Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1911-07-07
The Ingredients.

The Ingredients.
Pastry flour, because it contains
more starch and less gluten, makes a
lighter and tenderer cake than bread
flour. 1t is not best to use coarse,
granulated sugar, as it tends to give
the cake a coarse texture and hard
crust. Use only good, sweet butter
and fresh eggs. The baking powder
should not be stale. All baking pow.
ders have at least three ingredients.
First, baking soda; second some
chemical which is capable OF acting
upon baking soda, causing it to give
off carbon dioXide gas; third, starch.
which is added to keep the powder
dry. Baking powders owe their lcay,
ening power to the liberation of this
carbon dioTide gas, Wh,,l IS set free
from baking soda by the acton OF
chemicals of acid nature in the pres
ence OF moisture and heat.
How to Measure.
Long experience has taught some
people to measure accurately by hand
and sight, but the majority need den.
mite guides. 1t is great help To
have one-half pint measuring cups
divided into quarters and thirds, and
tea and tablespoons Of regulation size.
a cupful is measured level. If dry
materials are being measured, round
slightly and level with case knife.
A tablespoonful and teaspoonful are
both measured level in the same man.
ner. Flour should always be sifted al
least once before measuring.
Combining the Ingredients.
Three means OF combining the in
gradients are used in the mixing of
cake: stirring, beating and cutting and
folding.
To stir is TO mix by using circular
motion. To beat is to turn the in.
gradients over and over continually
bringing the under part to the surface
Cutting and folding are two motions
used to introduce one ingredient into
another. To cut is to make vertical
downward motion. To fold is to turn
the mixture over and over, allowing
the spoon each time to come in con
tact with the bottom of the bowl.
Ingredients are mixed by stirring.
a large amount of air is enclosed b.
beating. Ingredients are mixed anC
air already introduced is prevented
from escaping by cutting and folding
Labor Will be lightened by mixing
with a slit wooden spoon.
Recipe.
l cup butter.
cups of sugar.
8 cups of -four.
6 teaspoonfuls of baking powder.
1 cup of milk.
/ teaspoonful of vanilla.
Whites of eggs.
This recipe may be cheapened by
using only u cup of butter and thl
whites OF four eggs, if it is to be uscC
soon after baking.
If the butter IS hard, soften by al
lowing it to stand in warm room OF
by warming the mixing bowl with ho
water. Do not overLeat the butter,
because it tends to become oily in
stead Of creamy, and may produce
heavy streaks in the cake. Cream the
butter until it is very soft Add tht
sugar gradually and continue cream
ing and beating for some time. Long
creaming gives smooth, fine texture
and beating gives added lightness.
The -four should have been meas
ured into the sitter; add the milk and
flour alternately. Add the baking
powder with the last cup of -four Mix
the ingredients by stirring. A fnv
grain can be obtaiped only by lona
beating. Cut and fold in the stilfly
beaten whites of the eggs.
Grease the pans. Dredge with
flour; then invert to remove the super
fluous flour. This gives the cake a
smooth surface, especially desirable ii
the cake is to be frosted. Pans may
be lined with paper. then creased.
In filing the pans have the mixture
come well up to the sides and corners,
leaving a slight depression in the cen
ter so that the cake may be perfectly
fiat ON top when baked.
The Baking.
Put layer of cake into three
minute oven; that is, one that win
brown small piece of brown paper in
three minutes. Bake twenty-five min.
utes.
Cakes, with the exception, perhaps,
of pound cake, are thoroughly baked
when they shrink from the pan and
settle to level. All cakes are wel
done when they make only slight
singing noise or when the surface re,
bounds at once on being pressed with
the finger.
MARY EDMONDS,
Extension Department, College Of
Agriculture. Ohio State University.