The farm cook & rule book

To be successful in cake making the best ingredients, accurate measurements and the right oven temperatures must be used. Loaf cakes require an oven warm enough to turn a little flour light brown in 4 minutes, or a temperature of about 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Layer and cup cakes require a somewhat warmer oven, a temperature of 375 degrees Fahrenheit, while sponge cakes are best baked in a slower oven, or one with a temperature of approximately 300 degrees Fahrenheit. If a thermostat in the oven door is used to measure the temperature instead of an oven thermometer, subtract about 50 degrees from these temperatures. A small pan of water set in one corner of a kerosene or gas heated oven helps to insure even baking. Baking Suggestions The time of baking is divided into quarters. During the first quarter the cake should begin to rise, in the second it should continue to rise and begin to brown, in the third it should continue to brown, and in the fourth it should finish browning and shrink from the pan. Cake pans are oiled lightly or are lined with oiled paper before the batter is poured into them. The pans should be about three-fourths full of the batter which is spread evenly toward the sides and corners. Cake is baked as near the center of the oven as is possible. Mistakes to Avoid When the cake breaks open on top, it is a sign that the oven was too hot when the batter was inserted or that too much flour was used. A soggy, heavy cake contains too little flour and too much sugar and fat. A cake which runs over the edges of the pan contains too much baking powder or it was baked in an oven that was not hot enough. Since it is sometimes necessary to make substitutions in cake making, this table of equivalents may be helpful ■ 8 egg whites and 1 egg equal 4 1 cupful chocolate equals % cupeggs in a cake ful butter 1 cupful nut meats equals % cup- % to % cupful bread flour equals ful butter 1 cupful pastry flour Plain Cake 4 tablespoonfuls shortening 1% cupfuls flour 1 cupful sugar 2% teaspoonfuls baking powder 2 eggs y% teaspoonful vanilla % cupful milk *% teaspoonful salt Cream the shortening with a spoon and add the sugar. Beat until light and creamy. Then add the beaten egg yolks. Sift the flour and baking powder together and add them alternately with the milk. Add salt and vanilla, fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites and pour the batter in the tins for baking. This may be baked in layers or as a loaf. Spice Cake Add 1 teaspoonful of cinnamon and 1 teaspoonful of cloves to the plain cake batter. Raisin Cake Add 1/2 cupful of chopped and floured raisins to the batter for plain cake just before the egg whites are folded into the mixture. Nut Cake Add % cupful of chopped and floured nut meats to the plain cake batter just before folding in the egg whites. Since the plain cake is not very rich, the amount of fat does not need to be reduced when the nut meats are added. Orange Cake Add 2 tablespoonfuls of grated orange peel to the plain cake batter. Chocolate Cake Add 2 ounces of melted chocolate to the plain cake batter just before the egg yolks are stirred into the sugar and butter. White Cake y2 cupful butter 3 teaspoonfuls baking powder ly^ cupfuls sugar ^ teaspoonful cream of tartar % cupful milk 6 egg whites