Measurements can be only approximately given, since flours
vary in their capacity to absorb moisture, and every house-
keeper does not measure with the same sized cup, or spoon.
Therefore it will be necessary for each cook to experiment to
some extent for herself. Bread flour should only be used for
bread or yeast cakes, as it contains too much gluten, and is
liable to make baking powder cakes too thick. Cups of dry
ingredients are measured level, teaspoons or tablespoons should
be rounded, while liquid measure should never be overflowing
full. A complete table of weights and measures is given
elsewhere in this book, also an index to th© abbreviations used.
Cake batters are usually mixed by first creaming together
the butter and sugar, then adding the eggs, one at a time, and
beating them well with the butter and sugar. Sometimes only
the yolks are added, and the beaten whites at the very last.
After the eggs, molasses, or milk, or whatever liquid the recipe
calls for, is added, then the flour, in which the baking powder
should first be mixed dry, and all sifted together before adding
to the other ingredients.
The seeded or seedless raisins and the currants should be
thoroughly cleaned and lightly dredged with flour before adding
to the batter, the very last thing. Citron and candied lemon
peel or orange peel, as well as nut meats, should also be
dredged with flour before adding to the batter. This prevents
the fruit from sticking together and falling to the bottom of
the cake.
When sour milk is used in cake, it calls for about 1 teaspoon
saleratus (soda) to each cup sour milk, or buttermilk — more
or less soda, according to the acidity of the milk. Too much
soda makes the cakes unpalatable, and causes the objectionable
little brown spots. Sweet milk can be substituted for sour
milk by omitting soda, and using baking powder instead. It
usually requires about 1 to l^^ teaspoons baking powder to 2
cups flour. Also, sour milk can be substituted for sweet milk
by omitting baking powder and adding a teaspoon soda to each
cup sour milk. One cup sour milk with 1 teaspoon saleratus
generally equals about 2 teaspoons baking powder in "raising"
power. A good substitute for the "boughten" baking powder
is made of cream of tartar combined with saleratus '«oda^- —
two parts of the former with one of the latter.
In dark cakes that call for butter, any gooa shortening
can be substituted for the sake of economy — lard, chicken fat,
or drippings, but none of strong flavor, such as goose or mut-
ton, or any fat in which onions have been cooked. When try-
ing a new recipe it is a good plan to measure the shortening
and the sugar and molasses scant, until the individual family
taste has been ascertained.
DIRECTIONS FOR MIXING AND BAKING 35
When cakes "fall" in the center while baking, or immedi-
ately after removing from the oven, it is generally because the
batter was too thin, or too rich with butter or molasses, or the
baking was too rapid, so that a hard outer crust had formed
before the center had solidified. It is for this same reason that
the crusts will break, and the batter come up between, thus
forming unsightly broken tops to the cakes.
Page 19
Presented as published in 1907. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Measurements can be only approximately given, since flours vary in their capacity to absorb moisture, and every housekeeper does not measure with the same sized cup, or spoon. Therefore it will be necessary for each cook to experiment to some extent for herself. Bread flour should only be used for bread or yeast cakes, as it contains too much gluten, and is liable to make baking powder cakes too thick. Cups of dry ingredients are measured level, teaspoons or tablespoons should be rounded, while liquid measure should never be overflowing full. A complete table of weights and measures is given elsewhere in this book, also an index to the abbreviations used.
Cake batters are usually mixed by first creaming together the butter and sugar, then adding the eggs, one at a time, and beating them well with the butter and sugar. Sometimes only the yolks are added, and the beaten whites at the very last. After the eggs, molasses, or milk, or whatever liquid the recipe calls for, is added, then the flour, in which the baking powder should first be mixed dry, and all sifted together before adding to the other ingredients.
The seeded or seedless raisins and the currants should be thoroughly cleaned and lightly dredged with flour before adding to the batter, the very last thing. Citron and candied lemon peel or orange peel, as well as nut meats, should also be dredged with flour before adding to the batter. This prevents the fruit from sticking together and falling to the bottom of the cake.
When sour milk is used in cake, it calls for about 1 teaspoon saleratus (soda) to each cup sour milk, or buttermilk — more or less soda, according to the acidity of the milk. Too much soda makes the cakes unpalatable, and causes the objectionable little brown spots. Sweet milk can be substituted for sour milk by omitting soda, and using baking powder instead. It usually requires about 1 to l^^ teaspoons baking powder to 2 cups flour. Also, sour milk can be substituted for sweet milk by omitting baking powder and adding a teaspoon soda to each cup sour milk. One cup sour milk with 1 teaspoon saleratus generally equals about 2 teaspoons baking powder in "raising" power. A good substitute for the "boughten" baking powder is made of cream of tartar combined with saleratus (soda) — two parts of the former with one of the latter.
In dark cakes that call for butter, any gooa shortening can be substituted for the sake of economy — lard, chicken fat, or drippings, but none of strong flavor, such as goose or mutton, or any fat in which onions have been cooked. When trying a new recipe it is a good plan to measure the shortening and the sugar and molasses scant, until the individual family taste has been ascertained.
DIRECTIONS FOR MIXING AND BAKING 35
When cakes "fall" in the center while baking, or immediately after removing from the oven, it is generally because the batter was too thin, or too rich with butter or molasses, or the baking was too rapid, so that a hard outer crust had formed before the center had solidified. It is for this same reason that the crusts will break, and the batter come up between, thus forming unsightly broken tops to the cakes.