San Rafael cook book, 1906

When soda and sour milk are used always add a little baking powder, and the mixture will be far lighter and will not taste of soda as it is almost sure to do if sufficient soda is used to make very light. 1 level teaspoon of soda to 1 cup of sour milk is a good rule. Beat eggs separately. Dredge fruit with flour to prevent its sinking, and always add it last. Bake cake slowly at first, increasing the heat of the oven when well risen. Layer and sponge calces require a quicker oven than loaf or fruit cake. Sponge ginger bread requires a slow oven. Cookies require a quick oven. WEDDING CAKE— Mrs. Daniel Bradford. (This cake was used at Mrs. Bradford's wedding many years ago.) 5 pounds of flour, 5 pounds of sugar, 5 pounds of butter, 5 pounds of raisins, 5 pounds of citron, 10 pounds of currants, % pint of molasses, % pint of brandy, 35 eggs, 1% ounces of mace, 1% ounces of cinnamon, the same of cloves, 2 ounces of nutmeg, 1 teaspoon of soda. FRUIT CAKE— Mrs. Robert Dollar. Flour 1 pound sifted and browned, butter 1 pound, sugar 1 pound, eggs 10, soda 1 teaspoon, raisins 1 pound, currants 1 pound, citron % pound, orange 2 ounces, lemon 2 ounces, almonds V2 pound, walnuts Vz pound, cinnamon 1 teaspoon, mace 1 teaspoon, cloves 1 teaspoon, allspice 1 teaspoon. BLACK WEDDING CAKE— Mrs. L. A. Lancel. 1 pound powdered sugar, 1 pound butter, 1 pound flour, 12 eggs, 1 pound raisins seeded and chopped, 1 pound currants washed and dredged, Yz pound citron cut into slips, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 2 teaspoons nutmeg, 1 teaspoon cloves, 1 pint brandy. Cream the butter and sugar, add the beaten yolks, stir well; add the flour, then, the spice, then the whipped whites with the flour; lastly the brandy. This quantity makes 2 large cakes; bake at least 2 hours in deep buttered tins; test the cakes well, and be sure they are well done before taking them from the oven; put on icing. FRUIT CAKE— Mrs. W. F. Jones. 1 pound of butter, 1 pound of brown sugar, 1 pound of flour, 10 eggs, 2 pounds of raisins stoned and chopped, 2 pounds of currants washed carefully and dried, 1 pound of citron sliced fine, 1 teacup of syrup, 1 teacup of brandy, 2 nutmegs, 1 small bottle of lemon extract, 2 table- spoons of cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of cloves, 4 teaspoons yeast powder, and 1 tablespoon of sugar burned and dissolved in a tablespoon of water. Stir butter and sugar to a cream then add eggs well beaten, syrup, brandy, lemon, spices, and the fruit dredged with some of the flour. This will make a large and a small loaf. The large loaf should Take about 3 hours in a slow oven. FRUIT CAKE— Mrs. W. J. Dickson. 1 pound of sugar, 1 pound of butter, 1 pound of flour, 10 eggs, 4 pounds fruit (raisins, currants, citron), 1 wine glass of wine (sherry) or brandy, 1 cup of syrup, 1 teaspoon mace, cinnamon and cloves. Beat the butter and sugar to a cream with the hand; stir in the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well with the hand, after which add the syrup, wine and spices, then the fruit, and lastly the flour. Bake 1% hours in tins lined with buttered paper. MRS. HOAG'S WEDDING-CAKE- Mrs. F. E. Sawyer. 1% pounds sugar, 1% pounds flour, 1 pound butter, 3 pounds raisins, 2% pounds currants, 1½ pounds citron, 10 eggs, 2 wine glasses brandy, 2 glasses wine, 1 cup cold coffee, 1 tablespoon soda, 2 tablespoons cloves, 1 tablespoon mace, 1 tablespoon allspice, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, and a nutmeg. Bake 4 hours. If you choose brown part of the flour. FRUIT CAKE— Mrs. Saunders. 1 lb. sugar, lib. flour, lib. butter, 10 eggs, 1 gill of molasses, 3 lbs. raisins, 3 lbs. currants, 1 lb. citron chopped fine, 1 gill of wine, 2 of brandy. 1 oz. of cloves, 1 oz. of cinnamon, % of a nutmeg, 1 teaspoon saleratus, % lb. figs chopped very fine, 1 cup broken walnuts. PLAIN FRUIT CAKE— Mrs. W. L. Oge.