St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1894-12-08
CAKE MAKING.
How the uouseWlee Cnn CoOpuond HeoSeD-
full Dalntles In IN Appetisin1 Manner.

How ehe nIoueevlee Cna Co0puuad Health
full DaintIes In IN Appetlsiax Manner.
The art Of cake making Is often
passed lightly rs no art at oil, many
affirming that luck. and luck alone, Is
the necessary quality for perfection
But such reasoning is = lost science, or,
more correctly, no reasoning NJ all. for
neither tho experienced nor the mex
perienced cook can attempt cake maxi
ing with any surety Of success II this
idea is TO be carried out To make
good cake one must have good recipes,
and they must be closely followed un-
til enough experience has been gained
to allow one to vary them with good
results. It will be we'll to bear this
fact in mind and note certain sugges-
tious that arc sure to prove helpful II
we would secure the good luck that
is 50 desirable.
In the first place. have everything At
hand that will be required. Clear the
kitchen table and place every ingredi-
ent convenient before beginning the
work. In warm weather let the eggs
stand . few minutes in cold water.
They will froth easier and finer. II pos
siblc use only fresh eggs for making
cake. n they may be beaten to stih
froth more readily. For loaf cake it
will be well to not only grease or but
ter the pan. but also TO lay creased
paper in the bottom of it, SO that there
will he NO danger of the cake sticking
or browning too much on the bottom.
If the oven does not heat evenly the
cake must be protected accordingly. IL
the bottom Is inclined to burn before
the top is Drowned or the cake done
through. place something beneath the
pan SO that it will not rest on the hot
oven bottom. II the top browns too
quickly and there is danger Of its burn
ing before the cake is done. lay . piece
Of brown manila paper lightly over
the top of the cake. Attention to tho
oven is an important matter, as too
much or too little heat will ruin the
cake NO matter how carefully 1t has
been made. Do not open the oven door
too often to tocxamine the cake, as steady
heat, il not too hot. is best.
More regular heat may be secured by
checking the draft. fuel may be added
in small quantities if necessary, for the
fire must not he allowed to get low
while the cake is baking. But If pos
sible have the fire good and the oven
just right before putting in the cake,
and then keep it undisturbed until it
is done. In baking large fruit cakes
the ''slow" oven is the best, with .
steady heat 50 that they may be thor
oughly done through without scorch-
ing any part.
After greasing the tins for layer cakes
or any small cakes -four should be
sprinkled over them and all the sur
plus shaken on. Enough will stick to
the creased surface. and when the cake
is turned out it will leave the tin
smooth and clean without sticking to
any part of it.
In making any cake good butter
should be used instead of the stale that
is often used up in this manner, rs
the heat will develop the bad qualities
In using milk it is we'll to remember
that sour milk makes light, spOngy
cake; sweet milk one that cuts like
pound cake. There is also some ''knack
in beating cake, the true science Of
which is. don't stir. but beat thorough
". bringing mp from the bottom every
time. The beating should be in the
same direction and always from the
bottom upward.
One of the housewives who claim
that it is all nonsense to be SO psrticu-
lar about every little detail of cake
making was recently heard to remark:
II make the loveliest cakes, and the
less pains take in making the better
luck I have. ] break one egg (cr two
il feel rich enough) in pan. throw
in . cupful of granulated sugar, full
cup; then butter. about half . cupful,
and stir it well, probably five min
utes; then ! add 4 cupful of sweet
milk. or milk and water, and about
two and one-half cupfuls of dour sifted
in, with about two teaspoonfuls OF
baking powder. Then I stir all to-
gether, add teaspoonful of lemon or
vanilla extract; then butter the pans.
pour in the batter and bake in hot
oven"
Well. this luck" method of throw
ing . cake together sounds very well,
and in this instance is good. for expe-
rienced ones can tell at . glance that
this cake baker has had practice and
knows how to ''throw the things to
gether'' to make the cake good. In the
first place she has followed an excel
lent recipe for making . good plain
cake. In the second place she has
mixed the ingredients in the right order;
in other words, she has made this SORT
of cake 50 often that it is possible tc
beat il up without apparently giving j,
. thought.
But suppose the young housewife
| who has never made u cake attcmpta
to throw things together. She will
not know, like the other experienced
one. that the proportion of one cup oi
milk to one-half cup of shortening and
two and one-half cups of -four will b
about right whether one or two egg,
are used She will not know that ,
full cup of sugar can he used will
these proportions unless she has some
recipe to give her the idea: she will MOI
understand that IL il necessary TO bes
the eggs. sugar and butter together be
fore adding the milk and flour; sh,
may not even know that baking pow
der, or cream Of tartar and soda, maj
be used with sweet milk and only sod,
with sour milk; and what would hel
cake be like il she should attempt t.
throw one together without expert
mental knowledge on these points?
But after these facts are thorough,
understood and experience has made !
easy to remember the proportions an,
order Of mixing, she will feel perfectl.
free to vary from the recipe and appar
emily toss the cake together withou
any rule or regulations; for common
sense will tell her that when one ez,
is used instead Of two little less hou
will be required; that the shortening
may consist Of all butter. or all lard
or butter and lard mixed; that the cup
full Of sweet milk may be used or ]
there is not quite . cupful at hand
little water may be sddsi to make thu
required amount of liquid. She viii
also know that this recipe will max
only . plain cake. to be formed in:'
A~~ n~hn~ a. t~l~nI N 1avarS Nth