taken that the cakes are quite done through, which may be ascertained by thrusting a skewer into the middle of them; if it looks bright when withdrawn they are done. If the tops acquire too much colour before the inside is sufficiently baked, cover them with a piece of clean paper, to prevent them from burning.
Time.—1 hour. Average Cost, 1s. 2d. Sufficient to make 2 small cakes. Seasonable at any time.
3422.—SODA CAKE FOR TEA.
Ingredients.—1 lb. of flour, 6 ozs. of butter, ½ a pint of butter-milk, 2 small teaspoonfuls of carbonate of soda, a few caraway seeds, or about 6 ozs. of currants and raisins, ½ a lb. of brown sugar, a little candied peel, 1 or 2 eggs.
Method.—Warm the butter sufficiently to melt it, also warm the milk, and mix the carbonate of soda very smoothly in it. Put all the dry ingredients together first, then add the liquids; bake at once, in tins well greased, in a rather slow oven, for 1 hour or more. If the butter is melted in the tins and just runs round them, it answers every purpose.
Time.—1 hour. Average Cost, 1s. 3d. Sufficient for 2 small cakes. Seasonable at any time.
3423.—SPONGE CAKE.
Ingredients.—The weight of 8 eggs in castor sugar, the weight of 5 eggs in flour, the rind of 1 lemon, 1 tablespoonful of brandy.
Method.—Put the eggs into one side of the scale, and take the weight of 8 in castor sugar, and the weight of 5 in good dry flour. Separate the yolks from the whites of the eggs; beat the former, put them into a saucepan with the sugar, and let them remain over the fire until milk-warm, keeping them well stirred. Then put them into a basin, add the grated lemon-rind, mixed with the brandy, and beat these ingredients well together. Whisk the whites of the eggs to a very stiff froth, stir them to the other ingredients, and beat the cake well for ¼ a of an hour. Then take out the whisk, sieve in the flour, and mix it lightly with a wooden spoon. Put it into a buttered mould, dusted out with a little finely-sifted sugar and flour, and bake the cake in a quick oven for 1½ hours. Care must be taken that it is put into the oven immediately, or it will not be light. The flavouring of this cake may be varied by adding a few drops of essence of almonds, instead of the grated lemon-rind.
Time.—1½ hours. Average Cost, 1s. 3d. Sufficient for 1 cake.
3424.—SPONGE CAKE (Another Method.)
Ingredients.—Take 6 fresh eggs, the weight of 5 of them in castor sugar, and of 3 in very fine dry flour, the rind of 1 lemon.
Method.—Put the sugar into a shallow, flat-bottomed dish, and break
