Page:Australian enquiry book of household and general information.djvu/63

sponge cake lies in having the right quantities. It is a usual thing to hear a lady say, “I cannot make a sponge cake to-day, I have not enough eggs.” No definite number of eggs are required. You can make as nice a cake with one egg as with five or six. Of course it will be small, but it is quite enough for an invalid, and two eggs will make half a dozen little cakes for afternoon tea. With one egg, divide the white and yolk, beat the latter with one tablespoonful of good white sugar—no occasion for it to be loaf. Then add the white, well beaten to a froth, and one teaspoonful of flour, with which has been mixed as much baking powder as will lie on a threepenny bit. Mix all together, and just before pouring into this, add two drops of vanilla, or the grated rind of half a lemon; in fact, any flavouring liked. Then bake in well-buttered patty tins in a very quick oven. Half a teaspoonful of butter and one of currants turns this into a tiny queen cake. Five eggs make a very convenient sized cake, and nine of course makes the pound, but that is the hard and fast rule with regard to sponge cakes. The weight of the eggs in sugar, half their weight in flour; follow it and you cannot go wrong. I have seen dozens of different recipes, in all of which you are told to beat for half an hour, in some an hour, and to break the eggs on to the sugar. This is more trouble than my way, for if you do not separate the whites and yolks, you are bound to keep on beating them till the desired lightness is attained. When you have them separate it takes no time to make the whites rise. But if they are stale and dull, a pinch of salt will make them rise, or even beating—whisking them is the proper term—in the air, or where there is a draught, will have the desired effect. Baking powder is not actually necessary in sponge cakes, though a little can be used to ensure lightness. Duck eggs do not make good sponge cakes, so should be avoided. Indeed they are not good in cakes of any sort, though they can be used, but require twice the whisking hen eggs do.

Family Cake.—Take half a pound of butter, and half a pound of good beef dripping. Beat this with one pound of brown sugar. Separate the whites and yolks of six or seven eggs, and stir in the latter with the sugar and butter. Whisk the whites and stir them in also. One pound of currants washed and dried; some candied peel cut into strips; some almonds; also, cut up a small packet of mixed spice. Having mixed all these in, take one pound and a half of flour, in this mix two small teaspoonsful of baking powder, and now stir this in with the rest gradually. Beat it for a few moments. Pour into a couple of well buttered tins, and bake in a moderate oven.

Drop Cakes.—One pint or pound of flour, half a pound of butter or dripping, one cup of white sugar, half a cup of currants, half a nutmeg grated, one teaspoonful baking powder mixed in with the flour. Mix all together with two eggs, and a little milk if required. Drop from a spoon on to a baking sheet, and bake from a quarter of an hour to twenty minutes. This quantity will make about two dozen cakes.

Gingerbread.—Rub half a pound of butter into two pounds and a half of flour; the rind of a lemon grated, two tablespoonsful of brown sugar, half an ounce of ground ginger. Make this into a stiff paste with treacle, roll out, cut into squares, and bake. Very good.

Bread Cake (for children).—Procure a piece of dough from your baker’s. Roll it out, and work into it five or six ounces of butter, half a pound of sugar, some candied peel, two or three eggs. Beat all these ingredients together, and then let it stand to rise for an hour. Bake in a bread tin.

Seed Cake.—Half a pound butter, beaten up with a pound of fine white sugar, one pound of flour, a teaspoonful of baking powder, one ounce of carraway seeds. Mix together with eight or nine eggs, well beaten; flavour