The Art of Cake-Making.

King Country Chronicle, Volume III, Issue 130, 11 February 1909, Page 3

The Art of Cake-Making.

First of all you see to the oven. Clean,out the flues so that the oven will heat properly, and without any unnecessary poking. The oven must be absolutely hot before putting a cake into it. A half cool temperature means a wholly spolied cake. Time your firing to coincide with your mixing and preparing the cakes, so that the oven can be brought into use the moment you are ready for it. Use good, pure grease and clean paper for the tins. Many careless housewives are not too particular about the latter, and use any kind of paper. A little thought will show them the nastiness, and possibly the danger, of this indifference to cleanliness. To prevent the common fault of a cake burning at the bottom, put an extra layer of greased paper in the bottom of the tin. The side linings should be left an inch higher than the tin. If the oven heats from the top, a greased paper should be laid on the top of the cake. For plain cakes the paper is not necessary. Simply grease the tins well, and dust with flour. Have everything ready to hand before you start to mix your ingredients. Raisins should be stoned and split, currants washed and rolled in flour, peel shredded, and sugar sifted. This saves time. If you are a novice it will be as well to choose a plain recipe and weigh, measure, and make from it as advised. But it is not always necessary to literally follow each detail. Use your own judgment occasionally, and if you think an addition or a modification would be an improvement, act accordingly. At the same time, do not forget that a good plain cake well made is infinitely better than one with a fancj' name, made with a multitude of fancy ingredients, and then spoiled in the making or baking. Having made your cake and satisfied yourself about the heat of the oven, place the tin on a shelf and leave it undisturbed for fully fifteen minutes. By this time the fire should be bright and even, and if kept thus steady, there is no necessity to open the door to see how the cake is getting on. At the end o-' that time open the door gently, draw out the cake, and put a knitting needle through the centre. If, when withdrawn, it is quite clean, then the cake is ready. If a suggestion of moisture is apparent, then a few more minutes baking is necssary. Should the top have got brown before the inside has got baked enough, make a cut in the crust so that the heat can better get to the soft mixture underneath. Proper firing and timing however will prevent this unequal baking. Study your oven as well as your recipes, and experience will soon prove your most trusty guide in its management. Mix your ingredients thoroughly. 5 Butt' r should be properly rubbed into i flour, not simply stirred round a ! fV.v tin,*.-.-. If required beaten to a n, lave it it pure liquid, not a j in. Last, but very important, use good material?. Anything doubtful should be strictly rejected, for what goes into an ovt n bad must necessarily come out the same.