The 1918 Fanny Farmer Cookbook

undone by breaking air bubbles. These rules apply to a mixture where baking powder is not

employed.

To Mix Butter Cakes. An earthen bowl should always be used for mixing cake, and a

wooden cake−spoon with slits lightens the labor. Measure dry ingredients, and mix and sift

baking powder and spices, if used, with flour. Count out number of eggs required, breaking

each separately that there may be no loss should a stale egg chance to be found in the number,

separating yolks from whites if rule so specifies. Measure butter, then liquid. Having

everything

in readiness, the mixing may be quickly accomplished. If butter is very hard, by allowing it to

stand a short time in a warm room it is measured and creamed much easier. If time cannot be

allowed for this to be done, warm bowl by pouring in some hot water, letting stand one

minute,

then emptying and wiping dry. Avoid overheating bowl, as butter will become oily rather than

creamy. Put butter in bowl, and cream by working with a wooden spoon until soft and of a

creamy consistency; then add sugar gradually, and continue beating. Add yolks of eggs or

whole eggs beaten until light, liquid, and flour mixed and sifted with baking powder; or liquid

and flour may be added alternately. When yolks and whites of eggs are beaten separately,

whites are usually added at the last, as is the case when whites of eggs alone are used. A cake

can be made fine−grained only by long beating, although light and delicate with a small

amount

of beating. Never stir cake after the final beating, remembering that beating motion should

always be the last used. Fruit, when added to cake, is usually floured to prevent its settling to

the bottom. This is not necessary if it is added directly after the sugar, which is desirable in all

dark cakes. If a light fruit cake is made, fruit added in this way discolors the loaf. Citron is

first

are

cut in thin slices, then in strips, floured, and put in between layers of cake mixtures. Raisins

seeded and cut, rather than chopped. To seed raisins, wet tips of fingers in a cup of warm

water. Then break skins with fingers or cut with a vegetable knife; remove seeds, and put in

cup

put

of water. This is better than covering raisins with warm water; if this be done, water clings to

fruit, and when dredged with flour a pasty mass is formed on the outside. Washed currants,

up in packages, are quite free from stems and foreign substances, and need only picking over

and rolling in flour. Currants bought in bulk need thorough cleaning. First roll in flour, which

helps to start dirt; wash in cold water, drain, and spread to dry; then roll again in flour before

using.

To Butter and Fill Pans Grease pans with melted fat, applying the same with a butter brush.

If butter is used, put in a small saucepan and place on back of range; when melted, salt will

settle to the bottom; butter is then called clarified. Just before putting in mixture, dredge pans

thoroughly with flour, invert, and shake pan to remove all superfluous flour, leaving only a

thin

coating which adheres to butter. This gives to cake a smooth under surface, which is

especially

desirable if cake is to be frosted. Pans may be lined with paper. If this is done, paper should

just cover bottom of pan and project over sides. Then ends of pan and paper are buttered.

Chapter XXXI − CAKE

579