Part 5

=Soft Waffles.=—1 quart flour, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, 1 large tablespoon butter, 2 eggs, 1½ pints milk. Sift together flour, salt, sugar, and powder; rub in butter cold; add beaten eggs and milk; mix into smooth, consistent batter that will run easily and limpid from mouth of pitcher. Have waffle-iron hot and carefully greased each time; fill ⅔, close it up; when brown turn over. Sift sugar on them, serve hot.

=Rice Waffles.=—Into a batter as directed for soft waffles stir 1 cup of rice, free from lumps; cook as directed in same receipt.

=Virginia Waffles.=—Cook ½ cup white Indian corn meal in 1½ cups boiling water 30 minutes, adding 1½ teaspoons salt. Add 1½ cups milk, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons melted butter, 2 cups flour mixed with 2 heaping teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, and 2 eggs, whites and yolks beaten separately. Cook in hot, well-greased waffle-iron.

=Jolly-Boys.=—Mix and sift together 3 cups rye meal, 1 cup flour, ½ cup Indian corn meal, ¼ teaspoon powdered cinnamon, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, and 2 tablespoons sugar. Add 1 beaten egg, 2 tablespoons molasses, and sufficient cold water to make a thick batter. Drop by small spoonfuls in a kettle of smoking hot fat, and cook till brown.

Griddle Cakes, Etc.

The griddle cake as made to-day with Royal Baking Powder is another article of food which has taken high rank upon the American table. The heavy, sour, grease-soaked, indigestible griddle cake of old is, where modern methods are employed, a thing of the past. The properly made griddle cake is a delicious food, healthful, appetizing, and nutritious.

Raising the griddle cake with yeast is altogether obsolete with expert cooks. Mixtures of soda, saleratus, sour milk, buttermilk, etc., are likewise not permissible. Royal Baking Powder has altogether redeemed the griddle cake. It makes the cake light, tender, digestible, and its preparation and baking are the work of a moment only.

Royal Baking Powder, plain, sweet milk, flour, and a little salt make a food fit for a feast. What so simple, so easily prepared? Eggs are altogether unessential.

The batter must be thin, the cakes made small and not too thick,—about a good ⅛ inch thick when baked,—browned, and neatly turned. The griddle must be merely rubbed with grease, not grease-soaked. This is highly important. Take a thick piece of salt pork on a fork, or a lump of suet in a piece of cheese-cloth, and rub lightly over the hot griddle and pour the batter on immediately.

Remember that buckwheat is one of the most difficult flours to lighten. Where it enters into combination with other materials this fact must be recognized and a somewhat larger proportion of Royal Baking Powder allowed. Made in the manner directed in these receipts buckwheat cakes can be safely and profusely eaten by every one.

=Royal Wheat Cakes.=—This is the best plain hot griddle cake without eggs. The cakes will be light, tender, and healthful. 1 quart flour, 3 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, ½ teaspoon salt. Sift well together and add sweet milk to make into a soft batter. Bake immediately on hot griddle. Should be full ⅛ inch thick when baked. Smother with butter and maple syrup or honey.

=Griddle Cakes with Eggs.=—3 cups flour, 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, 1 teaspoon salt. Mix well together, add 2 well-beaten eggs and sufficient sweet milk to make a thin drop batter. Bake at once on a hot, well-greased griddle. Make them thin.

=Graham Griddle Cakes.=—1 pint Graham flour, ½ pint Indian corn meal, ½ pint flour, 1 heaping teaspoon brown sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, 1 egg, ½ pint each of milk and water. Sift together Graham flour, corn meal, flour, sugar, salt, and powder. Add beaten egg, milk, and water. Mix together into a smooth batter. Heat griddle _hot_, pour batter into cakes as large as a tea saucer. Bake brown on one side, carefully turn and brown other side. Pile one on the other, serve very hot, with sugar, milk, cream, or maple syrup.

=Rye Griddle Cakes.=—1 pint rye flour, ½ pint Graham flour, ½ pint flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, 1 egg, 1 pint milk. Sift together rye flour, Graham flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder, add beaten egg and milk, mix into smooth batter. Bake deep brown color on hot griddle.

=Geneva Griddle Cakes.=—1½ pints flour, 4 tablespoons sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, 1½ teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, 2 tablespoons butter, 4 eggs, nearly ½ pint milk. Rub butter and sugar to white, light cream; add yolks of eggs, 1 at a time. Sift flour, salt, and powder together; add to butter, etc., with milk and egg whites whipped to dry froth; mix together into a smooth batter. Bake in small cakes; as soon as brown, turn and brown the other side. Have buttered baking-tin; fast as browned, lay them on it, and spread raspberry jam over them; then bake more, which lay on others already done. Repeat this until you have used jam twice, then bake another batch, which use to cover them. Sift sugar plentifully over them, place in a moderate oven to finish cooking.

=Three-Egg Griddle Cakes.=—3 cups milk, 2 heaping cups flour, ½ teaspoon salt, 3 eggs, 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder. Mix as for plain griddle cakes, adding whites and yolks of eggs beaten separately.

=Huckleberry Griddle Cakes.=-½ pint huckleberries, 1½ pints flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, 2 eggs, 1 pint milk. Sift together flour, sugar, salt, and powder; add beaten eggs, milk, and huckleberries (washed and picked over). Mix into batter that will run from pitcher in thick, continuous stream. Have griddle hot enough to form crust soon as batter touches it. In order to confine juice of berries, turn quickly, so as to form crust on other side; turn once more on each side to complete baking. Blackberry or raspberry griddle cakes in same manner.

=Rice Griddle Cakes.=—2 cups cold boiled rice, 1 pint flour, 1 teaspoon sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, 1½ teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, 1 egg, little more than ½ pint milk. Sift together flour, sugar, salt, and powder; add rice free from lumps, diluted with beaten egg and milk; mix into smooth batter. Have griddle well-heated, bake nice brown, not too thick; serve with maple syrup.

=Crushed Wheat Griddle Cakes.=—1 cup crushed wheat, 1½ pints flour, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, 1 egg, 1 pint milk. Boil 1 cup crushed wheat in ¾ pint of water 1 hour, then dilute with beaten egg and milk. Sift together flour, sugar, salt, and powder; add to crushed wheat preparation when quite cold; mix into smooth batter. Bake on hot griddle; brown delicately on both sides; serve with hygienic cream sauce.

=Corn Meal Griddle Cakes.=—2 cups corn meal, 1 cup flour, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon molasses, 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, milk or milk and water to mix to thin batter. Bake as already directed.

=Indian Griddle Cakes.=-⅔ quart corn meal, ⅓ quart flour, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 heaping teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, 2 eggs, 1 pint milk. Sift together corn meal, flour, salt, sugar, and powder, add beaten eggs and milk, mix into a smooth batter. Bake on very hot griddle to a nice brown. Serve with molasses or maple syrup.

=Royal Buckwheats.=—This is the most delicious of all the griddle cakes. It has been against buckwheat cakes when made from yeast or risen overnight that it was difficult to make them light and sweet, and that disagreeable effects followed their eating. It is found that by the use of the Royal Baking Powder to raise the batter these objections have been entirely overcome, and that buckwheat cakes are made a most delicious food, light, sweet, tender, and perfectly wholesome, that can be eaten by any one without the slightest digestive inconvenience. 2 cups pure buckwheat (do not use the so-called “prepared” or “self-raising” flours), 1 cup wheat flour, 2 tablespoons Royal Baking Powder, ½ teaspoon salt, all sifted well together. Mix with sweet milk into thin batter, and bake at once on a hot griddle.

=Buckwheat Cakes.=—To 1½ pints pure buckwheat flour (never use prepared or self-raising flour) add ¼ pint each wheat flour and Indian meal, 3 heaping teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon brown sugar or molasses. Sift well together, in dry state, buckwheat, Indian meal, wheat flour, and baking powder, then add remainder; when ready to bake add 1 pint water or sufficient to form smooth batter that will run in a stream (not too thin) from pitcher; make griddle hot and cakes as large as a saucer. When surface is covered with air-holes it is time to turn cakes over; take off when sufficiently browned.

=Bread Cakes.=-½ pound bread, 1 pint flour, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, 1½ teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, ¾ pint milk, 1 egg. Put bread, free from crust, to steep in warm water. When thoroughly soaked, wring dry in a towel; dilute with beaten egg and milk. Sift together flour, sugar, salt, and powder, add to prepared bread, mix together into a smooth batter. Bake on well-heated griddle. Serve with sugar and cream.

=Wheat (or Flannel) Cakes.=—1½ pints flour, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 heaping teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, 2 eggs, 1½ pints milk. Sift together flour, sugar, salt, and powder; add beaten eggs and milk, mix into smooth batter that will run in rather continuous stream from pitcher. Bake on good hot griddle rich brown color, in cakes large as tea saucers. Serve with maple syrup.

=Hominy Griddle Cakes.=—Proceed as directed for rice griddle cakes; serve with maple syrup.

=Pancakes.=—1 pint flour, 6 eggs, 1 saltspoon salt, 1 teaspoon Royal Baking Powder, and milk to make a thin batter. Add the baking powder to the flour, beat the whites and yolks of eggs separately; add the yolks, salt, 2 cups milk, then the whites and the flour alternately with milk, until the batter is of right consistency. Run 1 teaspoon lard over the bottom of a hot frying-pan, pour in a large ladleful of batter, and fry quickly. Roll pancake up like a sheet of paper, lay upon a hot dish, put in more lard, and fry another pancake. Keep hot over boiling water. Send ½ dozen to table at a time. Serve with sauce, jelly, or preserves.

=English Pancakes.=—1 pint milk, 2 eggs, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon Royal Baking Powder, 1 cup cream, pinch salt. Sift flour, salt, and powder together; add to it eggs beaten with sugar and diluted with milk and cream; mix into thin batter. Have small round frying-pan; melt little butter in it; pour about ½ cup batter in it, turn pan round, that batter may cover the pan, put on hot fire; turn it and brown other side. Butter each and roll it up; sprinkle with powdered sugar.

=French Pancakes.=—Proceed as directed for English pancakes; when all are done, spread each with any kind of preserves, roll up, sift over plenty sugar, glaze with red-hot poker.

Cakes

Flour

Fancy-cake makers and confectioners prefer to use “pastry” flour for the making of cakes and pastry, which is a flour of different grade from that used for bread and general baking purposes. Bread flour contains a large proportion of gluten, the nitrogenous property of the wheat grain, which gives bone and muscle, and makes bread a nutritious food. When bread flour is used for cake and pie crust the result is not quite as flaky and light as it should be, because of the gluten in the flour. A special sack of pastry flour for use in making fine cakes and pastry will be advantageous. In appearance pastry flour is whiter than bread flour. When rubbed between the fingers it feels as soft and fine as corn-starch; if squeezed in the hand it forms a firm ball. Because of this tendency to “pack” it should always be sifted very thoroughly.

Generally speaking, Royal Baking Powder used with any good flour will make satisfactory cake which will be creditable to any housekeeper.

Royal Baking Powder

In no department of cookery is Royal Baking Powder of greater use and importance than in making fine cake. Eggs are too expensive nowadays to be used as lavishly as they were a generation ago—ten or more to a cake. Not as a substitute wholly, but as an accessory,—as an aid toward producing the lightness and digestibility of the food,—we use the Royal Baking Powder. We thereby obtain uniformly good results and do a large amount of work at a minimum expense. The quantity called for by the receipt should be thoroughly mixed with the flour before the latter is sifted.

The Royal Baking Powder has worked a revolution in cake-making. It is now no trouble to make at home the finest cakes in almost endless variety, which shall rival the productions of the confectioner. If you follow these directions there will be no spoiled or heavy cakes, no wasted materials through failures in mixing or baking.

To Mix Cakes Containing Butter

Cream the butter, beating till light. Gradually add the sugar, beating till light and creamy. Add the yolks of eggs beaten till light, then the flavoring. Beat in alternately the liquid and flour, the latter mixed with salt and baking powder. Lastly, add the beaten whites, and fruit, if used.

To Mix Cakes Containing No Butter

Beat the egg yolks until very light and thick. Add the sugar gradually, beating till very light and spongy. Add the flavoring and liquid, if used. Have the whites of eggs whipped to a stiff froth. Add them alternately with the sifted flour (mixed with baking powder), and cut both in very lightly and quickly.

To Bake Cakes

Thin cakes need a hotter oven than loaf cakes. Cakes without butter (sponge cakes) should have a more moderate, longer baking than cakes of same size containing butter. The process of baking may be divided into four periods or quarters of time: in first quarter the cake begins to rise; in second quarter it is still rising and begins to color; in third quarter it browns all over; in last quarter it shrinks from sides of pan.

To test, insert a clean broom-straw into the middle of the cake; if it comes out clean, the cake is done. Hold the pan to the ear; it should scarcely “sing.”

Line loaf-cake pans with buttered paper; fruit cakes need several thicknesses of the same.

Do not use sour milk, buttermilk, or any of the so-called prepared or self-raising flours.

Weights and Measures

1 cup, medium size ½ pint or ¼ pound. 4 cups, medium size, of flour weigh 1 pound. 1 pint flour weighs ½ pound. 1 pint white sugar weighs 1 pound. 2 tablespoons of liquid weigh 1 ounce. 8 teaspoons of liquid weigh. 1 ounce. 1 gill of liquid weighs 4 ounces. 1 pint of liquid weighs 16 ounces.

=Adelaide Cake.=—1 cup butter, 1½ cups sugar, 4 eggs, 1 pint flour, 1 teaspoon Royal Baking Powder, 1 cup dried, stoned cherries, ½ cup cream, 1 teaspoon extract vanilla. Rub butter and sugar to white, light cream; add eggs, 2 at a time, beating 5 minutes after each addition. Sift flour and powder together, add to butter, etc., with cherries, cream, and extract vanilla. Mix smoothly and gently into rather firm batter. Bake in paper-lined cake-tin (fig. IX) 40 minutes in moderate, steady oven. Watch carefully; if getting too brown, protect with paper.

=Almond Cake.=-½ cup butter, 2 cups sugar, 4 eggs, ½ cup almonds blanched—by pouring water on them until skins easily slip off—and cut in fine shreds, ½ teaspoon extract bitter almonds, 1 pint flour, 1½ teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, 1 glass brandy, ½ cup milk. Rub butter and sugar to smooth white cream; add eggs, 1 at a time, beating 3 or 4 minutes after each. Sift flour and powder together, add to butter, etc., with almonds, extract of bitter almonds, brandy, and milk; mix into smooth, medium batter, bake carefully in rather hot oven 20 minutes in a fluted mold (fig. I).

=Almond Cake, 2.=-¾ cup butter, 1 cup sugar, ½ cup milk, 3 eggs, 2 cups flour, 2 level teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, 1 pound almonds blanched and cut in strips. Cream the butter, add the sugar, and cream again; add the beaten yolks, then, alternately, the milk and the flour sifted with the baking powder. Lastly, add the whites whipped to a stiff froth and the almonds. Bake in a loaf in a moderate oven.

=Angel Food Cake.=—Whites 11 eggs, 1½ cups fine granulated sugar, 1 cup flour sifted four times with 1 teaspoon Royal Baking Powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla. Whip the whites to a firm, stiff froth. Cut in lightly the sugar, then the flour mixed with the baking powder, lastly the vanilla. Pour into an ungreased pan (fig. IV) and bake 40 minutes in moderate oven. When baked invert pan on 2 cups; let stand till cold.

=Apple Jelly Cake.=—1 cup butter, 2 cups sugar, 4 eggs, 3 cups flour, 1½ teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, 1 cup milk, 6 apples, 6 ounces sugar, 1 teaspoon butter. Rub together butter and sugar to fine, light, white cream, add eggs 2 at a time, beating 10 minutes after each addition. Sift flour and Royal Baking Powder together, add to butter, etc., with milk, and mix into rather thin batter. Bake in jelly-cake tins carefully greased. Meanwhile have apples peeled and sliced, put on fire with sugar; when tender remove, rub through fine sieve, and add butter. When cold use to spread between layers. Cover cake plentifully with sugar sifted over top.

=Bride’s Cake.=—1 scant cup butter, 3 cups sugar, 1 cup milk, whites 12 eggs, 3 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, 1 cup corn-starch, 3 cups flour, ¼ teaspoon salt. Cream butter and sugar. Mix flour, baking powder, and corn-starch, and add alternately with milk and whipped whites. Flavor with vanilla or almond extract and bake in loaf-tin lined with 4 thicknesses of paper; have oven moderate.

=Banana Cake.=-½ cup butter, 1 cup sugar, ½ cup milk, 2 scant cups flour, 1½ teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, whites 4 eggs, ½ teaspoon vanilla. Mix flour and baking powder. Cream butter and sugar, add milk and flour alternately, then vanilla and beaten whites. Bake in 3 layer-tins in hot oven. To receipt for boiled icing (see Cake Fillings) add ½ cup mashed banana and use as filling. Dust top with powdered sugar.

=Chocolate Cake.=—Make a cake as for banana cake, and bake in 3 layers. Put together with chocolate filling (see Cake Fillings).

=Chocolate Cream Cake.=—1½ pounds each butter, sugar, and flour, 14 eggs. Beat the yolks separate with sugar and butter. Beat the whites separately, and add to above. To ½ of the dough mix ¼ pound chocolate, and bake of each part (the dark and light) 6 cakes. For filling take ¾ pint cream, yolks 8 eggs. Sugar to taste; flavor with extract vanilla, put on fire and stir until it thickens, then put between the cakes.

=Chocolate Layer Cake.=—2 eggs, 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 cup milk, 2 cups flour, 2 scant teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix flour, salt, and baking powder. Beat egg yolks till thick. Gradually add and beat in the sugar. Add vanilla and milk, whites whipped stiff, and flour. Bake in 3 layer-cake pans in hot oven. Put together with chocolate filling, No. 2 (see Cake Fillings).

=Chocolate Loaf Cake.=-½ cup butter, 1½ cups sugar, 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ cup milk, 4 eggs, 4 ounces chocolate dissolved in 5 tablespoons boiling water, 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix flour, salt, and baking powder. Cream butter and sugar, add egg yolks, vanilla, and dissolved chocolate. Alternate the milk and flour and beat hard, then add whipped whites, turn into buttered loaf-pan lined with 3 thicknesses of paper. Bake in moderate oven.

=Cinnamon Chocolate Cake.=-½ cup butter, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, ½ cup milk, 1½ cups flour, 1½ teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, 3 teaspoons powdered cinnamon. Mix flour, salt, and baking powder. Cream butter and sugar. Add cinnamon and beaten yolks, then alternate milk and flour. Add whipped whites, beat hard, and bake in 3 layer-pans in quick oven. When cold put together with boiled icing containing melted chocolate.

=Centennial Cake.=-¾ pound butter, 1½ pounds brown sugar, 6 eggs, 2 cups milk, 1¾ pounds flour, ⅓ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, ¾ pound cleaned currants, ¼ pound seeded raisins, ¼ pound sliced citron, 1 grated nutmeg, 1 glass wine. Dredge fruit well with a little of the flour. Mix flour, salt, and baking powder. Cream butter and sugar. Add beaten yolks, nutmeg, and wine. Beat in alternately the milk and flour, add whipped whites, and beat hard. Stir in prepared fruit. Line 2 loaf-pans with 3 thicknesses of paper. Divide the batter between the pans and bake about 1¼ hours in moderate oven.

=Cocoanut Layer Cake.=-½ cup butter, 1¼ cups sugar, whites 8 eggs, 2½ cups flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon Royal Baking Powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix flour, salt, and baking powder. Cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla, then, alternately, the flour and whipped whites. Beat hard; bake in 3 layer-cake pans. When cold put together with cocoanut filling, No. 2 (see Fillings).

=Cocoanut Loaf Cake.=-½ cup butter, 1 cup sugar, 5 eggs, 2 cups flour, 1 cup milk, 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, 2 cups freshly grated cocoanut. Put together same as chocolate loaf cake, and bake in loaf-pan in moderate oven.

=Citron Cake.=—1½ cups butter, 2 cups sugar, 6 eggs, 1 teaspoon Royal Baking Powder, 1 pint flour, 1 cup citron cut in thin, large slices, 1 teaspoon extract nutmeg. Rub the butter and sugar to a smooth, light cream, add the eggs, 2 at a time, beating 5 minutes after each addition. Sift the flour and powder together, which add to the butter, etc., with the citron and extract nutmeg. Mix into a firm batter, and bake carefully in paper-lined shallow, flat cake-pan (fig. XIII), in a moderate oven, 50 minutes.

=Coffee Cake.=—1 cup very strong coffee, 1 cup butter, 2 cups sugar, 3 eggs, 1½ pints flour, 1½ teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, 1 cup stoned raisins, cut in two, ½ cup chopped citron, 10 drops each extract allspice and nutmeg, and ½ cup milk. Rub the butter and sugar to a white cream; add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating 3 or 4 minutes after each. Sift together flour and powder, which add to the butter, etc., with the coffee, raisins, citron, milk, and extracts. Mix into a smooth batter. Bake in paper-lined cake-tin (fig. IX), in a hot oven, 50 minutes.

=Coffee Cake, No. 2.=—1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup butter, 2 eggs, ½ cup molasses, 1 cup strong coffee, ½ teaspoon soda dissolved in the molasses, 2 teaspoons powdered cinnamon, 1 teaspoon cloves, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 cup chopped raisins, 5 cups flour, 2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder. Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, and spices. Dredge raisins with some of the flour. Cream butter and sugar. Add beaten yolks and molasses, then alternate the coffee and flour; lastly beat in whipped whites. Divide into 2 loaves and bake in moderate oven.

=Cream Cakes (Éclaires à la Crême).=—10 eggs, ½ cup butter, ¾ pound flour, 1 pint water. Set the water on the fire in a stewpan with the butter; as soon as it boils, stir in the sifted flour with a wooden spoon; stir vigorously until it leaves the bottom and sides of pan; remove from fire, beat in the eggs, 1 at a time. Place this batter in a pointed canvas bag having a nozzle at small end, press out the batter, in shape of fingers, on a greased tin, a little distance apart. Bake in steady oven 20 minutes. When cold, cut the sides and fill with following:

PASTRY CREAM