well dried and kept hot, a pound and a half of sifted sugar, one ounce of spices, in fine powder, three pounds of currants, nicely cleaned and dry, half a pound of blanched almonds, three-quarters of a pound of citron, mixed with orange and lemon; let all be kept by the fire; mix all the dry ingredients in by degrees; beat them thoroughly; then add a half pound of stoned raisins, chopped as fine as possible, so that there are no lumps, and a teacupful of orange flower water; beat it all together for one hour; have a good sized cake tin, well buttered; take a white paper, doubled, and put it round the edge of the cake tin ; it should not be more than three parts full, as there must be space allowed for rising. It will take from three to four hours' baking.
ROUT DROP CAKES.—Mix two pounds of flour into one of butter, one of sugar, one of currants, clean and dry; then wet into a stiff paste with two eggs, a large spoonful of orange flower water, and a spoonful of brandy; drop on a tin plate, floured. They will require a very short time to bake.
BUTTER CAKES.—Take a pound and a half of flour, one pound of butter, two eggs, one ounce of cinnamon, one rind of lemon-peel, grated, one pound of brown or white sugar, with a little essence of almond or lemon, two ounces of ground rice, and a little ginger; mix all together, and make into a stiff paste, roll out thin, and cut with either shapes, a glass, or top of flour dredge. Bake in a hot oven for ten minutes. Add a pinch of salt to all cakes and sweets.
A GOOD POUND CAKE.—Take one pound of flour, well dried and sifted, eight eggs, yolks and whites well beaten separately; then beat one pound of good fresh butter to a cream; add one pound of sifted sugar to the butter; beat for ten minutes until it gets to a cream; then add the eggs to it, with a little essence of almonds, and the grated rind of a lemon, no spices, a little salt; then mix the flour very slowly to the eggs, butter and sugar ; a few ground almonds is a great improvement; beat for one hour, and bake in a brisk oven. Be sure to note the way it is directed.
BOLA.—Mix a pound and a half of flour with four egg, two good spoonfuls of yeast, and three-quarters of a pound of good fresh butter; make it into a dough; let it rise for three or four hours, then knead and roll out; then spread thinly cut citron, cinnamon, nutmeg, and finely chopped almonds over the top; roll it all up, and cut into two inch pieces; bake in a tin pan; when baked in a quick oven, put some good thick clarified syrup over them; insert the clarified sugar with a knife.
A CHEAP SEED CAKE.—Mix a pound and a half of flour with half a pound of sugar, some allspice, a little ginger, and some seeds; melt three-quarters of a pound of butter, in half a pint of milk; when just warm add to it a quarter of a pint of yeast, and work it up to a good dough; let it stand before the fire a few minutes before it goes in the oven. Bake an hour and a half. Milk by itself causes cakes and bread to dry soon.
QUEEN CAKES.—Mix a pound of dried flour with a pound of sifted sugar and some currants; wash a pound of butter in some rose water; beat it well, then mix with it eight eggs, yolks and whites, separately; put in the dry ingredients by degrees; beat the whole an hour; butter little tins, teacups, or saucers; have them only half full with the batter, and bake. Sift a little fine sugar over as you place them in the oven
GROUND RICE CAKE.—Mix half a pound of ground rice, half a pound of sifted sugar, with two ounces of ground cinnamon, the yolks eight eggs, and the whites of six eggs, beaten to a snow, the grated rind of a lemon; beat them well together for one hour.
A NICE CAKE FOR A CORNER DISH.—Use the same ingredients as in ground rice cake. When it is a day old, cut it round, and spread each slice with different kinds of preserves, and place them again in their places; blanch and split some almonds; stick them on the top of the cake, so as to look like a porcupine; strew sifted sugar on the top.
WHITE POUND CAKE, OR SILVER CAKE.—Take the whites of twelve eggs, five cups of flour, one cup of sugar, one cup of butter, one cup of cream, one teaspoonful of cream of tartar, half a teaspoonful of carbonate of soda, and salt; beat the butter and sugar together; add the rind of a lemon, grated, with a little essence of peach kernels; beat all together for three-quarters of an hour.
SPONGE CAKE.—Weigh ten eggs, and their weight in very fine sugar, and the weight of six eggs in flour; beat the yolks with the flour; rub the sugar first in the flour, and beat the whites to a snow; then by degrees add the ingredients to the whites, and beat it well for half an hour. This cake can be baked in a flat tin, and when cold it may be spread with a preserve, rolled up and cut as a luncheon with white sugar over it.
CUP CAKE.—Three cups of sugar, two cups of butter, five cups of flour, one pound of currants, one cup of milk, five eggs, and one teaspoonful of soda; mix the ingredients all together first; add these to the milk, eggs, and butter, with some nutmeg and a pinch of salt.
DROP CAKES.—Five cups of flour, three of sugar, one of butter, one of cream, half a teaspoonful of saleratus, and two eggs; lay small rings in a baking tin, well buttered, and drop the cakes in each ring.
TEA CAKES.—Rub two teaspoonfuls of cream of tartar and two tablespoonfuls of white sugar in one quart of flour, add two eggs, well beaten, and a piece of melted butter, the size of an egg; mix all together with one pint of milk and one teaspoonful of soda dissolved in a little milk; bake them in muffin rings. To be eaten hot.
LEMON CAKE.—One cup of butter, three cups of white powdered sugar, four cups of flour, five eggs, one cup of milk, one teaspoonful of soda, and one grated lemon; mix all together, and bake in a quick oven.
JELLY CAKE,—One and a half cups of sugar, two and a half of flour, half a cup of butter, one of milk, one egg, one spoonful of soda, and two of cream of tartar; bake in thin cakes, and spread currant or any other jelly over the top of each while it is hot.
MUSH CAKES.—Take a quart of cold mush, half a pint of wheaten flour, and a little salt; mix them in a little butter; make it into cakes, flour them, and bake on a griddle, or in an oven.
KKULLEES.—Two cups of sugar, one of sour milk, four eggs, four tablespoonfuls of butter, and one teaspoonful of saleratus dissolved in milk; after it is well mixed with sufficient flour to form a dough, let it stand an hour. To be fried in either oil or butter.
MATRIMONY CAKES.—Make a rich puff paste, (see directions in pastry receipts,) roll it out very thin, spread some currants, a little sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a little candied peel, cut very small; cover it with the rest of the paste; strew sugar on top, and bake in a quick oven.
A TIPSY CAKE.—Pat a sponge cake into a deep glass dish, pour round it some white wine, and a glassful of brandy, and some sifted sugar; let the wine soak in the cake; then pour over it a rich, thick custard. Ornament the top of the cake by sticking a light flower in the centre, or bits of clear jelly, then split some sweet almonds and strew them thickly over the cake.
BRIDE CAKE.—One pound of butter, one pound of pulverized sugar, beat them together with the hand; then add by degrees twelve eggs, well beaten, one pound of flour, three pounds of currants, well washed, picked, and dried, two pounds of best raisins, stoned, one pound of citron, half a pound of candied lemon-peel, one pound of blanched almonds, one cupful of syrup, one cupful of brandy, half an ounce of mace; cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and spices to suit. Bake five hours.
DOUGH NUTS, No. 1.—Rub a quarter of a pound of butter into a pound of flour; then add five ounces of sugar, two eggs, about a dessert spoonful of yeast, and sufficient milk to make it into a stiff paste; let it stand to rise; then roll it out and cut into shapes; fry them either in butter or oil till they are a nice brown.
DOUGH NUTS, No. 2.—Take half a pound of butter, a quarter of a pound of sugar, one pint and a half of milk; beat two eggs with the sugar, add half a pint of good yeast; flavor it with cinnamon and grated nutmeg; let it rise; when it has risen sufficiently, roll it out in squares, and fry in butter or oil; turn them often in the pan; when they are sufficiently brown, turn them out, and lay them on a cloth to drain the grease from them; then place them on a dish, and sprinkle powdered sugar over them.
SALLY LUNN CAKES.—Take three pounds of flour, one quart of milk, half a pound of butter, four eggs, well beaten, one tablespoonful of sugar, a cupful of yeast, and a little salt; mix them well together; when they have risen, bake them three-quarters of an hour.
GINGER BREAD.—Mix with two pounds of flour half a pound of molasses, three-quarters of an ounce of caraway seeds, one ounce of grated ginger, half a pound of butter. Roll the paste into what form you please, and bake it on tins; after it has risen well, candied peel, grated nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon may be added, which will improve it.
SOFT GINGER BREAD.—Take one cup and a half of molasses, one cup of brown sugar, two ounces of butter, beat up five eggs separately, one tablespoonful of ground ginger, a teaspoonful of soda, and as much flour as will thicken it to the consistency of a pound cake; butter your pan, add citron and caraway seed; mix all well together, and bake in a hot oven.
GINGEE SNAPS.—Two cups of molasses, one cup of butter, a tablespoonful of ground ginger, half a pound of flour, one teaspoonful of saleratus; mix all together, and roll out thin. Bake in a hot oven. One egg may be added.
JUMBLES.—Roll half a pound of butter with half a pound of flour, half a pound of sugar, one egg, wet with a little milk; roll out very thin, and cut into a round shape. Use plenty of ground ginger.
SUET WAFERS.—Take two ounces of butter, half a pound of sugar, half a pound of flour, five eggs, well beaten separately; then mix the ingredients all together; bake them in well greased wafer irons over the fire, and roll them over a knife.
WAFERS—Dry the flour well, mix a little pounded sugar and a little ground mace together, then make it into a thick batter, with cream; butter the wafer irons, let them be hot; put a teaspoonful of the batter into them, bake carefully, and roll them off the iron with a stick.
SCOTCH SHORT BREAD, No. 1.—Mix two pounds of sifted flour with a pound of powdered sugar, three ounces of candied peel, cut small, a half pound of caraway comfits, and a pinch of salt; mix these with half a pound of butter, melted; then make the paste, roll it out the thickness of half an inch, cut into cakes, place them on tins, prick them, and bake a pale color. Short bread may be made the same way.
SCOTCH BREAD CAKE, No. 2.—Take one pound and a quarter of flour, one pound of butter, one pound of sugar, and three eggs; mix them, together; use no water; roll out, and bake on a square; when nearly baked, take out and place sugar comfits on top, and then finish baking.
SPANISH CHARLOTTE—Place some stale cake on the bottom of your mould, on which put some tart apples, or any other acid fruit; lay a layer over your cake; continue this alternately until the dish is nearly full, making the cake form the top; pour a custard over it, and bake. Serve with a sauce of sweetened cream, or butter and sugar flavored with wine.
MACAROONS.—Four ounces of ground almonds, pounded, and four spoonfuls of orange flower water; whisk the whites of four eggs to a snow, then mix one pound of sifted sugar, with the almonds, to a paste; lay a sheet of wafer paper on a tin, and put it on in different cakes the shape of macaroons.
COCOANUT MACAROONS.—To one grated cocoanut add its weight in sugar, and the white of one egg, beaten to a snow; stir it well, and cook a little; then wet your hands and mould it into small oval cakes; grease a paper and lay them on; bake in a gentle oven.
A GOOD PLAIN BUN.—Mix one pound and a half of dried flour with a half pound of sugar; melt a pound of butter in a little warm water, add six spoonfuls of rose water, and knead the above into a light dough, with half a pint of yeast, then mix five ounces of caraway comfit seeds in, and put some on the outside.
TO PREPARE FOR ICING.—The white of one egg dissolved with a small quantity of gum arabic; wet the cake with it, and be careful to put them smoothly into the mould, using a broad knife for the purpose of levelling the top. For flavoring, essence of almonds is best.
ALMOND ICING FOR WEDDING CAKES.—Beat the whites of three eggs to a snow, two pounds of ground almonds in two teaspoonfuls of rose water; mix them lightly together with the eggs; put in by degrees a pound of loaf sugar, in powder; when the cake is baked enough, take it out and lay on the icing; then put it in a very cool oven to harden.
ICING FOR WEDDING CAKES.—Two pounds of the very best finely powdered sugar, the whites of eggs sufficient to make a stiff paste, mix together as much cream of tartar as will lie on a dime; beat all together for thirty minutes. When the cake is cold, spread with a knife, and bake in a very gentle oven; be careful that it does not brown.
KRAPFEN, OR GERMAN PUFFS.—Take half a pound of flour, five ounces of butter, three eggs, half a gill of cream, one ounce of sugar, half an ounce of German yeast, the grated rind of two lemons and one orange; then set the sponge with one-fourth part of the flour and the yeast and let it rise in a warm place, then spread out the flour in the form of a ring, and put the sugar, salt, butter, eggs and cream in the centre; work it all well together with both hands; rub the paste quickly about on the board, then gather it all up together and throw it down on the board with force; repeat this for five minutes, as soon as the sponge has risen enough let it be added to the paste and well mixed with it; then gather up the krapfen and place it in a clean napkin, covered with flour, to prevent the paste sticking, set it in a cool place to rise; this will take about four hours; knead the paste, then place it again in a cool place for half an hour; let it be cut up in about fifteen pieces, knead these in the form of balls; then put them in rows of four on separate sheets of paper, greased with butter; then put them on baking tins and set them to rise in a warm place; when they have risen then fry them a light color; as soon as they are done, drain them on a napkin and strew cinnamon, orange and sugar on the top; dish them up in a pyramid form on a napkin, and serve them with some preserves, or with clarified sugar.
DAMPFNUDELN, OE GERMAN DUMPLINS.—They are made with the same kind of paste as the krapfen. When it has fermented properly lay it on the pastry board, knead it into a dozen small rolls, then put them in a preserving pan about an inch apart; pour as much milk over them as will cover them, and as soon as they have risen twice their size put them in the oven and bake them a light color; before taking them from the oven see that the milk is not all soaked; then glaze them over with white sugar and a red hot salamander; dish them up on a napkin, and serve with vanilla sauce in a sauce boat.
GERMAN KOUGLAUFF.—Take one pound of flour, half a pound and two ounces of butter, four eggs, three-quarters of an ounce of German yeast, two ounces of sugar, quarter of an ounce of ground cinnamon, one grated lemon-peel, quarter of an ounce of salt, quarter of a pint of cream, and three ounces of ground almonds; put the butter in a large sized pan and work it well with a wooden spoon for ten minutes, so that it will look like cream, then add the cinnamon, lemon and pounded sugar, about one half of the flour and two eggs; work it all quickly together for a few minutes, then add the remainder of the flour and eggs gradually, continuing to work the paste with the wooden spoon; when it all has been used up spread out the paste in the middle and add the yeast, which has been dissolved in the cream and salt made luke-warm for the purpose; work the whole well; then pour this batter in a mould, greased well with butter; split the almonds and put them round the mould close together; bake it in a moderate oven; it must be a nice yellow color when done; strew some cinnamon and sugar over the cake. Bolas can be made from this paste, by rolling it out and spreading candied peel, ground almonds, sugar and cinnamon inside; cut into three inch slips.
POTATO SOUFFLE, FOR PASSOVER.—Take six ounces of potato flour, ten ounces of sifted sugar, four ounces of butter, one pint of cream, twelve eggs, some flavoring of vanilla, and a little salt, boil the cream or milk, then put in the vanilla, place the lid on the saucepan and let it stand for an hour; next put the potato flour, the sugar, butter, a pinch of salt, and one egg, into a preserving pan; mix all together; then add the milk and vanilla and stir the whole together on the fire until it boils, when it must be worked with a spoon to make it smooth; then add the yolks of the ten eggs, put them aside until the ten whites are whipped to a fine snow, add these to the souffle batter; pour the whole of it in a souffle dish with a broad band of paper round the outside, and then put it in the oven ; it will take from three-quarters of an hour to an hour to bake; it must be dished up very hot; remove the paper bands, strew some sifted sugar over it, and serve quickly.
Souffle can be made with flour, ground rice, semolina, arrow root, or tapioca, and can be flavored with any kind of essence in the same way as above.
CROQUANTE OF ORANGES.—Remove the peel and pith of about one dozen oranges, not over ripe, then divide them in small pieces; do not break the thin skin which contains the juicy pulp; then put them on an earthenware dish; put one pound of the best lump sugar into a preserving pan, with sufficient water to cover it, and boil it down until it snaps; try it in the following manner: take up a little of the sugar, when it begins to boil in large bubbles, on the point of a knife, and quickly dip it into cold water; if the sugar becomes set, it is done, and will then easily snap in breaking. When boiling sugar for this purpose, put in a pinch of cream of tartar and calcined alum, mixed, or a few drops of acetic acid. The sugar should now be taken from the fire; the pieces of orange, stuck on small wooden skewers, should be slightly dipped in the sugar, and fixed at the bottom and around the sides of a plain, round mould, greased with the best salad oil; when it is done, and the sugar firm by cooling, before it is sent to table, fill the inside of the croquante with whipped cream, sugar, and some whole strawberries, and then turn out on a napkin and serve.
CORN OYSTERS.—Take six ears of boiled corn, three eggs, a tablespoonful and a half of flour; beat the yolks well, until they are thick; grate the corn off the cobs, and season it with pepper and salt; mix it with the yolks and add the flour; whisk the whites to a stiff froth; stir them in the corn and yolks; put a spoonful of the batter at a time in a pan of hot butter, and fry a light brown on both sides.
SHORT PASTE FOR TARTS.—Take one pound of flour, half a pound of butter, two ounces of ground sugar, a pinch of salt, two eggs, and about a gill of water; make a hole in the centre of the flour, then add the sugar, butter, salt, and water; break in the two eggs, and work it well together into a firm paste; it can be used for tartlets. If for a meat dinner, melted fat may be substituted for the butter.
ARROW ROOT LEMON JELLY.—Mix three tablespoonfuls of arrow root in enough cold water to form a paste; add a pint and a half of boiling water; stir it quickly; boil a few minutes; then add the juice and rind of two lemons, half a pound of sugar, cinnamon, or nutmeg.