Woman's Institute Library of Cookery Volume IV Part 25

(18) How is the surface of a cake that is to be decorated with an ornamental design prepared?

(19) (_a_) Describe the icing of a layer cake. (_b_) How may a rough surface of icing be made smooth?

(20) (_a_) Tell how boiled icing is made. (_b_) What is the test for determining when the sirup is boiled sufficiently?

CAKES, COOKIES, AND PUDDINGS (PART 2)

SMALL CAKES

VARIETIES OF SMALL CAKES

1. Under the heading Small Cakes are included numerous varieties of cakes made of many different kinds of materials and baked in various shapes and sizes. Some of them, such as meringues and kisses, contain nothing except eggs and sugar and consequently are almost confections.

On the other hand, many of them, including cookies of all kinds, drop cakes, ladyfingers, etc., are merely the usual sponge and b.u.t.ter-cake mixtures altered in such ways as may be desired. In addition, there are cream puffs and eclairs, the various kinds of cakes made with yeast, and doughnuts and crullers, all of which, while not exactly cake mixtures, are similar enough to small cakes in preparation and use to be discussed in connection with them.

2. NATURE OF MIXTURES FOR SMALL CAKES.--The mixtures used for small cakes are made into batters and doughs of various thicknesses. For instance, the batter used for cup cakes is as thin as that for layer cake; that for drop cakes must be stiff enough to hold its shape when it is dropped on a flat sheet; while cookies require a dough that is stiff enough to be rolled out in a thin layer and then cut into various shapes with cutters. The mixing of cakes of this kind differs in no way from that of large cakes, the greater thickness being obtained merely by the addition of flour.

3. BAKING SMALL CAKES.--Small cakes bake more quickly than large ones; consequently, a hotter oven is required for them. Cookies will bake in 10 to 15 minutes. They should rise and start to brown in 1/2 of this time, and should finish browning and shrink slightly in the remaining half. Drop cakes require a little more time than cookies. They should rise during the first third of the time, brown slightly during the second, and finish browning and shrink during the last third. Cup cakes being larger require from 15 to 25 minutes to bake, depending on their size. They should rise and brown in the same way as drop cakes. The baking of most of the other varieties demands special attention and is discussed in connection with the cakes themselves.

When the majority of small cakes, including cookies, are put into the oven to bake, they should be set on the lower rack. Then, when the browning has started, they should be changed to the upper rack, where they will brown more quickly. This transfer may also be necessary in the case of the larger sized cup cakes.

Small cakes baked in m.u.f.fin pans should be allowed to stand for several minutes after being removed from the oven in order to cool. Then a knife or a spatula should be run around the edge to loosen each cake from the pan. If the pan is then turned upside down and tapped lightly once or twice, the cakes will, as a rule, come out in good condition. Cookies and drop cakes should be taken from their pans or sheets while warm and then allowed to cool on a cake cooler or on clean towels spread on a table.

PREPARATION OF SMALL CAKES

CUP AND DROP CAKES

4. NATURE OF CUP AND DROP CAKES.--CUP CAKES are a variety of small cakes baked in m.u.f.fin pans. Many of the mixtures used for large cakes may be made into cup cakes by baking them in pans of this kind. Instead of pouring the mixture into the pans from the bowl, as is done in the case of large cakes, it is put into them by means of a spoon, as shown in Fig. 1. The pans should be filled only about half full in order to give the mixture an opportunity to rise. When the cakes are baked, they usually reach the top of the pans.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 1]

5. Cup cakes may be served plain or they may be iced in any desired way.

Fig. 2 shows a group of cakes of this kind, the three on the right being cup cakes without any icing or decoration and the rest, cup cakes iced and then decorated in a variety of ways. As will be observed, cup cakes lend themselves well to decoration. The materials used here for the decorating are chiefly citron and maraschino cherries, both of which may be cut into a variety of shapes. The cakes are first covered with a white icing for a foundation, and the decorative materials are applied before it becomes dry. Other materials may, of course, be used for decorating cup cakes, and original designs may be worked out in a number of attractive ways.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 2]

6. DROP CAKES differ from cup cakes in that a stiffer batter is used and the mixture is then dropped from a spoon on a greased and floured cooky sheet. As shown in Fig. 3, which ill.u.s.trates a plate of drop cakes ready to serve, cakes of this kind are not generally iced. However, the mixture used for them often contains fruits and nuts.

7. RECIPES FOR CUP AND DROP CAKES.--Several recipes for cup cakes and drop cakes are here given. No difficulty will be experienced in carrying out any of them if the suggestions already given are applied. With each recipe is mentioned the approximate number of cakes the recipe will make. The exact number it will produce will depend, of course, on the size of the cakes; the smaller they are the greater will be their number.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 3]

CUP CAKES (Sufficient for 1-1/2 Dozen Cakes)

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

Cream the b.u.t.ter and add the sugar. Beat the eggs and add them. Sift the flour, baking powder, and mace together, and add alternately with the milk. Flavor with the vanilla, put into greased and floured m.u.f.fin pans, and bake. Cover with chocolate icing and serve.

BROWNIES (Sufficient for 1 Dozen Cakes)

1/3 c. b.u.t.ter 1/3 c. sugar 1/3 c. mola.s.ses 1 egg 1-1/4 c. flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1/3 tsp. soda 1/2 c. chopped nut meats

Cream the b.u.t.ter, add the sugar and mola.s.ses, beat the egg and add it.

Mix the flour, baking powder, and soda together, and sift into the mixture. Fold in the chopped nut meats, put in thin layers into m.u.f.fin pans, and bake in a hot oven until done. Remove from the pans, cool, and serve.

CINNAMON CUP CAKES (Sufficient for 1 Dozen Cakes)

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

Cream the b.u.t.ter and add the sugar. Beat the eggs and add them. Sift the baking powder, flour, and cinnamon together, and add alternately with the milk. Put into greased and floured m.u.f.fin pans and bake.

COCOA CUP CAKES (Sufficient for 1-1/2 Dozen Cakes)

1/3 c. shortening 1-1/4 c. sugar 2 eggs 2 c. flour 1/2 c. cocoa 1/8 tsp. soda 3 tsp. baking powder 3/4 c. milk 1 tsp. vanilla

Cream the shortening and add the sugar. Beat the eggs and add them. Sift the flour, cocoa, soda, and baking powder together and add alternately with the milk. Flavor with the vanilla, put into greased and floured m.u.f.fin pans, and bake in a hot oven. Remove from the pans, cool, and serve. If desired, these cakes may be iced with white icing and sprinkled with coconut.

ROXBURY CAKES (Sufficient for 1 Dozen Cakes)

1/4 c. b.u.t.ter 1/2 c. sugar 2 eggs 1/2 c. mola.s.ses 1/2 c. milk 1-3/4 c. flour 1/2 tsp. nutmeg 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. ground cloves 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. soda 3/4 c. raisins 1/2 c. English walnut meats

Cream the b.u.t.ter and add the sugar gradually. Beat the eggs and add them. Add the mola.s.ses and milk. Mix and sift the dry ingredients and stir these into the first mixture. Fold in the finely chopped raisins and nuts. Bake in a moderate oven and ice with white icing.

APPLE-SAUCE CAKES (Sufficient for 1-1/2 Dozen Cakes)

1/4 c. b.u.t.ter 1 c. sugar 2 c. flour 1/2 tsp. soda 2 tsp. baking powder 1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. cloves 1 tsp. nutmeg 1 c. apple sauce 1 c. raisins

Cream the b.u.t.ter and add the sugar gradually. Sift the dry ingredients together and add alternately with the apple sauce made according to the following directions. Stir in the raisins dredged with a little of the flour. Bake in m.u.f.fin pans in a moderate oven for about 15 minutes.

APPLE SAUCE

1 qt. apples 1/2 c. sugar 1 c. water

Peel and quarter the apples. Put them to cook in the water. When soft, force through a sieve, add the sugar, and return to the fire until the sugar is dissolved. Cool and use for the cakes.

SOUR-MILK DROP CAKES (Sufficient for 3 Dozen Cakes)

1/3 c. b.u.t.ter 1 c. sugar 1 egg 1/2 c. sour milk 2-1/2 c. flour 1/2 tsp. soda 1 tsp. baking powder 1/2 c. nut meats 1/2 c. raisins

Cream the b.u.t.ter and add the sugar, the beaten egg, and the milk. Sift the flour, soda, and baking powder together and add them. Fold in the nuts and raisins. Drop by spoonfuls on a greased and floured cake sheet.

Bake rather slowly, remove from the sheet, cool, and serve.