CAKES FOR HOLIDAYS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 18, Issue 445, 2 January 1948, Page 13

CAKES FOR HOLIDAYS

shall have made only one rich Christmas cake this "" year, in accord with our principle of practising economy until the Empire’s food supply is back to-normal. Most people will not have made any at all, but are about to make reasonably good cakes now. Here, then, are some recipes for these. Custard Fruit Cake This has been a favourite throughout the war years, and really looks and tastes like a rich Christmas cake. Half butter and half cod-fat have been used by many Links in the Daisy Chain, and one Link wrote that she used all beef dripping and no one was any the wiser. A few drops of lemon essence, or lemon juice, beaten’ up with the fat, is a help. Half quantities may be used. Two pounds flour, 3lb. mixed fruit (have at least. %4lb. of seeded raisins if possible); % to %%4lb. peel, lb. sugar, 1lb. butter (or substitute); 4 eggs; 4 teaspoons baking soda; 14lb. almonds; 4 teaspoon grated nutmeg, 1 dessertspoon each almond and lemon essences, 1 pint boiling milk; 1 teaspoon salt. Sift flour, salt and soda into bowl, rub in the softened fat lightly, then add sugar, stirring well, and the other dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Beat eggs a little, and pour the boiling milk over them. Add the essences, then mix well with the dry ingredients. The mixture is a wet one. Bake 4 to 5 hours, according to depth of tin; or half that time if divided into 2 cakes. Start with oven at regulo 3 or about 350 degrees electric. After 1142 hours reduce heat to regulo 2 for an hour, then finish on regulo 0. Use these times and heats as a GUIDE only-ovens and mixtures differ. One Link who makes this cake in half quantities, mixed the dry ingredients overnight, adding the eggs and. boiling milk in the morning. She bakes it 2 hours approximately. Middle shelf of oven, or slightly below. "Wee Wyn" adds the eggs first and the boiling milk afterwards; and bakes it for 3 hours in preheated oven, turned to regulo 1 all the time. She uses half butter, half cod-fat. Wholemeal Christmas Cake Half pound each of butter; raw sugar; sultanas; currants; raisins; 2o0z. peel; pinch salt; 2 eggs; 2% breakfast cups fine wholemeal; 1/2 teaspoon (heaped) baking soda; 4% pint hot milk; 2 level teaspoons curry powder added has the same effect as brandy, and gives a delicious flavour. Beat butter and sugar, add beatefi eggs. Put soda in hot milk. Sift wholemeal and mix with fruit. Add

milk and wholemeal little by little, alternately, until all is mixed in. Bake from 3 to 5 hours. Regulo 3 for half an hour, then 2 for 1 hour, and the rest at 1. Ship’s Fruit Cake This has nothing to do with a ship, but was called so because of the name of the originator of this really good cake. Half a pound of butter; 2 large cups flour; 1 tablespoon raspberry jam, or home-made gooseberry; 1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1 cup milk; 1 teaspoon vinegar; 1/2 cup sugar; 1 tablespoon golden syrup; 1 egg; 1 to 14lb. mixed fruit. Cream butter and sugar, add egg and beat. Add golden syrup, jam and vinegar; then flour and fruit, and lastly add the soda and milk. Bake in a moderate oven, slowly, as for a Christmas.) cake- approximately 2%2 hours. This is a cheap good cake for a standby at Christmas time, and saves the richer cakes. Arabian Nut Cake One cup chopped dates; 154 cups flour; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 14 teaspoons baking powder; 40z. butter or substitute; 1% cup chopped walnuts; %4 cup hot coffee; 1 teaspoon vanilla flavouring; 1 cup light brown sugar; 2 eggs; %% teaspoon salt. Pour hot coffee over dates, let cool. Cream butter and sugar together. Add 1 egg at a time, beating the mixtur® well. Sift dry ingredients and add alternately with coffee and dates. Add vanilla and chopped nuts. Put in fairly deep tin lined with buttered paper. Bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees or regulo 4.) Time, about 1 hour. Australian Orange Sponge This was sent from Sydney to our Australian High Commissioner’s Office. It is a real sponge cake, having no rising or fat. It may be cooked in a tin billy 7 inches by 7, or in a deep caketin witha greased and floured band of paper tied round to make the tin about 2 inches higher-for the cake rises well. The tin should be greased and dusted out with flour. It takes from 1 to 1% hours baking in a moderate oven, about regulo 4 or 350 degrees. Be very careful when turning out, as it is very soft and light. If cocked in billy with lid on, be very "careful about top heat, or the lid will get too hot and burn the top of the delicate mixture. It is a wonderful cake-Six eggs; grated rind of 2 oranges; 10oz. castor sugar; 60z. of thrice-sifted plain flour; pinch of salt; 1 teaspoon lemon-juice or a little less essence of lemon. Separate yolks and whites. Beat yolks for a minute or two, then add the sugar by degrees, beating until thick. Add grated rind and lemon juice and beat again. Whisk whites to a iight froth, add the salt and whisk again till basin can be turged upside down without whites coming out, Now gently combine the two mixtures and whisk together till very light and big bubbles begin to break. Then stop at once (important). Now add the thrice-sifted flour a very little at a time, sifting it over the surface and working in very carefully. Occasionally just run the spoon downwards to ensure the flour being absorbed evenly. Pour mixture into prepared tin or billy and cook as above.