Part 2

Those round flat orange patties can be used as jack-o’-lanterns by making little faces on them with melted chocolate and arranging them on a chocolate frosted cake for Halloween. Chocolate candy animals standing lightly on frosted cupcakes delight the children.

Tiny colored sugar flowers can be bought in the 5-and-10 cent store and these are pretty arranged on cakes with fluffy white or pastel frostings. For “extra-special” cakes you can buy candied violets or rose petals to make wreaths of dainty flowers on a frosted cake.

You’ve probably had thoughts of your own as you were reading—of other materials and other ways to use them. Go to it! Experimenting is half the fun. Happy decorating!

Fancy Frosting Effects

These call for special tools, “boughten” or homemade, and special frostings. Cake-decorating sets, consisting of a bag or “gun” and assorted tubes can be purchased in housewares departments. They can be used for making flowers, designs, or lettering on special-occasion cakes.

If you haven’t a tube set, a paper cone for decorating can be easily made. Just cut a 6” square of waxed paper and roll it into a cone. Spoon in the frosting, filling the cone not more than half full. Fold down the top edges and cut off the tip at the bottom to make a tiny opening for the frosting to come through. Then take the cone in left hand, and grasp its top with right hand, bringing thumb down to about the center. Pressing down with the thumb forces the frosting down to the tip of the cone and out through the hole, while your hand directs the movement of the cone. With a little practice, lovely effects can be obtained.

The best frosting for this purpose is Ornamental Frosting because it is very stiff, squeezes out ideally, and sets up firm on the cake.

_How to make your own Cake Decorator_

Ornamental Frosting

(_To use in cake-decorating set or paper cone_)

2¼ cups confectioners’ sugar ⅓ teaspoon cream of tartar 2 egg whites, unbeaten ⅓ teaspoon vanilla

Sift sugar and cream of tartar through very fine sieve.... Add egg whites and mix with slotted spoon or wire whip.... Continue to mix for 3-4 min.... Add vanilla.... Beat 8-20 min. longer with spoon or 3-4 min. on mixer at high speed.... Frosting should be so stiff that a sharp ridge is held when the tip of a knife is drawn through.... Frosting may be tinted with a few drops of food coloring, if desired.... Yield: 1½ cups.

Spry Pan-Coat

Prepare cake pans for baking by rubbing them with Spry Pan-coat.

Mix ... ½ cup Homogenized Spry ¼ cup all-purpose flour

Use ... for “greasing” cake pans, baking sheets, etc. Gives even, brown crust—prevents sticking.

Store ... Pan-coat in covered dish in cupboard for handy use—can be made ahead and stored till wanted. Need not be refrigerated.

How to tell when a cake is done

The cake recipes in this booklet specify a baking range in minutes within which the cake should finish baking and be “done.” However, before removing the cake from the oven, test it for doneness by touching the top of the cake in the center lightly with finger. If the cake springs back leaving no impression, the cake is done. Also, insert a toothpick or wire cake tester in the center, and if it comes out clean, the cake is done. If any dough adheres to the tester, longer baking is needed.

Care of cake after baking

When cake has finished baking, remove it from the oven and put it on a wire cake rack, in the pan. This permits circulation of air around it and insures even cooling. Let it stand 10-15 min. Then gently loosen the cake from the sides of the pan with a spatula or knife, working carefully to avoid breaking edge. Place another rack on top of the pan, turn over, and lift off the pan. Then turn cake right side up on rack to finish cooling. When the cake is thoroughly cold, it is ready to be frosted. For frosting recipes and frosting suggestions, see pp. 11-16.

You can bake a BETTER Cake with Homogenized Spry

Dip your spoon into Homogenized Spry—see how much lighter and fluffier it is than other shortenings—how easy to work with. It’s pre-creamed, easier to blend with dry ingredients. And Spry is the only kind of shortening that is specially made to mix with the liquids your cake recipes call for. So you can see why Spry, with this special blending-action, makes any cake a better cake. You can count on it every time—you’ll bake a better cake, be a better cook, with Homogenized Spry.

Footnotes

[1]With a tartrate baking powder, use 1 teaspoon.

[2]With a tartrate baking powder, use 3½ teaspoons.

[3]With a tartrate baking powder, use 3 teaspoons.

[4]With a tartrate baking powder, use 4 teaspoons.

[5]With a tartrate baking powder, use 4 teaspoons.

[6]If sweetened applesauce is used, use only 1¼ cups sugar.

[7]With a tartrate baking powder, use 5½ teaspoons.

[8]With a tartrate baking powder, use 3 teaspoons.

[9]With a tartrate baking powder, use 5½ teaspoons.

Transcriber’s Notes

—Silently corrected a few typos.

—Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook is public-domain in the country of publication.

—In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by _underscores_.

End of Project Gutenberg's 10 Cakes Husbands Like Best, by Anonymous