The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-11-18
THE BIRTHDAY CAKE.
A Charming German Custom
Which Affords Much
Amusement.

day gives a pleasure to the smaller
children of a family, and sometimes
to older ones, which, once begun, no
amount of toys or costly gifts can take
the place of. The cake need not be
rich or difficult to make. for the fact
| that il is specially prepared gives the
plainest loaf a flavor not commonly
tasted. 1t must, however, be frosted
and decorated, and cut by the happy
child's own hand, in order to secure
this mysterious sweetness. In nearly
every home one kind of cake wins
favor above all others, and this is the
one par excellence for the birthday
cake, although for wee little ones
hardly out of babyhood a simple
sponge or angel cake is the least harm
full of all the toothsome species. but
though the cake may be familiar, the
| ~frosting and decking n,ay be varied to
| please the fancy and excite the curl
| osity on every recurring birthday.
Besides the we'll known frostlng
made of whites of eggs and sugar,
| there are several other kinds more
economical or less troublesome to
make. A frosting OF graduated
sugar and boiling water. in the pro-
DOrIIOnS Vi OIl0 lCdCuP VA 0No0A
tablespoonfuls Of water, is satlsfac-
tory. and is quickly made. A certain
knack in manipulation is needed to
do il easily. which comes largely with
repeated making. The sugar and
water should boil briskly for four
minutes. and should be stirred only
enough to keep it from burning. Ii
the fire is hot, placing the saucepan OF
boiling sugar in a basin OF hot water
making a sort of double boiler-is a
preventative from scorching. At the
end of four minutes the sugar will
thread slightly if dropped from the
tip O. a spoon. Then take it., and
placing the saucepan in a dish OF cold
water, stir till the frosting cools ana
thickens. Spread it on the cake
rapidly, as it hardens fast, dipping In
a broad knife in hot water to smooth
over the loaf. This frosting is not to
be stirred as long Is uncooked frost-
ing. for it will harden beyond
spreading. A steel palette knife
or spatula is most commencement
for spreading the frosting. This
same frosting can be made into
chocolate icing by adding three table
spoonfuls of grated chocolate to the
boiling sugar. Delicate pink or straw
colored frosting is particularly aturac-
tive to childish eyes, and IS maze OY
adding a tablespoonful OF colored
sugar. sold by confectioners, i'll the
same way the chocolate is added. IL
eggs are plentiful. the white of one
added to the boiling frosting makes it
oil finer grain and easier to spread.
The white of egg should be beaten to
a stiff froth, and then the sugar
poured upon it gradually, after hav-
ing boiled four minutes, and the
Whole then well beaten. Frosting
made of maple sugar is delicious, and
is particularly well suited to spiced
cakes. 1t is made by the same method
as the white sugar frosting, but re-
ouires one minute longer boiling.
| Milk frosting is another favorite with
children, and is prettiest to look at
when spread on soft yellow cake. Boil
together a teacup of sugar and half a
ope of milk, with a teaspoonful of
butter, until a little dropped in cold
water will thicken. Then beat it
thoroughly and flavor with vanilla.
| Long beating makes the frosting white
and creamy.
Surrounding cakes with candles,
| one for each year, is a German Gus
tom. The candles are melted slightly
| at the ends, and then stuck upon the
| edge of stiff white paper which is put
| between the cake and its plate, and is
| cut two inches larger than the loaf.
| TINY little flags, whose sticks will run
easily down into the cake and float the
| Stars and Stripes during the birthday
bows. The plate is concealed by a
fringe of red, white and blue tissue
| paper. The paper is folded in stripes,
and then cut like fringe, and the cir
cular form given it by taking little
pleats in it with needle and thread.
The fringe is laid on the plate first,
and the cake nestled in it. Pink
sugar hearts on white frosting, with a
fluffy pink paper fringe. delight a
little girl, and make an apt st. Valen-
tines cake. Favorite flowers arranged
in fern fronds, similaX, or their own
LEAKAGE never fail to please, while
candy stars and notices crafty a
child who has just learned to read.
The name and date spelled out with
colored sugared caraway seeds, how
ever awkward the lettering, give a
satisfaction far greater than the effort
expended. Candy rabbits and little
sugar Cupids will bring a shout of joy
from the younger children, while
Santa Claus, with his sprig of a
Christmas tree, will be voted lust
right" for a December baby Agnes
a. OrmSbee an Ha9per'S BaSGg.
Sp~urgeon's strength.
We will notice some of the elements
of strength in Mr.. Spurgeon as a
preacher. He has a poor personal