Woman's Institute Library of Cookery Volume IV Part 20

52. POTATO-FLOUR SPONGE CAKE.--When a subst.i.tute for wheat flour must be used and the supply of eggs is not large, the family need not be deprived of excellent cake, for potato sponge cake can be made. This resembles angel food to a certain extent, as it is white in color and tender in texture. It is a splendid cake to serve with rich frozen desserts.

POTATO-FLOUR SPONGE CAKE

5 egg whites 1-1/2 c. sugar 1/2 c. water 2/3 c. potato flour 1/3 c. wheat flour 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar 1 tsp. lemon extract

Beat the egg whites until stiff. Cook the sugar and water until the sirup threads. Add this sirup to the egg whites and beat well. Sift the potato flour, wheat flour, and cream of tartar three times, and then fold into the mixture. Add the flavoring, turn into a pan, and bake for about 40 minutes.

53. SPONGE CAKE WITH POTATO FLOUR.--The accompanying recipe for sponge cake contains honey for part of the sweetening, both the yolks and the whites of the eggs, and potato flour. When sugar and wheat flour are scarce, this is a very good cake to make.

SPONGE CAKE WITH POTATO FLOUR

1/2 c. honey 1/2 c. granulated sugar 1/2 c. water 5 eggs Grated rind and juice of 1/2 lemon 1/2 c. potato flour

Boil the honey, sugar, and water to the soft-ball stage. Separate the eggs, beat the yolks until thick and lemon-colored, and then beat the sirup into them. Add the grated lemon rind and juice, stir in the potato flour, and finally fold in the whites of the eggs, beaten very light.

Bake in a tube pan for about 50 minutes.

b.u.t.tER CAKES AND THEIR PREPARATION

METHOD OF PROCEDURE

54. NATURE OF b.u.t.tER CAKE.--The ingredients for a simple b.u.t.ter cake consist of b.u.t.ter or other fat, sugar, flour, eggs, leavening, and liquid. The proportion of flour and liquid in cake of this kind is similar to that of a thick, or m.u.f.fin, batter, that is, 2 measures of flour and 1 measure of liquid; but it should be remembered that the addition of other ingredients, such as b.u.t.ter, sugar, and eggs, alter this proportion to a certain extent. However, it is possible to make up a cake recipe from a m.u.f.fin recipe by using 1/2 as much sugar as flour and 1/2 as much b.u.t.ter as sugar. With a knowledge of these proportions, the housewife will be able to judge how near a new recipe comes to being a reasonable one and what the possibilities of its success are.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 10]

55. COMBINING THE INGREDIENTS.--The method of mixing all cakes that include b.u.t.ter as an ingredient is similar. It is explained and ill.u.s.trated in detail, so that the housewife may become thoroughly familiar with it and thus be prepared to apply it in the preparation of any variety of b.u.t.ter cake. In case a recipe contains additional ingredients, the way in which these are combined should be noted carefully and then carried out.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 11]

56. In the making of any kind of b.u.t.ter cake, the ingredients and utensils should be collected and conveniently placed if the best results are desired. Fig. 10 shows these a.s.sembled ready to begin the mixing. As will be observed, layer-cake pans are included in the equipment, but these may be replaced by pans of other kinds if it is not desired to make a layer cake. Before the mixing begins, grease whatever pans are to be used and then dust them lightly with flour so that they will be ready when the mixture is prepared.

[Ill.u.s.tration. Fig. 12]

[Ill.u.s.tration. Fig. 13]

57. As the first step in the making of b.u.t.ter cake, cream the b.u.t.ter in the mixing bowl, as shown in Fig. 11; that is, work it with a wooden spoon until it is soft and creamy. Then add the sugar from the measuring cup very slowly, as in Fig. 12, stirring continually so that the mixture will remain creamy. The eggs are the next ingredient to be added. These are put in whole and unbeaten, whole and beaten, or they are separated and the yolks and whites beaten separately. If the whole eggs or the yolks are to be beaten, break them into a bowl and beat them with a rotary egg beater as Fig. 13 shows. As has already been learned, the whites, when added alone, should be beaten with an egg whip. When the eggs have been added to the mixture, beat it well so as to make it as light as possible and then stir in the liquid. The mixture will then appear as in Fig. 14. Next add all the dry ingredients to the flour, and, as ill.u.s.trated in Fig. 15, carefully sift all into the mixture. If desired, the liquid and flour may be added alternately, a little at a time. With all the ingredients combined, beat the mixture vigorously for a short time to make sure that everything is thoroughly mixed, and then, as shown in Fig. 16, pour it into the pans that have been greased and floured. If a two-layer or a three-layer cake is to be made, it may be divided evenly to fill two pans or three pans, but if a loaf cake is desired, all of it should be poured into one pan.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 14]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 15]

58. BAKING THE MIXTURE.--Place the pans containing the cake mixture on the bottom rack of the oven in order that it may have an opportunity to rise properly. The form in which the cake is made determines the correct temperature for the oven. Loaf cake requires more time for baking than small cakes or layer cake; consequently, the oven should not be so hot for cake of this kind as for the other types. A temperature of 350 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit is suitable for loaf cake, while small cakes or layer cake should have a temperature of at least 400 to 450 degrees. Be careful not to move the cake in the oven until it has risen sufficiently and has set; otherwise, it may fall when it is moved. If this precaution is observed and the cake falls, it may be known that the falling is due to a wrong proportion of ingredients and not to a draft nor the slamming of the oven door, as many housewives think. A cake that rises in the center and cracks open contains either an insufficient quant.i.ty of liquid or too much flour. If, upon being baked, a layer is higher on one side than on the other, it was probably spread unevenly in the pan before it was put in the oven or the oven rack itself was not level.

This condition may be caused by uneven heat in the oven.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 16]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 17]

59. To determine whether a b.u.t.ter cake is baked sufficiently or not, several tests may be made. Cake of this kind does not shrink from the sides of the pan as does sponge cake, but the finger test mentioned may be applied, just as in the case of sponge cake. If, upon making a depression in the center of the b.u.t.ter cake, the surface springs back to fill the depression, it may be known that the cake is done. Another test consists in inserting a toothpick in the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake has finished baking, but if some of the mixture sticks to the toothpick, more baking is required.

60. CARE OF b.u.t.tER CAKE AFTER BAKING.--As soon as a b.u.t.ter cake is sufficiently baked, take it from the oven and remove it from the pan at once. See that the cake is loosened from the bottom and sides of the pan before attempting to turn it out. It can be loosened around the sides by means of a knife, and usually a slight shaking of the pan up and down or the inserting of the knife a little under the cake will be sufficient to loosen it from the bottom. Here the advantage of pans having removable bottoms is evident. When such pans are used, lift the cake out of the pan on the removable bottom and, as shown in Fig. 17, run a long thin knife under the cake until it is entirely loosened from the pan. Then slip the bottom out from under the cake and allow the cake to cool. A cake cooler, such as the one here shown, is the most convenient thing to use for the cooling of cakes. If one of these is not available, clean towels spread on a flat surface make a very good subst.i.tute. Allow the cake to become entirely cool before attempting to ice it.

RECIPES FOR b.u.t.tER CAKES

61. ONE-EGG CAKE.--One of the most economical cakes that can be made is the one-egg cake given in the accompanying recipe. However, when only one egg is used, a comparatively small quant.i.ty of cake mixture is the result. If it is desired to make a layer cake of this mixture, it will be necessary to double the quant.i.ties of the ingredients.

ONE-EGG CAKE

1/4 c. b.u.t.ter 1/2 c. sugar 1 egg 1-1/2 c. flour 3 tsp. baking powder 1/2 c. milk 1 tsp. vanilla

Cream the b.u.t.ter, add the sugar gradually, beat the egg, and add it. Mix and sift the flour and baking powder. Add the milk and the flour alternately until all the flour and liquid are added. Add the vanilla.

Bake in a shallow loaf pan, making a single layer. Ice with any desirable icing.

62. PLAIN LAYER CAKE.--As a layer cake is usually iced over the top and contains an icing or a filling of some kind between the layers, a plain-cake mixture, such as that given in the accompanying recipe, is the most suitable kind.

PLAIN LAYER CAKE

1/2 c. b.u.t.ter 1-1/4 c. sugar 3 eggs 3 c. flour 5 tsp. baking powder 1 c. milk 1 tsp. vanilla

Cream the b.u.t.ter, add the sugar gradually, beat the eggs well, and add to the mixture. Sift the flour and baking powder together and add alternately with the milk, adding milk first. Add the vanilla, pour into layer-cake pans and bake. Ice with any kind of icing.

63. NUT LAYER CAKE.--A delicious cake can be made by adding nuts to the cake mixture given in the following recipe. This is baked in layers and then iced in any desired way.

NUT LAYER CAKE

1/2 c. b.u.t.ter 1-1/2 c. sugar 3 eggs 3 c. flour 5 tsp. baking powder 1-1/4 c. milk 3/4 c. chopped nuts 1 tsp. vanilla

Cream the b.u.t.ter and add the sugar gradually. Beat the eggs and add them. Sift the flour and baking powder together, and add the milk and the dry ingredients alternately. Fold in the chopped nuts, add the vanilla, pour into layer-cake pans, and bake.

64. CHOCOLATE NUT CAKE.--Another delightful layer cake is the chocolate nut layer cake given in the accompanying recipe. The layers are put together with a thick layer of white boiled icing, and the top one is covered with a covering of the same.

CHOCOLATE NUT CAKE

1/4 c. b.u.t.ter 1 c. sugar 1 egg 1 c. milk 2 c. flour 4 tsp. baking powder 2 sq. chocolate 1/2 c. chopped nuts 1 tsp. vanilla

Cream the b.u.t.ter, add the sugar gradually, beat the egg, and add it to the mixture. Stir in alternately the milk and the flour and baking powder. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and stir this into the dough. Fold in the chopped nuts, add the vanilla, and bake in a loaf or two rather thin layers. If baked in layers, remove them from the pans and cool. Ice the first layer with a very thick covering of white boiled icing almost as thick as the layer itself. Place the second layer of cake on top of this and cover with another thick layer of icing.

65. SOUR-MILK CHOCOLATE CAKE.--A very good chocolate cake can be made by using sour milk instead of sweet milk. In such cake, soda takes the place of baking powder, for, as has already been learned, the leavening is produced by the action of the soda on the acid in the milk.

SOUR-MILK CHOCOLATE CAKE

1/2 c. b.u.t.ter 1-1/4 c. sugar 1 egg 2 sq. chocolate 2-1/4 c. flour 3/4 tsp. soda 1 c. sour milk 1 tsp. vanilla

Cream the b.u.t.ter, add the sugar, and cream well together. Beat the egg and add to the b.u.t.ter and sugar. Melt the chocolate. Sift the flour and soda together, and add to the mixture alternately with the sour milk.

Beat well together and add the vanilla and melted chocolate. Pour into a loaf-cake pan and bake.

66. DEVIL'S FOOD.--Sometimes an entirely dark cake is desired. In such an event, devil's food, in which both chocolate and spices are used for flavoring, should be prepared. Such a cake is baked in a thick layer and is covered with chocolate icing.