LAYER-CAKES

In bakmg layer-cakes it is important to thoroughly grease the tins — to make it emphatic, we will say thoroughly grease and then grease again — and after using rub ofi* with a coarse tomel, taking care that they are perfectly free from all small particles of cake, grease and All again, thus obviating the necessity of washing every time they are filled. If jelly is used to spread between the layers, it is a good plan to beat it smoothly and spread it before the cakes are quite cool. In ** building," an inverted jelly-tin furnishes a perfectly level surface on which to lay and spread the cake, and it may be allowed to remain on it until perfectly cold, when it should be set away in a tin cake-box, in a cool place. In cutting, it is better to first make a round hole in the center, with a knife, or a tin tube, about an inch and a quarter in diameter. This prevents the edge of the cake from crumbling in cutting. In making the custard or "filluig" for layer-cake, place in a custard-kettle or in a tin pail. Set in boiling water to cook, to avoid all danger of .burning.

To blanch almonds, pour boiling water over them, let stand a moment, drain and throw them into cold water, slip ofi* the skins, and pound.

AiM&SD Cake. Two cups sugar, three-fourths cup butter, one of sweet milk, two of flour, and one of com starch well mixed, whites of six eggs, two

LAYEB-CAKES, 81

tearepoons cream tartar in the flour, one tea-spoon soda in the milk ; cream the butter and sugar, add milk gradually, then the whites of ^gs together with the flour, and bake in jelly-tins. To put between layers, take two pounds almonds, blanch and pound fine in a mor- tar (or a cloth will do), beat whites and yolks of two e^s together lightly, add a cup and a half sugar, then the almonds, with one table-spoon vanilla. — Mn, Harvey Wood,

Almond Cream Cake.

On beaten whites of ten eggs, sift one and a half goblets pulver- ized sugar, and a goblet flour through which has been stirred a heaping tea-spoon cream tartar ; stir very gently and do not heat it ; hake in jelly-pans. For cream, take a half pint sweet cream, yolks of three eggs, table-spoon pulverized sugar, tea-spoon corn starch ; dissolve slarch smoothly with a little milk, beat yolks and sugar together with this, boil the cream, and stir these ingredients in as for any cream-cake filling, only make a little thicker ; blanch and chop fine a half pound almonds and stir into the cream. Put to- gether like jelly cake while icing is soft, and stick in a half pound of almonds split in two. — Mrs. Paris Gibson, Minneapolis, Minn.

Boston Cream Puffb.

Pot half pint hot water and two-thirds cup butter over the fire; when boiling, stir in one and a half cups flour, and continue stirring until smooth and the mixture leaves the sides of the sauce-pan ; remove from fire, cool, and beat thoroughly into it five well-beaten eggs. Drop on warm greased tins (or a dripping-pan), a table- spoon in a place, leaving space between to prevent touching, brush over with the white of an egg, and bake ten or fifteen minutes in a quick oven. When cakes are done, they will be hollow. When cold, slice off* the top, fill space with the cream, and replace top.

Oream far Inside. — ^Take one pint milk, place one-half in a tin pail and set in boiling water ; reserve from the other half two table- spoons to mix with eggs, and into the rest, while cold, mix one cup of flour until smooth ; when the milk is hot, pour in the flour, and stir until thicker than boiled, custard ; then beat well together the two table-spoons milk, two eggs, one cup granulated sugar, a level

82 LAYEB.CAKES,

table-spoon butter, and a tea-spoon vanilla or lemon ; add graduany, and continue stirring briskly until so thick that when cold it will drop, not pour, from the spoon. The puffs may be kept on hand. Make the creaLi fresh, let it cool, and fill as many as are wanted. — Mn. Ex-Oovemor NoyeSy (Krunnnati, Ohio.

Dixie Cream Puffs. Five eggs, whites and yolks beaten separately, one and a half cups each of white sugar and sifted flour, two tea-spoons baking powder in the flour ; bake in tea-cups, filling about half full. The cream is prepared by placing a small tin pail containing a* pint sweet milk in a kettle of boiling water ; beat the whites and yolks of two eggs separately ; stir in the milk while boiling, a half tea-cup sugar, a large table-spoon corn starch dissolved in a little sweet milk, then the beaten yolks and a piece of butter the size of a large walnut ; flavor with lemon or vanilla. When done, cut the cakes open, put in a spoonful of the cream, place together again, roll in the whites, and then in coarse granulated sugar. —

French Cream Cake.

Three eggs, one cup granulated sugar, one and a half cups flour, two table-spoons cold water, tea-spoon baking powder. This is enough for two cakes baked in pie-pans, to be split while warm, spreading the hot custard between them, or for four cakes baked in jelly-pans, with the hot custard spread between them, the latter being the preferable plan. For custard, boil nearly one pint sweet milk ; mix two table-spoons com starch with a half tea-cup sweet milk, add two well-beaten eggs : when milk has boiled add nearly a cup sugar, and add gradually the com starch and eggs, stirring briskly; add a half cup butter, stirring until dissolved, flavor with one tearspoon vanilla, and spread between cakes while hot. This cake can be used as a pudding by pouring over each piece a spoonAil of the custard that is left. — Mrs. Charles Morey.

Golden Cream Cake. Cream one cup sugar and one-fourth cup butter, add half cup sweet milk, the well beaten whites of three eggs, one and a half cups flour, with half a tea-spoon soda, and a teaspoon cream tartar

LAYER-CAKES, 83

stfted with it ; bake in three deep jelly-tins ; beat very h'ght the

yolks of two e^8, one cup sugar, and two t&ble-spoons rich sweet

cream, flavor with vanilla, and spread on cakes ; or to yolks add

one and a half table-spoons corn starch, three-quarters cup sweet

niiik and small lump butter ; sweeten and flavor to taste, cook in a

custard-kettle till thick, let cool, and then spread. — Mrs. J. M.

Sovtihard.

Ice-Cream Cake.

Make good sponge-cake, bake half an ijteh thick in jelly-pans, and let them get perfectly cold ; take a pint thickest sweet cream, beat uutil it looks like ice-cream, make very sweet, and flavor with vanilla; blanch and chop a pound almonds, stir into cream, and put very thick between each layer. This is the queen of all cakes. — Mia MattU FuUingUm.

Ice-Cbeam Cake.

One-fourth pound each butter and powdered sugar, half pint milk, half pound flour, six eggs, one glfuss wine, one nutmeg; bake quickly in iron gem-pans. They raise light with hollow center. When cold, cut a round hole in top (as you would " plug" a oielon), fill with ice-cream just before serving, so that it will not have timt to melt — Mn. A. C. GUmer

Cocoa-nut Cake. To the well-beaten yolks of six eggs, add two cure powdered white sugar, three-fourths cups butter, one of sweet milk, three and a half of flour, one level tea-spoon soda and two of cream tartar, whites of four eggs well beaten; bake in jelly-cake pans. For icing, grate one cocoa-nut, beat whites of two eggs, and add one tea-cup powdered sugar ; mix thorotighly with the grated cocoa-nut, and spread evenly on the layers of cake when they are cold, — Ifiss Nettie Miller , Columbus.

Caramel Cake. One and a half cups sugar, three-fourths cup butter, half cup milk, two and a fourth cups flour, three eggs, one and a half heap- ing tea-spoons baking-powder, or a small tea-spoon soda, and two tea-spoons cream tartar; bake in jelly-tins. Make caramel as fol- lows: Butter size of an egg, pint brown sugar, half cup milk or

84 LAYEE-GAKES.

water, half cake chocolate; boil twenty minutes (or until thick enough), and pour over cakes while warm, piling the layers one upon the oth^er. For frosting for top of cake, take whites of two eggs, one and a half cups sugar, tea-spoou vanilla, three heaping tea- spoons grated chocolate. — Mrs. Ella Snider, Mvnneapoliat 3fvnn,

Delicious Chocolate Cake. The whites of eight eggs, two cups sugar, one ©f butter, three full cups flour, one-of sweet milk, three tea-spoons baking-powder ; beat the butter to a oream; stir in the sugar, and beat until light ; add the milk, then the flour and beaten whites. When well beaten, divide into equal parts, and into half grate a cake of sweet choco- late. Bake in layers, spread with custard, and alternate the whit^ and dark cakes. For custard for the cake, add a table-spoon of butter to one pint of milk, and let it come to a boil ; stir in two egps beaten with one cup of sugar, add two teaspoons of corn starch disfcolved in a little milk. — Mrs, J. M. Biddle, BeU^ontaine,

Chocolate Cake.

One cup butter, two of sugar, one of milk, five eggs, leaving out

the whites of three, four cups sifted flour, two tea-spoons baking*

*powder, or one small tea-spoon soda and two of cream tartar in the

flour ; bake in three layers in deep jelly-tins. For icing, take whites

of three eggs, beaten stifl*, one and a half cups powdered sugar,

six tablenspoons grated chocolate, two tearspoons vanilla. — Mrs. J.

H, Shearer.

Three cups sugar, one of bulil^ six of flour, two-thirds pint ^ur cream, seven eggs (leaving out the whites of two for icing), one even tea-spoon soda in the creiyp, tei^poon soda in the flour, one of cream tartar, and one of lemon or vanilla. Bake in pans one inch deep, and when done spread one wth icing, and lay the other on top of it, allowing two layers for each cake. — Mrs. Dr. Thompwn.

'Make "Mrs. Jennison^s spongecake," bake in long pie^tins (two such tins will make twelve dominoes, and if no mpre are required, the rest of the batter may be baked in a loaf). The batter in the pie-tins should not be more than one-third of an inch deep ; spread it evenly, and bake in a quick oven. Have a brown paper nearly

LAYEBrCAKES, 85

twice the size of the cake on the table, and the moment one of the cakes comes from the oven turn it upside down in the center of the paper, spread it with a thin layer of currant jelly, and lay the^ other cake on it upside down, cut it with a hot, sharp knife lengthwise, directly through the center, then divide it across in six equal parts, posh them with the knife about un inch apart, and ice them with ordinary white icing, putting a large dessertrspooufiil on every piece; the heat of the cake will soften it, and with a little help the edgt s and sides will be smoothly covered. All of the icing that runs over on the paper may be carefully taken up and used again. It must then dry, which it' will do very quickly. Make a horn of stiff white paper about five inches long, one and a half inches across the top, and one-eighth of an inch at the other end ; put in it a dessertrspoon of dark chocolate icing, close the horn at the top, and pressing oiit the icing from the small opening, draw a line of it acioes the center •of every cake, and then make spots like those on^^^vory- dominoes; keep the horn supplied with icing. — In Ihe Kttmbn.

Fig Cake. .

Silver Part. — ^Two cups sugar, two-thirds cup butter,- not quite two-thirds cup sweet milk, whites of eight eggs, three heaping tea- spoons baking-powder thoroughly sifted, with three cups flour ; stir sugar and butter to a cream, add milk and flour, and last white of eggs.

Oold Part. — One cup sugar, three-fourths cup butter, half cup sweet milk, one and a half tea-spoons firing-powder siHed in a little more than one and a half cups flour, yolks o^ seven eggs thoroughly* beaten, and one whole egg, one tea-spoon allspice, and cinnamon until you can taste it ; bake the white in two long pie-tins. Put half the gold in a pie-tin, and lay on one pound halved figs (previ ously sifted over with flour), so that they will just touch each other; pat on the reS of the gold, and bake. Put the cakes together with frosting while warm, the gold between the white ones, and cover with frosting. — Misa I^na Lay,

Hard-Times Cake. Half a cup of butter, two of sugar, one of sour cream, three of flour, three eggs, half tea-spoon of soda ; bake in layers and spread With jelly. — Mrs, R. M, Senderaon.

86 LAYER'CAKES.

Hickory-nut Custard Cak£. Cream one pound sugar and half pound butter ; add five eggs beaten separately, one cup sweet milk, one pound flour, three tea- spoons baking powder, flavor with lemon, and bake in jelly-pans. For custard, place one pint milk in a tin pail and set in boiling water ; add a table-spoon of corn starch dissolved in a little milk, two eggs, one-half cup sugar, two cups chopped hickory-nut meats, well mixed together to the boiling milk ; stir, and put between the layers of the cake, while both cake and custard are warm. This is

excellent.

Rolled Jelly Cake.

Beat twelve eggs and one pound pulverized sugar together very lightly, then stir in three-fourths pound of flour, making batter as light as for sponge-cake, and thin enough to spread nicely when poured; make up as quickly as possible. Have shallow tin-pans prepared (about twelve by eighteen inches and an inch deep) by^ lining with thin brown paper, using no grease on pan or paper ; pour in batter, spread out \vith a knife as thin as possible (about half an inch thick), and bake in solid oven. When done, remove from oven, let cool a few minutes, and while still warm, but not hot, turn out of pan upside down. With a brush or soft cloth wet in cold water, brush over the paper and pull it off*; spread cake thin with jelly and roll it up, being careful to place the outer edge of roll against something so tliat it will not unroll until cold. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve. If baked in pans such as are described above, the recipe will make two rolls, each twelve inches long, which should be cut in two, making four rolls. Use no b&king-powder, as it makes the cake too brittle. Many use none in' sponge-cake. The paper lining should be larger than pan, to lift out the cake by taking hold of the projecting edges. This jiever fails. — C. W. Cyphers, Minneapolis.

Kelly Island Cake

Oije cup butter, two of sugar, three of flour, four eggs, half cup milk, three tea-spoons baking-powder; bake in jelly-tins. For fillmg, stir together a grated lemon, a. large grated tart apple, an egg, and a cup sugar, and boil four minutes. A very excellent cake. — Mm Oredey Orvbbs,

LATER-CAKES. 87

Lemon Cake.

One and one-iialf cups sugar, one of butter, two and one-half of flour, five eggs beaten 'separately, four tea-spoons sweet milk, tea- spoon cream tartar, half tea-s{)oon soda.

For JeUy, — ^Take coffee-cup sugar, two table-spoons butter, two ^gs, and the juice of two lemons: beat all together and boil until the coDsistencv of jelly. For orange cake use oranges instead of lemons. — Miss Minnie Brown.

Lady's Fingers. One and one-eighth pound of flour, one of powdered sugar, ten ^ ; beat eggs and sugar as light as for sponge-cake ; sifl in with flour one tea-spoon baking-powder and stir slowly. Make a funnel- shaped bag of heavy ticking or strong brown paper ; through the hole in the small end push a Amnel-shaped tin tube, one-third inch in diameter at small end and provided with a flange at the other to prevent it from slipping quite through ; tie the small end of bag firmly around the tube, and you have a funnel-shaped sack with a firm nozzle projecting slightly from the small end. Into this bag pour the batter, over which gather up the bag tightly so that none will run out, press and run the dough out quickly through the tabe into a pan lined with light brown paper (not buttered), mak- ing each about a finger long, and about as thick as a lead-pencil, being careful not to get them too wide. Sprinkle with granulated Bugar, bake in a quick oven, and, when cool, wet the under side of the paper with a brush, remove and stick the Angers together hack to back. The bag, when made of ticking, will be useful in making macaroons and other small cakes. Unsurpassed. — Charles V. Oj/pkers,

Minnehaha Cake. One and a half cups granulated sugar, half cup butter stirred to ^ cream, whites of six eggs, or three whole eggs, two tea-spoons <^D) tartar stirred in two heaping cups sifted flour, one tea-spoon ^in half cup sweet milk ; bake in three layers. For filling, take & teaKinp sugar and a little water boiled together until it is brittle ^hen dropped in cold water, remove from stove and stir quickly ^to the well'beaten white of an egg ; add to this a cup of stoned

88 LAYEBrCAKES.

raisiDS chopped fine, or a cup of chopped hickory-nut meats, and place between layers and over the top. A universal fevorite. — ifra. E, W. Herridcy

Metropolitan Cake. Two cups sugar, one of butter, one of milk, nearly four cups flour, whites of eight eggs, three tea-spoons baking-powder, flavor with lemon. Take a little more than three-fifths of this mixture in three jelly-tins, add to the remaining batter one table-spoon ground allspice, one and a half table-spoons cinnamon, tea-spoon cloves, fourth pound each of sliced citron and chopped rai- sins ; bake in two jelly-tins and put together with frosting, alter- nating dark and light. — Mrs. Dr. D. H, Moore, Wedeyan College^

Neapolitan Cake.

Black Part, — One cup brown sugar, two eggs, half cup butter, half cup molasses, half cup strong coffee, two and a half cups flour, one of raisins, one of currants, a tea-spoon each of soda, cinnamon and cloves, and half tea-spoon mace.

While Part, — ^Two cups sugar, half cup butter, one of milk,

two and a quarter of flour, one of com starch, whites of four

eggs, small tea-spoon eream tartar ; make frosting of whites of

two eggs to put between the layers. — Mrs, Calista Hawks Gortner,

Orange Cake.

One cup butter, one of water, two of sugar, four of flour, three

eggs, three tea-spoons baking-powder; bake in layers. Take the

juice of two large or three small oranges, coflee-cup pulverized

sugar, one eg^\ mix yolk of q^^, sugar, and juice together; beat

whites to a stiff* froth, stir in and spread between the layers. — Mrs.

W, B. Browriy Washington D, C,

Orange Cake. Two cups sugar, half cup butter, three and a half cups sifted flour^ half cup sweet milk, three «3ggs beaten separately, three tea- spoons baking-powder mixed in flour; bake in jelly pans. For jelly take the juice and grated rind of two oranges, two table-spoons cold water, two cups sugar ; set in a pot of boiling water, and, when scalding hot, stir in the yolks of two well-beaten eggs, and

LA TEBrCAKES. 89

jost before taking from the fire stir in the white of one egg

sligbtij beaten, and when cold put between the layers of cake.

Fro6t the top with the other egg. — Miss Mardie Dolhear, Cape

Girardsau, Mo,

Oranqe Cake.

Two-thirds cup butter, two small cups sugar, one cup milk, three

tea-spoons baking-powder, the yolks of five eggs, three small cups

flour; bake in jelly-tins. Whites of three eggs beaten to a stiff

froth, juice and grated peel of one orange, sugar to consistency;

put this between the layers with white frosting on the top. — Mrs.

Gov. PilUbury, Minnesota.

Peach Cake.

Bake three sheets of sponge-cake as for jelly cake ; cut peaches

in thin slices, prepare cream by whipping, sweetening and adding

flavor of vanilla if desired, put layers of peaches between the sheets

of cake, pour cream over each layer and over the top. This may also

. be made with ripe strawberries.— ifra. Woodworth, Springfield,

Ribbon Cake. Two and a half cups sugar, one of butter, one of sweet milk, tea-spoon cream tartar, half tea-spoon soda, four cups flour, four eggs; reserve a third of this mixture, and bake the rest in two loaves of the same size. Add to third reserved, one cup raisins, fourth pound citron, a cup of currants, two table-spoons molasses, tea-spoon each of all kinds of spice ; bake in a tin the same size as other loaves ; put the three loaves together with a little icing or currant jelly, placing the fruit loaf in the middle ; frost the top and sides. — Miss Alice Trimble, ML Gilead.

Favorite Snow-Cake.

Beat one cup butter to a cream, add one and a half cups flour and stir very thoroughly together ; then add one cup corn starch, and one cup sweet milk in which three tea-spoons baking-powder Have been dissolved ; last, add whites of eight eggs and two cups sugar well beaten together ; flavor to taste, bake in sheets, and put t(^ther with icing. — Walter Moore, Hamilton.

Thanksgiving Cake.

Make batter as for cocoa-nut cake (Miss Nettie Miller's). Bake five layers in jelly-tins ; make frosting of whites of three eggs, three

90 LAYER-CAKES.

tea-Bpoons baking powder, and three-fourths poimd of pulverized

sugar ; with frosting for first layer mix rolled hickorj-nut meats,

with that for second layer mix fine-sliced figs, for third with

hickory-nut meats, fi)r fourth with figs, and on the top spread

the plain frosting, and grate cocoa-nut over thickly. — Mr», Jl S.

Velvet Sponge Cake.

Two cups sugar, six eggs leaving out the whites of three, one cup boiling hot water, two and one half cups flour, one table-spoon baking-powder in the flour ; beat the yolks a little, add the sugar and beat fifteen minutes ; add the three beaten whites, and the cup of boiling water just before the flour; flavor with a tea-spoon lemon extract and bake in three layers, putting between them icing made by adding to the three whites of eggs beaten to a stifiT froth, six dessert-spoons of pulverized sugar to each egg, and lemon to flavor. ■^Mrs. Wm. Brown, MaasiUon.

Vanity Cake.

One and a half cups sugar, half cup butter, half cup sweet milk, one and a half cups flour, half cup com starch, tearspoon baking- powder, whites of six eggs ; bake in two cakes, putting frosting be- tween and on top. — Olivia 8. JSinman, BatUe Oreeky

White Mountain Cake.

Two cups pulverized sugar, half cup butter beaten to a cream ; add half cup sweet milk, two and a half cups flour, two and a half tea-spoons baking-powder in the flour, whites of eight eggs ; bake in jelly-tins and put together with icing made by boiling a half tea- cup of water and three tea-cups sugar till thick ; pour it slowly over .the well-beaten whites of thre^ eggs, and beat all together till cooL Beat before putting on each layer.

Sprinkle each layer thickly with grated cocoa-nut, and a hand some cocoa-nut cake will result. — Mrs. Dr. StaU, Union C%, JnA

DIRECTIONS FOR FROSTING. 91