i45''> The Cornell Reading-Courses 



The length of time Jor baking a cake. — The time for bakinj^^ a cake niav 

 be divided into four quarters: 



First quarter: The cake rises; little bubbles form on the top. 



Second quarter: The cake continues to rise, and it browns in spots. 



Third quarter: The cake browns all over. 



Fourth quarter: The cake shrinks from the sides of the tin, becomes 

 elastic to the touch, and stops singing. 



During the baking, the oven heat should be increased gradually but 

 very slightly until the cake is brown, then it may be slightly reduced. 

 On the average a thin loaf of cake will bake in forty minutes, while a thick 

 loaf should bake for at least an hour. Fruit cakes may require several 

 hours. 



Methods oj cooling the oven. — If the oven is too hot, it may be cooled 

 by leaving the door slightly ajar or by placing a dish of cold water on the 

 grate in the oven. If the cake bakes too fast on top, cover the upper 

 grate above the cake with a piece of heavy paper. If the paper is laid 

 directly on the cake itself and the cake splits open, the paper will probably 

 cling to the batter. If this should happen, the paper should not be removed 

 untn after the cake has cooled, when it may be gently torn or scraped off. 



The way to determine when a cake is done. — When a cake is thoroughly 

 cooked it will be elastic and will shrink from the sides of the pan. It will 

 spring back and not sink if lightly touched. The singing sound of a cake, 

 when it is still losing gases before the final hardening, will have diminished 

 or will have disappeared when the cake is firm. A clean toothpick stuck 

 into the cake will come out clean or with particles of cooked crumb adhering 

 to it. 



The time Jor removing a cake from the pan. — A few minutes after the 

 cake is taken from the oven, and while it is still warm, remove it from 

 the tin and carefully puU off the paper. If the cake is removed too soon, 

 it falls a little; if not soon enough, it becomes soggy and may stick to 

 the pan. 



cake formulas 



The underlying principle of all cake making is to obtain a proper re- 

 lationship between the ingredients of which the cake is made, so that 

 there may be a balance between lightness, tenderness, moisture, and 

 texture. In one case lightness may be the important quality ; in another, 

 tenderness; in another, fineness of grain; and so on. 



A little study of the following formulas will show the principles governing 

 the amounts of the different materials that may be combined in a cake 

 recipe. It is advisable, however, not to experiment with the formulas 

 until after reading and digesting this lesson. 



