Woman's Institute Library of Cookery Volume IV Part 22

78. JELLY ROLL.--Many housewives do not attempt to make jelly roll, because they consider it a difficult matter. However, no trouble will be experienced in making excellent jelly roll if the following recipe is carried out explicitly.

JELLY ROLL

3 eggs 1 tsp. baking powder 1 c. sugar 1/4 tsp. salt 1/2 Tb. milk 1 Tb. b.u.t.ter 1 c. flour

Beat the eggs until light, add the sugar gradually, and continue beating. Stir in the milk, and then add the flour, which has been sifted with the baking powder and salt. Melt the b.u.t.ter and beat into the cake mixture. Line the bottom of a flat pan with paper, and grease the paper and the sides of the pan. Cover the bottom of the pan with a thin layer of the mixture spread evenly. Bake until done in a moderate oven. Remove from the pan at once, and turn out on paper sprinkled thickly with powdered sugar. Remove the paper from the bottom of the cake, and cut off a thin strip as far as the crust extends in on the sides and ends of the cake. Spread with a thick layer of jelly and roll. After the cake has been rolled, place a piece of paper around it, wrap in a slightly dampened napkin or towel, and allow it to stand until it cools. Unless the rolling is done as soon as the paper has been removed from it, the cake is likely to crack.

79. LADY BALTIMORE CAKE.--If an excellent cake for a special occasion is desired, Lady Baltimore cake should be served. It is made in layers, between which a filling containing fruit and nuts is spread. A white icing of any desirable kind is used to cover the cake.

LADY BALTIMORE CAKE

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

Cream the b.u.t.ter, add the sugar gradually, and continue creaming. Stir in the milk. Sift the flour and baking powder together and add them.

Fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites and add the vanilla. Bake in square layer pans or in two thick layers in loaf-cake pans. When cold, fill with the following filling and ice with any desirable white icing.

FILLING FOR LADY BALTIMORE CAKE

2 c. sugar 1/2 c. figs or dates, chopped 1/2 c. milk 1 c. chopped nuts 1 c. raisins, chopped

Cook the sugar and milk until it forms a soft ball when dropped in cold water. Remove from the fire and cool. Beat until it begins to look creamy, and then add the raisins, figs or dates, and nuts. When stiff enough, spread a thick layer on one layer of the cake, place the other layer of cake on top, and cover with a thin layer of white icing.

80. BRIDES CAKE.--When a bride's cake is mentioned, one naturally thinks of a large, round cake entirely covered with thick, white icing. The cake here given is one of this kind, and in addition may be ornamented in any desired way. Besides being very attractive in appearance, this cake is delicious in taste.

BRIDE'S CAKE

1/2 c. b.u.t.ter 3 tsp. baking powder 1-1/2 c. sugar 6 egg whites 1/2 c. milk 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar 2 and 1/2 c. flour 1 tsp. vanilla

Cream the b.u.t.ter, add the sugar gradually, and stir in the milk. Sift the flour and baking powder together and add to the mixture. Beat the egg whites until they are foamy. Add the cream of tartar to them and beat until stiff. Fold in the egg whites, add the vanilla, and bake in a deep, round pan. Cover with plain white frosting and ornament with icing in any desired way.

81. FRUIT CAKE.--In the preparations for Christmas festivities, fruit cake usually has an important place. But besides being very appropriate cake for the holiday season, fruit cake is a splendid cake to make because of its keeping qualities. It may be kept for a long time if it is properly cared for. The best plan is to wrap it in oiled paper and then put it away in a closely covered receptacle, such as a tin box. In fact, fruit cake is much better if it is baked a month before it is to be eaten and is moistened several times during that time by pouring over it and allowing to soak in a few teaspoonfuls of orange juice or diluted grape juice.

FRUIT CAKE

3/4 c. raisins 1/2 c. milk 3/4 c. currants 2 c. flour 1/2 c. finely cut citron 1/2 tsp. soda 1/2 c. b.u.t.ter 1 tsp. cinnamon 3/4 c. sugar 1/2 tsp. allspice 2 eggs 1/4 tsp. nutmeg 1/2 c. mola.s.ses 1/4 tsp. cloves

First prepare the fruits for the cake. Cream the b.u.t.ter, stir in the sugar gradually, add the eggs unbeaten, and continue beating. Add the mola.s.ses, milk, and flour with which the soda and spices have been sifted, and then fold the fruits, which have been prepared, into this mixture. Another way of adding the fruit is to pour a layer of the cake mixture into the cake pan, sprinkle this generously with the fruit, then another layer of dough and another layer of fruit, and finally a layer of dough with just a little fruit sprinkled on top. Whichever plan is followed, prepare the pan by covering the bottom with 1/2 inch of flour and then placing a piece of greased paper over this. This heavy layer of flour prevents the cake from burning. Put the cake in a very moderate oven and bake for about 2 hours. If a fruit cake without a heavy crust is desired, the mixture may be steamed for 3 hours in an ordinary steamer and then placed in the oven just long enough to dry the surface.

82. WHITE FRUIT CAKE.--While dark fruit cake is popular with the majority of persons, white fruit cake has been coming into favor for some time and is now made extensively. It contains a larger variety of fruit than the dark cake and nuts are also used. Cake of this kind may be baked in the oven or steamed.

WHITE FRUIT CAKE

1/4 lb. citron, cut into thin slices 1/2 lb. apricots, dried, steamed, and chopped 1/2 lb. raisins, chopped 1/2 lb. candied cherries, cut into pieces 1/2 lb. dates, chopped 1/2 lb. almonds, blanched and cut into thin strips 1 c. b.u.t.ter 1 c. brown sugar 1 egg 1/2 c. milk 1 Tb. baking powder 1/2 tsp. cloves 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. nutmeg 2 c. flour

Steam the citron and apricots until they are soft, and then cut them in the required manner. Prepare the other fruits and the almonds. Cream the b.u.t.ter, add the sugar, egg, and milk, and beat thoroughly. Sift the baking powder and spices with the flour and add these. Dredge the fruits and nuts with flour and fold them into the mixture. Bake for 2 hours in a slow oven in small loaf pans lined with paper and containing about a 1/2 inch layer of flour in the bottom, or steam for 3 hours and then bake for a short time in a moderate oven.

83. WEDDING CAKE.--Fruit cake has been used so much for wedding cake that it has come to be the established cake for this purpose. However, when fruit cake is to be used for weddings, a richer variety is generally made, as will be observed from the ingredients listed in the accompanying recipe. Wedding cake is usually cut into small pieces and presented to the guests in dainty white boxes.

WEDDING CAKE

2 lb. sultana raisins 1 lb. dates, chopped 1 lb. citron, cut into thin strips 1 lb. figs, chopped 1 lb. b.u.t.ter 1 lb. sugar 8 eggs 1 lb. flour 1/2 tsp. soda 2 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. nutmeg 1/2 tsp. allspice 1/2 tsp. cloves 1/2 c. grape juice

Prepare the fruits and dredge with one-third cupful of the flour. Cream the b.u.t.ter, add the sugar gradually, and beat together thoroughly.

Separate the eggs, beat the yolks until they are thick and lemon-colored, and add to the sugar and b.u.t.ter. Sift the flour, soda, and spices together, and add to the mixture. Fold in the egg whites beaten stiff, add the grape juice, and fold in the fruits. Bake in the same way as fruit cake.

CAKE ICINGS AND FILLINGS

NATURE, PURPOSE, AND APPLICATION

84. Certain varieties of cakes are served plain, but the majority of cakes are usually covered with a sugar mixture of some description known as _icing_. In addition, if a cake is baked in layers, a _filling_, which may be either the same as the icing used for the covering or a mixture resembling a custard, is put between the layers to hold them together. These icings and fillings are used for the purpose of improving both the taste and the appearance of the cake, as well as for the purpose of retaining the moisture in it. Some of them are very simple, consisting merely of powdered sugar mixed with a liquid, while others are more elaborate and involve a number of ingredients. They may be spread over the cake, put on thick in a level manner, or arranged in fancy designs on a plain background of simple icing with the use of a pastry tube or a paper cornucopia. These decorations may be made in white or in various colors to suit the design selected for decoration.

85. It is well to understand just what cakes may be served without icings and fillings and what ones are improved by these accompaniments.

Sponge cakes, as a rule, are not iced elaborately, for a heavy icing does not harmonize with the light texture of this kind of cake. If anything is desired, a simple sugar icing is used or the surface of the cake is moistened with the white of egg and then sprinkled with sugar.

b.u.t.ter cakes, especially when baked in layers, although they are often much richer than sponge cakes, are usually iced. When they are baked in the form of loaf cakes, they may or may not be iced, as desired. Very rich cakes made in loaf-cake form are usually served without icing, unless they are served whole and it is desired to make them attractive for a special occasion.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 18, Plain iced cake.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 19, Decorated cake.]

86. For the most part, icings are put on plain, as in Fig. 18, but there are some occasions for which an attractively decorated cake is desired. For instance, birthday cakes, wedding cakes, or cakes for parties and dinners are often served whole from the table, and when this is done, the cake should be made as attractive as possible. The work of decorating such cakes may prove somewhat difficult at first, but just a little practice in this direction will produce surprising results. Figs.

19 and 20 show what can be done in the way of decoration with very little effort. The cake shown in Fig. 19 is suitable for a special occasion, such as a party, while the one in Fig. 20 is a birthday cake.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 20, Birthday cake with candles.]

These cakes are first covered with a plain white icing and then decorated in any colors desired. The candle holders on the birthday cake, which may be purchased in various colors, correspond in color with the decoration on the cake. Original ideas and designs may thus be worked out in an attractive way to match a color scheme or carry out a decorative idea. A pastry tube is the most satisfactory utensil for this purpose, but a tiny paper cornucopia made of stiff white paper may be used to advantage for the decoration of small cakes and even for certain designs on large ones.

87. The cake that comes out of the pan with a smooth surface is the one to which an icing or a filling may be applied most satisfactorily.

Unless absolutely necessary, the cake should not be cut nor broken in any way before it is iced, as a cut surface is apt to crumble and produce a rough appearance. If the cake must be cut, as is the case when small fancy shapes are made out of baked cake, the pieces should be glazed with a coating of egg white mixed with a very small quant.i.ty of sugar and beaten just enough to incorporate the sugar. Then, if they are allowed to dry for 4 or 5 hours before being iced, no crumbs will mix with the icing.

CAKE ICINGS AND THEIR PREPARATION

88. VARIETIES OF ICINGS.--Icings are of two varieties: those which require cooking and those whose ingredients are not cooked. In uncooked icings, which are easily made, sugar, such as confectioner's, is moistened with a liquid of some kind and then flavored in various ways.

The more common of the cooked varieties are made by beating a hot sugar sirup into well-beaten egg whites. After being flavored, icings of this kind may be used without the addition of other ingredients or they may be combined with fruits, nuts, coconut, etc.

89. UNCOOKED ICINGS.--Confectioner's sugar is the most satisfactory for uncooked icings, and it is the kind most commonly used for this purpose.

The finer this sugar can be secured, the better will the icing be, x.x.xX being the most desirable. As such sugar forms very hard lumps when it is allowed to stand, it should be rolled and sifted before it is mixed with the other ingredients. The material used to moisten the sugar may be lemon juice or some other fruit juice, water, milk, cream, egg white, b.u.t.ter, or a combination of these. Enough liquid should be used to make the icing thin enough to spread easily.

90. The ingredients used in uncooked icings determine to a certain extent the utensils required to make the icings. A fine-mesh wire sifter should be used to sift the sugar. A bowl of the proper size to mix the materials should be selected, and a wooden spoon should also be secured for this purpose, although a silver spoon will answer if a wooden one is not in supply. To spread the mixture on the cake, a silver knife produces the best results. If the icing is to be put on in ornamental way, the equipment already mentioned, that is, a pastry bag or a paper cornucopia, should be provided.

COLD-WATER ICING

1 c. confectioner's sugar 2 Tb. cold water 1 tsp. lemon juice

Add the sugar to the water and lemon juice, beat together thoroughly, and spread on any desired cake.