MAKING CAKES.

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 313, 19 December 1936, Page 2

MAKING CAKES.

Some Hints For Your Xmas Cooking. Here are some hints' worth remembering when baking your Xmas cakes. Have the ingredients measured and the cake tins ready before beginning • to mix. Good dripping may be used instead of butter or lard. To prevent currants from sinking, dredge them with a little flour before adding to the mixture. For a fruit cake or large cake, grease the sides and bottom of the tins and line with butter paper or brown paper. For sponges, grease the tins and dust with Hour. Place all the cakes baked in tins on a wire rack if you have one, not on the scone' tray.

Place large cakes in the lower part of the oven (not too low), so that the bottom heat will help them to rise to their full height before commencing. to brown. If a cake brojvns too quickly a crust will form -which prevents rising. A good idea is to put paper over at first, then when the cake has risen, remove the paper for browning on top. A cake should rise to its full height before browning, especially sponge cake.

A cake is done when it shrinks from the. sides of the tin, or if it feels firm to the touch of the fingers and will spring back into place. To test, try with a steel knitting needle (or fine skewer). If it comes out clean, the cake is done —if sticky, bake a few minutes longer. As soon as a cake is done, remove it from ■the oven and take out of the; tin at once. Place the cake on a wire rack, not on a fiat dish or tray'. Rich cake is better kept a week or so before cutting. When cutting a fresh cake heat the knife. This helps to prevent crumbling.

CHOCOLATE SPONGE. Jib butter, 1 teacup sugar, 3 eggs', milk if necessary, 1 breakfastcup 'flour, 1 heaped tablespoon cocoa, 1 teaspoon baking powder. Cream butter and sugar, add eggs well beaten, 'then dry ingredients previously well mixed. Add sufficient milk to make a smooth sponge mixture. Bake about 30 minutes in a moderate oven. CHRISTMAS CAKE.

lib butter, lib raisins, 4oz mixed peel, 21b flour, 10 eggs, brandy, 11b. currants, 11b sultanas, 4oz almonds (chopped), lib sugar, 1 heaped teaspoon baking powder.

Beat butter to a cream, add sugar, then eggs one by one (unbeaten); mix baking powder with flour, and put in, then fruit dredged with flour, lastly brandy. Cook 41 hours in moderate oven.

MERINGUE CAKE. Beat whites of three eggs until very' stiff. Add small pinch of salt Fold in a teacup of sugar a 'little at a time. Lastly add a teaspoon essence of vanilla and one teaspoon vinegar. Put in a greased sandwich tin lined with slightly damp greaseproof paper and bake in a moderate oven, reducing heat for 1£ hours. Pile raspberry, strawberry or any other fruit, and whipped cream on top, ’decorated with the fruit you use or jelly and whipped crciam.

MARSHMELLOW CAKE.

4oz butter, 1 teacup sugar, 1 egg. 1 cup flour,’ 1 teaspoon baking powder.

Cream butter and sugar, add egg and beat well, then flour and baking powder. Pul into -square or oblong greased tin and bake in a moderate oven 30 minutes. When cold spread the following marshmellow mixture on top. Soak 1 packet lemon or raspberry jelly crystals in breakfastcups of cold water for 10 minutes and boil for 8 minutes without stirring. Leave till slightly cool, add 1 cup icing sugar and beat till stiff. Spread on cake mixture and sprinkle with cocoanut or if desired ice With chocolate icing and sprinkle with chopped nuts.

BUTTERFLY CAKES. 11b butter, 1 teacup sugar, 2 eggs, 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon milk. Beat butter and sugar to a cream, add eggs well beaten, then flour and baking powder mixed, and lastly milk. Half fill paper cases with mixture, place on cold oven shelft and bake 15 minutes in good oven. When cool slice small piece off the top of each, put a teaspoon whipped cream on, cut piece in half and stand pieces up on edge on whipped cream. If desired, decorate with small pieces of jelly made with jelly crystals.