The evening times., 1896-12-07
THREE CHRISTMAS CAKES
Women Who Follow These Recipes Need
Never Fear.

| Never Fear.
General adoption of the bicycle by men,
| women and children, and heir growing love
| for and participation in outCoor sports anu
| exercises OF all sorts, has IOubtiess BEN
| the means OF strengthening the digestion
| of the average American, and the observant
| housewife finds that She may recall many
| OF the rich &c odies which for long time
| have been tanished from the FAMILY table
| Friends, both in the country and town, are
constantly popping in after spin OF several
| miles ON the wheel They are hungry'and
| have the hcme stretch before them, and
| slice after slice of bread and butter, a cup
| or two of tea or chocolate, need finish OH
| in the way of cake. Plum cake fills n hos
pitable soul with delight, by It's generous
| appearance, and there is after all, very
| little more labor i'll its making than an Or
binary cup cake. Once made, II Will Keep
| Indefinitely, and is nothing SO delights the
| Young as helping in holiday preparations,
| the older ones. Toys and girls. should be al
! lowed to help in the eprepaTat.onsth the day or
| evening before. Stoneless raisins are al
very well for the unfCrtunates who have
| not plenty OF willing oupg fingers to call
upon, but the big plump clusters, with but
| few seeds after all, go well Favored, and
good 10 look uron, that are Just now seen
| in the market, seem to have been grown
on purpose for holiday feasts this year, ana
give a richer look 10 cake, plum pudding
| and mincemeat, than the little pale Cnes,
guiltless of stones though they may be.
| The sooner the fruit cake is made the
better, S IL Will not cut well for the hol-
| days unless atleast a few days cid
A pound of each ingredie Mt will make n
| large cake to be baked in railk pan, that Is,
| one that holds about four quarts, and this
| size will be found to cut more econOfni-
calIy n nd to keep better than smaller size.
Those who try their hands at this good old
fashioned cake will be surprised to find how
little the ingredients cost. and with what
SIN all trouble it is made; and as for the bak-
ing, there is but slight care If the oven is
not too hot, and the precaution taken OF
protecting both top and bottom OF the cake
with paper. Another wordas TO fruit before
proceeding to the cake-making proper.
Cover the raisins with boiling water, let
them swell awhile and they Will be more
| tender as well as far easier to handle, as the
unpleasant sickness will disappear, also
chop or cut only part OF them. as whole
raisin occasionally not only looks well, but
unless one can put in his thumb and draw
out a plum quite intact, except for the
stones, the cake is never quite perfect.
This fact holds good in mincemeat and
plum pudding also.
With the iruit all in readiness, dtron
sliced to the proper shape and thinness,
| currants washed in many waters, dried by
rolling in a large cloth, then spread out
In a shallow pan and put on the shelf over
the range, Tour measured OF weighed, eggs
beaten, not separately, butter creamed,
proceed as follows: Add to the pound OF
butter, which has been made creamy by
beating with a thin butter ladIe, (this la,lle
saves time and laborl; pound OF granu-
lated or brown sugar, beat with the ladle
again, which is as good and more cleanly
than the hand. until well blended, now add
the eggs, which musthave been beatenuntil
creamy looking, beat again, then stir in
the flour, one pound which may have been
Drowned a little to give dark look. All
is now ready for the fruit. which must
first be busted through and through lightly
with flour, add this and the citron, then
sprinkle over all a grated nutmeg, small
teaspoonful of allspice, two teaspoonsful OF
cinnamon, half Il toaspoOnful each OF cloves
and mace, and the juice and chopped rind
of an orange and lemon, and gill of
brandy. IL the cake is desired little
richer, add a cup or two Of candied cher
ries and n handful of chopped almonds.
Just at this stage the strong handed
Bridget, or the athletic son or daughter,
must be called upon to beat all vigorously
and 1t is then ready for the pan, lined
bottom and sides with creased paper, the
leaves of a larrepad are just thething-
Bake for four hours in moderate oven,
then run a straw to the middle NJ the
cake If il comes out damp let it remain
half an hour, then try again; 1t may take
another hour. Do not put the upper layer
OF paper on the cake, but lightly on top,
not to touch. While the cake is warm
give the first coat of icing. This keeps
1t moist, but it will come d!scolored. The
last ore may be as elaborate as wished and
all sorts of ornamentation achieved by
squeezing the icing through stiff paper
shaped like cornucopia. This to be put
on the day before the cake is cut.
anf,tn In 20 vol n at-a
pan for baking fruit cake. In this case,
as there is a tube. to bake the center, it
will take an hour less time.
There is nothing more suggestive of hoi-
day cheer than that of an old-fashioned
low cake basket. with edges and handle
of open-wOrk design. containing slices OF
dark -colored fruit cake, set off by plenty
OF angel or sponge cake. The former will
be as economical as it is dainty if upon
the day it is baked a chocolate custard
is arranged foT In making this the Gus
tard will be as smooth as stone Tapped
by many waters, instead of crumbly and
unsghIy, as is too often the case. If the
simple preCaution is taken Of boiling the
milk before using and ia king care that The
oven is steady and not too hot To the
yolks of six eggs, well beaten, add quart
of milk, cup of sugar, pinch of salt, four
squares of chocolate grated and n teaspoon
full of vanilla. Stir all well together and
may be eaten either with or without sauce
Whipped cream is delicious with it and
makes pretty contrast The remaining
yoiSs may be used for pumpkin pie. as Inc
whites are merely superfluous here. For
the angel cake proceed as follows:
Sift cup (half pnt) of flour and tea
spoonful of cream Of tartar five times
through the sitter This seems Il fusSy pro-
ceeding, but after all it is but a minutes
work. and the delicacy of the cake depends
on it. Sift also once. cup and a half of
granuiated sugar. Put the whites of eleven
eggs into 4 deep bowl; add a pinch of salt
Use always double wheeled beater. Do
not touch the bottom of the bowl Be brisk
and in half a minute orless the eggs should
be stiff enough to remain in the bowl when
inverted. Next add the sugar. quarter of
the whole at time. Beat we'll each time
the sugar Is added. then beat together with
any flavoring liked Now turn the eggs into
i larger and shailower bowl, and, with a
large spoon. toss, not beat the flour in,
dividing il into two portions. Beating at
this stage toughens the cake, whereas, if