When the cake is thought to be about done, test it by
inserting a broom straw with thick end cut to a fine point. If
no moisture, or half baked batter adheres to the straw, the
cake is done. Also, when the cake is done it usually recedes
a little from the sides of the tin. After removing the cake
from the oven never place in a draft or on a cold surface, but
place the pan on a cloth or towel wrung out of water, and
allow it to remain there a few minutes, after which the cake
can be easily removed from the tin. The more delicate the
cake, the more careful the handling should be.
Cake pans are best greased with baking oil, or lard, never
with salted butter, as the latter burns easily, and sometimes
also causes the cake to stick to the tins. Some cooks like to
sprinkle flour in the greased tins to prevent cakes from stick-
ing. Sprinkle liberally and shake out superfluous flour by
inverting the tin and tapping lightly on the outside. Another
good plan is to place a fitted piece of well greased paper (white
or light brown) in the bottom of cake pan, and sometimes also
along the sides, especially for rich cakes that require long
baking.
Most cakes require medium heat in the baking, except when
the recipe states otherwise. If the oven is too hot, a pan of
cold water placed in it will help to reduce the temperature. As
a rule, layer cakes and small cakes require a hotter oven than
loaf cakes. Cakes made with baking powder call for a higher
temperature than those in which cream of tartar and soda, or
lemon juice and soda, or molasses and soda are used. Cakes
made rich with the yolks of eggs require less heat than cakes
made with the whites of eggs — that is, an oven should be hot-
ter for an angel cake than for a yellow or rich and heavy cake.
Cake containing fruit should always be baked in a slow oven.
The regulation of the oven temperature spells success or
failure in cake baking. As a general rule, the oven should be
slow at first, and the heat gradually increased. Never attempt
to bake a delicate cake mixture with a freshly built coal fire,
which, as everyone knows, always gives out a more intense
heat, or with a fire from which the life has largely died out.
When the same recipe is used with success at' one time and
results in failure at another time the fault can generally be
attributed to an oven of improper temperature.
In mixing cakes lightened with yeast, observe the same
points considered essential to success in bread making. On
account of the tendency of sugar, butter and eggs to retard
36 FARM AND HOME COOK BOOK
fermentation it is advisable to add these only to a light sponge 1
or to a light bread dough. When filling cake tins the batter ]
should never fill more than two-thirds of the space. Draw !
the mixture away from the center toward the corners or edges, i
If this is done, the cakes when baked will have level tops, pro- j
viding the oven was properly heated. j
It is a saving of time, and results will generally be more sat- \
isfactory, if, before beginning to mix a cake, the cook will see '■
to it that she has everything needed ready at hand and in such j
condition that the ingredients can be put together quickly. j
,1
Farmer's Cake j
When putting raised bread in pans to bake, leave out a i
piece about half the size of a loaf. Keep it in raiser and cover j
Page 20
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
When the cake is thought to be about done, test it by inserting a broom straw with thick end cut to a fine point. If no moisture, or half baked batter adheres to the straw, the cake is done. Also, when the cake is done it usually recedes a little from the sides of the tin. After removing the cake from the oven never place in a draft or on a cold surface, but place the pan on a cloth or towel wrung out of water, and allow it to remain there a few minutes, after which the cake can be easily removed from the tin. The more delicate the cake, the more careful the handling should be.
Cake pans are best greased with baking oil, or lard, never with salted butter, as the latter burns easily, and sometimes also causes the cake to stick to the tins. Some cooks like to sprinkle flour in the greased tins to prevent cakes from sticking. Sprinkle liberally and shake out superfluous flour by inverting the tin and tapping lightly on the outside. Another good plan is to place a fitted piece of well greased paper (white or light brown) in the bottom of cake pan, and sometimes also along the sides, especially for rich cakes that require long baking.
Most cakes require medium heat in the baking, except when the recipe states otherwise. If the oven is too hot, a pan of cold water placed in it will help to reduce the temperature. As a rule, layer cakes and small cakes require a hotter oven than loaf cakes. Cakes made with baking powder call for a higher temperature than those in which cream of tartar and soda, or lemon juice and soda, or molasses and soda are used. Cakes made rich with the yolks of eggs require less heat than cakes made with the whites of eggs — that is, an oven should be hotter for an angel cake than for a yellow or rich and heavy cake. Cake containing fruit should always be baked in a slow oven.
The regulation of the oven temperature spells success or failure in cake baking. As a general rule, the oven should be slow at first, and the heat gradually increased. Never attempt to bake a delicate cake mixture with a freshly built coal fire, which, as everyone knows, always gives out a more intense heat, or with a fire from which the life has largely died out. When the same recipe is used with success at' one time and results in failure at another time the fault can generally be attributed to an oven of improper temperature.
In mixing cakes lightened with yeast, observe the same points considered essential to success in bread making. On account of the tendency of sugar, butter and eggs to retard
fermentation it is advisable to add these only to a light sponge 1
or to a light bread dough. When filling cake tins the batter ]
should never fill more than two-thirds of the space. Draw !
the mixture away from the center toward the corners or edges, i
If this is done, the cakes when baked will have level tops, pro- j
viding the oven was properly heated. j
It is a saving of time, and results will generally be more sat- \
isfactory, if, before beginning to mix a cake, the cook will see '■
to it that she has everything needed ready at hand and in such j
condition that the ingredients can be put together quickly. j
,1
Farmer's Cake j
When putting raised bread in pans to bake, leave out a i
piece about half the size of a loaf. Keep it in raiser and cover j