enough, but if it is dry and undimmed the baking is finished. A cold knife should never be run into a cake, as it would make it “ sad.” Cakes should be allowed to stand for a minute or two before re- moving them from the tin ; they will then come out more easily. They should be cooled on a wire stand or sieve, or stood on end so that the air gets round the bottom and sides. The time given for baking in the following recipes is only approximate ; it is impossible to lay down any hard and fast rules, as the time is bound to vary slightly owing to various causes. A Gas Oven. — If the baking is done in a gas oven, the following hints may be of use : Light the oven, turning the gas full on ; keep the door shut for 10 minutes, then reduce the gas more or less according to the heat required, and put in the cake. Continue reducing the heat at shorter or longer intervals, according to the size of the cake, until the cooking is complete. Always place the cakes on the grid shelves of the oven and below the solid shelf. The solid shelf is useful for bring- ing down the heat of the oven and browning the top of the cakes, but in the case of very large cakes this is better removed altogether. With large cakes, too, it is a good plan to leave them in the oven for about half an hour after the gas has been turned off, and to let them dry slowly in the gradu- ally reducing heat. TO KEEP BREAD AND CAKES As soon as bread is taken from the tin in which it has been baked, it should be placed on a wire stand or sieve, or else supported in such a way that the air can circulate freely round it. If laid flat or covered while still warm, the moisture generated by the escaping steam is retained and destroys the cake’s lightness and crispness. The cooling should be done slowly and in the warm kitchen if possible. To put hot bread almost at once into a cool atmos- phere is almost bound to make it heavy. When quite cold, the bread should be stored in a cool, dry, and light closet or pantry, and never in a dark underground cellar. Both dampness and darkness would be unfavourable to its keeping well, and would readily foster mould. The bread may either be placed on a shelf and covered with a clean cloth, or be kept in a special bread pan or bin. This should not be air-tight but have a per- forated fid to allow of ventilation. If to be kept for any length of time the bread may be further pro- tected by being wrapped in a sheet of grease-proof paper and then in a cloth. Perfect cleanliness must be observed as regards the bread pan. It must be wiped out regularly to free it from all musty crumbs, and once a week, or once a fort- night, thoroughly washed and scalded and then dried in front of the fire or in the sun. Scones and Tea-cakes should always be wrapped in a clean cloth to prevent their becoming dry, and kept on a shelf or in the bread box. They are generally improved by reheating if kept until the second or third day. The above rules apply equally to the cooling of Cakes, which must never be stored away until quite cold. Large cakes will keep best if wrapped in paper and put in a tin box with a tight-fitting lid. Fruit cakes, which have to be kept for any length of time, should be wrapped in grease- proof paper, and then in a sheet of ordinary paper or a clean cloth. For small cakes the box should just be lined with paper.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

enough, but if it is dry and undimmed the baking is finished. A cold knife should never be run into a cake, as it would make it “ sad.” Cakes should be allowed to stand for a minute or two before removing them from the tin ; they will then come out more easily. They should be cooled on a wire stand or sieve, or stood on end so that the air gets round the bottom and sides. The time given for baking in the following recipes is only approximate ; it is impossible to lay down any hard and fast rules, as the time is bound to vary slightly owing to various causes. A Gas Oven. — If the baking is done in a gas oven, the following hints may be of use : Light the oven, turning the gas full on ; keep the door shut for 10 minutes, then reduce the gas more or less according to the heat required, and put in the cake. Continue reducing the heat at shorter or longer intervals, according to the size of the cake, until the cooking is complete. Always place the cakes on the grid shelves of the oven and below the solid shelf. The solid shelf is useful for bringing down the heat of the oven and browning the top of the cakes, but in the case of very large cakes this is better removed altogether. With large cakes, too, it is a good plan to leave them in the oven for about half an hour after the gas has been turned off, and to let them dry slowly in the gradually reducing heat. TO KEEP BREAD AND CAKES As soon as bread is taken from the tin in which it has been baked, it should be placed on a wire stand or sieve, or else supported in such a way that the air can circulate freely round it. If laid flat or covered while still warm, the moisture generated by the escaping steam is retained and destroys the cake’s lightness and crispness. The cooling should be done slowly and in the warm kitchen if possible. To put hot bread almost at once into a cool atmosphere is almost bound to make it heavy. When quite cold, the bread should be stored in a cool, dry, and light closet or pantry, and never in a dark underground cellar. Both dampness and darkness would be unfavourable to its keeping well, and would readily foster mould. The bread may either be placed on a shelf and covered with a clean cloth, or be kept in a special bread pan or bin. This should not be air-tight but have a perforated fid to allow of ventilation. If to be kept for any length of time the bread may be further protected by being wrapped in a sheet of grease-proof paper and then in a cloth. Perfect cleanliness must be observed as regards the bread pan. It must be wiped out regularly to free it from all musty crumbs, and once a week, or once a fortnight, thoroughly washed and scalded and then dried in front of the fire or in the sun. Scones and Tea-cakes should always be wrapped in a clean cloth to prevent their becoming dry, and kept on a shelf or in the bread box. They are generally improved by reheating if kept until the second or third day. The above rules apply equally to the cooling of Cakes, which must never be stored away until quite cold. Large cakes will keep best if wrapped in paper and put in a tin box with a tight-fitting lid. Fruit cakes, which have to be kept for any length of time, should be wrapped in greaseproof paper, and then in a sheet of ordinary paper or a clean cloth. For small cakes the box should just be lined with paper.

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