A WORD ABOUT CAKES

To ensure the lightness of cakes, it is necessary to have all the ingredients placed for an hour or more before the fire, that they may all be warm and of equal temperature; without this precaution, cakes will be heavy even when the best ingredients are employed. Great care and experience are required in the management of the oven; to ascertain when a cake is sufficiently baked, plunge a knife into it, draw it instantly away, when, if the blade is sticky, return the cake to the oven; if, on the contrary, it appears unsoiled the cake is ready.

The lightness of cakes depends upon the ingredients being beaten well together. All stiff cakes may be beaten with the hand, but pound cakes, sponge, &c., should be beaten with a whisk or spoon.

I have not tried these particular recipes. I recommend you use the times and temperatures you find on your favorite cake mix as a starting point and adjust to your own liking for the oven cake. The fried cake probably requires a medium to medium hot frying pan.

A COMMON CAKE.

Rub in with one pound of flour six ounces of butter, and two tea-spoonsful of yeast, to a paste; set it to rise, then mix in five eggs, half a pound of sugar, and a quarter of a pint of milk; add currants or carraways, and beat well together. If required to be richer, put more butter and eggs, and add candied citron and lemon-peel.

A NICE BREAKFAST CAKE.

Make a paste of half a pound of flour, one ounce of butter, a very little salt, two eggs, and a table-spoonful of milk, roll it out, but first set it to rise before the fire; cut it into cakes the size of small cheese plates, sprinkle with flour, and bake on a tin in a brisk oven, or they may be fried in a clean frying pan; they should be cut in half, buttered hot, and served quickly.

ICING FOR CAKES.

Whisk half a pound of sifted white sugar, with one wine glass of orange flower-water, and the whites of two eggs, well beaten and strained; it must be whisked until it is quite thick and white; and when the cake is almost cold, dip a soft camel's hair brush into it, and cover the cake well, and set it in a cool oven to harden.

BEFORE THERE
WAS BOXED
MACARONI
AND CHEESE,
THERE WAS THIS.

MACCARONI AND CHEESE.

Boil some maccaroni in milk or water until tender, then drain them and place on a dish with bits of butter and grated Parmesan cheese; when the dish is filled grate more cheese over it and brown before the fire.

RAMAKINS.

Mix together three eggs, one ounce of warmed butter, and two of fine cheese grated, and bake in small patty pans.

SOUNDS
YUMMY!

POMMES FRITES.

This is a simple but very nice way of preparing apples. Peel and cut five fine apples in half, dip them in egg and white powdered sugar, and fry in butter; when done, strew a little white sugar over them.