T452 The Cornell Reading-Courses 



dark color. A second method of addinj^ spice to cake is to sift it with 

 the l)akinj^ powder and the flour. The former method is preferable, 

 however, since unmoistened sj^ice has a tendency to make cake dry and 

 bread-like, and does not give the cake so fine a flavor as when the spice 

 is scalded. 



Nuts 

 Nuts are lighter than fruit and are not likely to settle to the bottom 

 of the tin; therefore they do not need to be floured. They contain fat. 

 and, when added to rich cake, the amount of fat in the recipe should be 

 decreased in proportion to the richness added by the nuts. One to one 

 and one half tablespoonful less of fat to each cupful of nuts is usually 

 sufficient. A good method of preparing nuts for cake is to grind them 

 through the coarse knife of the food chopper. When English walnuts 

 or other nut meats are bought already shelled, they should be washed 

 and dried in the oven before being used. 



Flavoring extracts 



Vanilla, lemon, and other flavoring extracts, should be used sparingly 

 if at all. A strongly flavored cake is not so pleasing as one of delicate 

 flavor. In fact, the very noticeable flavor or odor seems to imply that 

 the main ingredients of which the cake is made are of inferior grade 

 and that there is some unpleasant quality about the cake that it is desirable 

 to conceal. Good cake, made from sweet, clean materials, needs no 

 strong extracts to make it desirable. 



steps in the process of making cake 



Time is usually saved if all utensils and ingredients are brought together 

 ready for use before beginning to make a cake. 



Read the recipe carefully two or three times, so as to get the idea 

 of it thoroughly in mind. 



The flour should be sifted twice, measured, mixed with the baking 

 powder, and sifted again. 



The cake pans should be greased with unsalted fat, then lightly dredged 

 or sifted over with flour, and the flour shaken out. Lard is a very satis- 

 factory fat for greasing a cake tin. If butter is used, it should first be 

 clarified by melting it and then allowing it to stand until the salt and the 

 curds of sour milk have settled. Only the clear melted fat should be 

 used in greasing the pan; if the salt and curds are used with the fat, that 

 may cause the cake to stick to the pan. If the pan is very black because 

 of bumt-in substances, is much dented, or is inclined to rust, it is well 

 to line the bottom with waxed or greased paper and grease only the sides. 



