The Washington herald., 1911-01-10
HOW TO MAKE GOOD
CAKE-THE KIND THAT
1rELTS n THE N0UTH

ssoS - SAS >VO4AA,
Few families know what good cake IL.
This statement Will be resented. but IL
none the less true.
1t is equally true that few professional
by the mistress of the house or one of
her daughters.
As every one should know how to bake
delicious cake. whether she makes use
OF 1t or not, here are q few rules that
are essential:
Use the best materials So-called cook
ing butter and stored eggs will make
poor cake. and let no economical one
persuade you otherwise.
What is known a. soft A sugar makes
cake Of nicer grain than granulated
or powdered sugar. In measuring stint,
not heap up the cup, or the batter is
coarse grained.
Baking powder should be measured by
gently rounding. not heaped or fiat. tea
spoonfuls. With sour milk recipes use
baking soda and cream Of tartar, not
baking powders.
Never guess at measurements Most
recipes give exact proportions, which "a
good cook sometimes modihes. A cup.
when not defined, usually means the
stone china kitchen coffee cup that holds
a little more than half a pint
The richer the milk the better the
cake. More than Is called for iSoften
permissible to keep the batter from get
ting too thick.
Stinting floor is the secret Of good
cake. Few realize this. as can be told
by two persons making up the same re-
cipe with results totally different for the
cook who is heavy on flour. 1t is safe to
allow quarter to half a cup less flour
on most recipes.
Judgment is important in cake mix
ing. Flours differ in heaviness and eggs
in size. Therefore to keep the batter
from being too stiff. see that it runs
easily from the spoon, yet is not ''runny."
Thinning must be done before baking
powder and whites of eggs are in.
Have all ingredients ready before begin
ming to mix a cake. Once started, it
should go into the oven quickly. One mix
ing bowl and two smaller ones for eggs
will be needed: also a wooden paddle and
wire egg-beater. Sift flour twice before
measuring and put into batter through
sitter.
Get ready pans before starting cake
There Is but one sure way to prevent
sticking-paper the bottoms Of pans and
grease II. not the pan. which is only but
tered on the edge. Many persons use lard
for greasfng, but butter never tastes.
Papering is no trouble il 10 cents worth
of yellow wrapping paper Is bought and
cut in leisure moments to fit your various
shaped pans. Keep in an alright box in
the kitchen closet
A good cake baker makes sure that her
cake pans are not used for other pur-
poses by keeping them under lock. In the
SovV v,ln IoV oil thxa nncf0
and there will be no delays. Here also
have an extra supply Of baking powder.
fiavoring extracts, chocolate, and the spe-
cial sugar used. Do not get more than
five pounds at a time Of the latter, and
see that it is rolled and sifted before
using.
II the mixing spoon is a wooden frame.
beating is expedited II one Of these
spoons cannot be bought, any carpenter
can make one.
In mixing a cake, cream butter and
sugar together-not with the hands. 1t
can be done Just as we'll and more hy-
gienically with a spoon. Butter should be
soft to save work. This does not mean
melted, which makes q heavy batter. Beat
to a light cream.
Next put in the we'll beaten yolks of
eggs, stirring vigorously. Add the -four
and milk alternately. just stirring In and
not beating.
Mix the baking powder with . little
flour and add after the fiavoring. Las
stir in the whites Of eggs beaten SO stif
they adhere to plate when turned upside
down. They should be stirred in with
least possible motion.
Make sure the oven Is IN condition; It
can better wait for the cake than the
other way around. As all ranges are diff
fent, il is difficult to give rigid rules
for temperatures. Cakes with butter re-
Quire quicker heat than sponge cakes,
which should bake three-quarters Of an
hour. Other batters should cook in from
fifteen to twenty minutes for a layer cake.
When a cake is done 1t will have drawn
slightly away from the edges Of the pan.
1t can also be tested by a clean straw.
Do not bake more than a delicate golden
brown. If the oven Is too hot and the
batter browns quickly, cover with a paper
or put a painful of water in the oven,
which should at once have the draft
turned of. The cake will not be SO nice.
but it is the best you can do. Turn the
cakes upside down on a clean towel or
sheet of waxed paper. There will be no
sticking IL bottoms Of pans have been
papered and creased properly. Otherwise,
il cakes stick, put wet cloth over bottoms
of pans for a minute.
Small cakes stick less IL the pans are
fiat-bottomed andsthe sides tall and quite
straight. After greasing, flour well, then
shake OF superfiuous -four. Run knife
around edges before turning cakes out.
Do not ice until cakes are cold. Boiled
white icings are preferable to the un-
cooked, and a soft fudge to ,lncooked
chocolate and sugar.
Scald out the cake box each time before
putting a fresh cake in 1t. Make sure
that it is airtight. Keep in a cool place,
but not a damp cellar or q refrigerator.
Where a cake is not quickly eaten a
piece of fresh bread kept In the box with
it will prevent the cake from getting
stale so soon.