(JAKES. 367 



*nto me cup to dissolve. After the same is dissolved, axid it to the cake 

 mixture. 



Soda, when used alone, is to be treated the same as saleratus. 



Baking Powder should always be mixed into the flour, the same as 

 cream of tartar and soda, before the flour is sifted. 



Milk is always to be sweet when baking powder, or cream of tatar with 

 soda are to be used. Sour milk or buttermilk when soda, or saleratus only are 

 to be used. 



Making Up or Putting Cake Together.— The eggs being properly 

 beaten, the flour sifted, the sugar and butter creamed, everything to be used being 

 placed within reach, little by little add the milk to the creamed sugar and but- 

 ter, stirring constantly, then the yolks of the eggs (when beaten separately), 

 after which the sifted flour, having the proper amount of baking powder, or 

 cream of tartar and soda in it, and then the fruit (if fruit is to be used), spices 

 or flavoring extracts; but, now, if saleratus is being used, it is to be dissolved 

 and stirred in, and lastly the beaten whites of the eggs, stirring but little after 

 these are added: but the more thorough the stirring together, previous to putting 

 in the whites, the better. 



Baking— Heat of the Oven, etc. — To bake cake nicely, the heat 

 of the oven should be uniform throughout the whole time of baking; and for 

 light, thin cakes (and that covers nearly all, except those having fruit in them) 

 a qmck oven is required, so that by the time the cake is properly raised the 

 baking shall commence ; for if the heat is not uniform throughout the baking 

 there will be a soggy streak shown in the cake, because if the cooking slackens 

 much the cake begins to ' ' fall, " and although the heat may be again raised, yet 

 what has settled together will not rise again ; wliile if you get too great a heat 

 simply cover the cake with brown paper to prevent burning the top, and partly 

 close the damper to prevent too much heat from passing under the bottom ; but 

 the oven door must not be left open in cake baking, or else the cake will "fall," 

 the same as if the heat had fallen off for want of fuel. Avoid, as much as 

 possible, also, the moving of cake after it is placed in the oven and has l)egan to 

 rise, as the motion may cause the escape of gas, leaving the cake heavy, and 

 especially is this important with cake containing grated or dessicated cocoanut. 

 Pans. — Pans should always be well buttered, except for thick, or loaf 

 cake, which requires the bottom of the pan to be covered with a buttered piece 

 of white paper, buttering the sides, unless deemed safest to paper the sides also, 

 especially if the cake is a thick fruit cake, and in this case the top must be cov- 

 ered with brown paper until nearly done. 



To Know When a Cake is Done, pierce it with a clean broom 

 splint. If it comes out free of the cake mixture it is done; but a few minutes 

 more had better be given it than to have it at all under done. 



Hints and Suggestions.— If attention is given to the above explana- 

 tions and a moderate degree of experience is brought to bear upon the follow 

 ing recipes, 1 have no fears of a failure; and those who have not been instructed 



