The encyclopædia of practical cookery

New-Year Cakes. — Put lib. of powdered loaf sugar and 12oz. of butter into a basin, and beat them to a cream. Add three well-beaten eggs, 2oz. of caraway-seeds, one grated nutmeg, and lib. of flour. When well mixed, stir in J pint of milk and 1 gill of rose-water, and mix well again ; add 21b. more flour, and work the whole to a smooth dough. Boll it out, cut it into Cakes, and bake in a moderate oven. Serve when cold. Norfolk Cake.— Beat to a cream Jib. of butter, then add six eggs, Jib. of sugar, 1 teacupful of cream, 1 pint of flour, half a nutmeg, 1 wineglassful of brandy, lib. of stoned raisins, and dc., referred to see under their special heads. Cakes — continued. Cakes — continued. 1 teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda dissolved in cream. Mix all together, and bake in a greased Cake-ring, on a bakingsheet. Nourmahial Cake. — Cut four or five slices from the bottom of a large round sponge Cake. Spread over the. slices raspberry, strawberry, greengage, or any other jams, each one different. Put the slices back into their original form, covering the top layer over with a thin slice more of the Cake, press them all gently, and with a sharp knife out out the centre, leaving rather a thick rim. Put the part taken out from the centre into a basin, pour over 1 wineglassful each of brandy and white wine, and add the thin peel of a lemon. Let it soak ; thoroughly mix in 1 breakfast-cupful each of milk and cream, the yolks of three eggs, and 2oz. of sugar, put this in the centre of the Cake, and cover over with another thin layer of the sponge Cake. Prepare an icing with the whites of three eggs and 12oz. of powdered loaf sugar, cover over the Cake with it, smoothing with a knife ; form a design or scroll at the top and bottom, colouring the icing for this with a little cochineal, put the Cake in a dry closet to set the icing, decorate with fruits, leaves, or any thing else desired, and serve. Nun’s Cake. — Cream 8oz. of fresh butter, and mix with it ilb . of sifted flour, Jib. of caster sugar, a grated nutmeg, 1 tablespoonful of cold water, and the yolks of four eggs, previously beaten. Whisk to a stiff froth the whites of two eggs, and add to the other. Butter a mould, turn so much of the mixture in that it shall not quite reach the top of the tin, and bake for about one hour in a steady oven. Fig. 285. Parliament-cake Cutter (Win. Smith and Co.). bicarbonate of sc da, 1 teaspoonful of cream of tartar, and 1 saltspoonful of ground mace. Beat the whites of the eggs stiff and let stand ; add 3 breakfast-cupfuls of pastry-flour and J pint of milk to the mixture. Then put in the whites of the eggs, and mix all well together. Put into a greased tin, and bake in a moderate oven until the Cake shrinks from the tin. Parliament Cakes.— Put lib. of treacle and 2oz. of butter in a basin, set it near the fire until the butter is dissolved. Mix up with lib. of flour 1 table- spoonful of caster sugar and 1 teaspoonful of baking-powder — some use alum and pearlash, but these are not advisable. Beat in the warmed treacle and butter until quite smooth, and set in a cool place until next day. Boll the paste out rather thin, and cut into oblong squares with a cutter (see Pig. 285). Butter a baking-sheet, place the Cakes on, and bake for about a-quarter-of-an-hour in a moderate oven.