The first step is to gather all necessary materials together.
Weigh and measure all materials. Sift flour and sugar before meas-
uring. If flour is moist spread it out on a sheet of tin and dry it by
a moderate heat, before sifting. Beat white and yolks of eggs sepa-
rately in a china bowl, the whites until they can be cut like butter,
and the yolks till they cease to froth and begin to thicken like cus-
tard. Not a drop of yolk must mix with white or it will prevent its
working stiff and dry. Never beat in tin, always in china ware, and
in a cool room. If weather is hot, set dish on ice or cool eggs in
cold water. If whites do not readily stiffen, or incline to curdle, add
a pinch of salt and sugar for each egg used. Both yolks and whites
must be used promptly after beating, as they fall and lose their
frothiness, by standing. Eggs must be fresh. The size called for
by recipes is two ounces each. If less, more in number must be
used. The eggs of Plymouth Rocks, Brahmas and other pure-bred
fowls, with rough, chalky shells and a pinkish or pale brown hue,
are richer and have yolks of a light orange color. If a yolk is found
to have a pale, greenish tint, it is unfit for use. To test the quality
before breaking, hold in closed hand to the light, and look through
it endwise at the sun or a bright light. If yolk can be seen round
CAKE'MAKING. 55
and unbroken, the egg is sound and fresh. Another test is to lay it
in water ; if the egg floats, it is not good. • Rinse bowl used in beat-
ing yolks, with a part of the milk, and remember this in all cases,
when yolks and milk are used.
The flavor of cream and milk is another important point. This
depends on the food of the cow and cleanliness in milking and
handling. " Certain foods, turnips and onions, for instance, always
impart unpleasant flavors. Taste cream or milk before using.
The sugar must also be pure, and much of it is now adulterated.
To test, dissolve a teaspoonful in a glass of water ; if water becomes
milky or cloudy, the sugar is impure. A bluish tint in sugar indi-
cates adulteration. Use pulverized sugar for all delicate cakes ; for
rich cakes, best quality granulated, and best brown sugar for dark
cakes. Fine graniulated and coffee A are best and most economical.
Butter, when worked with sugar should be gently warmed. Sift the
finely pulverized sugar into a china bowl, cut the warm butter into
it in small pieces, beat with largo silver spoon or wooden paddle,
until it is smooth as cream and very light. This is called " creaming^^
the butter and sugar. If very salt, butter should be freshened a lit-
tle before using. When all ingredients are mixed, beat vigorously
for a long time, so that it. may go into oven as light as possible.
This applies only, of course, to cakes made without yeast.
To test salt, dissolve a tablespoonful in a glass of water ; the
impurities, if any, will fall to the bottom.
Test baking powder in the same way. If pure, there will be no
sediment.
It is best to buy aniseed, allspice, caraway, cardamon, cloves,
coriander, ginger, nutmeg and mace, in their natural state, as those
put up are usually adulterated with worthless and often injurious
substances. Round nutmegs are better than oblong. They should
show oil if pricked with a pin. Grind all spices in a coffee mill and
sift through a fine sieve before using.
Page 42
Presented as published in 1890. 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
The first step is to gather all necessary materials together. Weigh and measure all materials. Sift flour and sugar before measuring. If flour is moist spread it out on a sheet of tin and dry it by a moderate heat, before sifting. Beat white and yolks of eggs separately in a china bowl, the whites until they can be cut like butter, and the yolks till they cease to froth and begin to thicken like custard. Not a drop of yolk must mix with white or it will prevent its working stiff and dry. Never beat in tin, always in china ware, and in a cool room. If weather is hot, set dish on ice or cool eggs in cold water. If whites do not readily stiffen, or incline to curdle, add a pinch of salt and sugar for each egg used. Both yolks and whites must be used promptly after beating, as they fall and lose their frothiness, by standing. Eggs must be fresh. The size called for by recipes is two ounces each. If less, more in number must be used. The eggs of Plymouth Rocks, Brahmas and other pure-bred fowls, with rough, chalky shells and a pinkish or pale brown hue, are richer and have yolks of a light orange color. If a yolk is found to have a pale, greenish tint, it is unfit for use. To test the quality before breaking, hold in closed hand to the light, and look through it endwise at the sun or a bright light. If yolk can be seen round
and unbroken, the egg is sound and fresh. Another test is to lay it in water ; if the egg floats, it is not good. • Rinse bowl used in beating yolks, with a part of the milk, and remember this in all cases, when yolks and milk are used.
The flavor of cream and milk is another important point. This depends on the food of the cow and cleanliness in milking and handling. " Certain foods, turnips and onions, for instance, always impart unpleasant flavors. Taste cream or milk before using.
The sugar must also be pure, and much of it is now adulterated. To test, dissolve a teaspoonful in a glass of water ; if water becomes milky or cloudy, the sugar is impure. A bluish tint in sugar indicates adulteration. Use pulverized sugar for all delicate cakes ; for rich cakes, best quality granulated, and best brown sugar for dark cakes. Fine graniulated and coffee A are best and most economical. Butter, when worked with sugar should be gently warmed. Sift the finely pulverized sugar into a china bowl, cut the warm butter into it in small pieces, beat with largo silver spoon or wooden paddle, until it is smooth as cream and very light. This is called " "creaming" the butter and sugar. If very salt, butter should be freshened a little before using. When all ingredients are mixed, beat vigorously for a long time, so that it. may go into oven as light as possible. This applies only, of course, to cakes made without yeast.
To test salt, dissolve a tablespoonful in a glass of water ; the impurities, if any, will fall to the bottom.
Test baking powder in the same way. If pure, there will be no sediment.
It is best to buy aniseed, allspice, caraway, cardamon, cloves, coriander, ginger, nutmeg and mace, in their natural state, as those put up are usually adulterated with worthless and often injurious substances. Round nutmegs are better than oblong. They should show oil if pricked with a pin. Grind all spices in a coffee mill and sift through a fine sieve before using.