Evening star., 1923-02-09
CAKE AND PASTRY MAKERS
FIND FEBRUARY BUSY MONTH
Some Timely Suggestions Made for Those
Who Seek Best Methods to Pro-
duce Results in Cooking.

ward. the tenderer Your cake will be.
for the gluten of the flour. when much
worked in the absence of shortening,
is likely to grow tough.
Third. the butter can be creamed
until it has the color and consistency
can be added, the eggs next, and
finally the dry ingredients alternately
with the milk or other wetting until
the batter is of the right thickness.
That is the slowest and most difficult
method, but it gives the finest grain.
Three ways Of adding fruit:
First. the fruit can be well stirred
in or crushed into the creamed but
ter before the sugar is added. BY
thus Incorporating it with the butter,
it's tendency to sink is reduced. This
method produces darker cake, but
that is not always disadvantage.
Second. the fruit can be Toured and
added the last thing to the batter:
The -four increases the friction, and
thus tends to prevent the fruit from
sinking, but a beginner in cake
making must beware of using too
much flour or she Will find uncooked
pat chcS in the cake.
Third. the fruit can be heated in the
oven until il is plump then added
TO the batter. Tho density of the
fruit dccrease seS as il SwellS. and when
IN" fruit Is hot il coaSulatcs a Ger
tain amount Of batter that forms
friction is increased. and the tendency
of the fruit to sink is decreased.
If chocolate or nuts are used IN
making a cake. this amount OF nut
ed. otherwise the cake will be so
rich that it will fall. For instance.
If you use one cupful of butter to
three cupfuls of flour. which is the
maximum. and wish to add a cupfui
of nut meats or grated chocolate,
St, InI n
full of butter for every cupful OF nut
meats or chocolate that you add. for
both ingredients are rich in fat. Nuts
also require an additional amount OF
for each cupful of nuts. to develop
the flavor. The added pinch OF salt
makes the difference between an eX-
cclleut nut cake and a poor. insipid
cake.
How to Prevent Cake Failure.
When recipe says to stir"
mixture. 1t means to stir il around
and around. blending the materials
and gradually increasing the circle.
"Beating" means to mix over and
over Always let the bowl of the
spoon touch the bottom of the mixing
bowl and carry the mixture across to
the opposite side. Repeat this until
all the air cells possible have been
incorporated with the mass.
"Folding'' or Cutting means to turn
the mixture over. cut down and lift w.
folding the mass so as just to blend
the materials but not break the air
cells. BY stirring ingredients are mix
ed. by beating. lots Of air is inclosed.
by cutting. air introduced is prevented
from escaping
When a cake batter curdles the
texture will not be as even as when
the curdiing does not take place.
Sometimes the mixture Will curdle on
account of the eggs being added too
quickly or if the shortening contains
too much water. This forms sirup
with the sugar. and after certain
quantity Of eggs has been added. the
batter will slip and slide around and
will not mix with the other inSre-
dients.
Do not place cake in cold place
or at ar--Den window. The steam
will condr4:sa and make il heavy.
\ very light sponge cake put into
an oven that is too hot rises rapidly
around the sides. but leaves hollow
in the middle. An excess of sugar
other causes. If a sponge cake is
made too light with eggs or baking
powder and not enough flour is added.
it will drop in the center. Another
frequent cause is the moving of the
cakes while in the oven before the
mixture has properly set. The same
defect is produced if the cake is NOV
ed from the oven before being baked
enough. If the oven door is slammed
carelessly. the shock may make the
cake fall. and a quantity of cold air
will be shut in. which will check the
baking.
If sponge cake is mixed with cold
water II will be yellow. but if mixed
with boiling water it will be white.
Stale sponge cake may be transform
ed into an excellent dessert by cut
ting it into slices and toasting ii over
the Goals. Then spread whipped cream
on each slice. and into it drop tea
spoonful of currant jelly.
If patty cases are placed in the
oven too soon after being cut out,
they will have an unshapely appear
ance after they are baked, and will
appear small and contracted. After
patty cases are placed on the bakinG
tins they should be allowed to re
main in cool place for at least
twenty minutes. Bad shapes are also
sometimes due to lack of care in
freeing the paste properly from the
baking board before starting to cut
out. as it is inclined to cling after
being rolled out.