Chapter 11

17. COCONUT.--The flesh of the coconut when shredded is much used in the preparation of cakes, being put in the cake mixture or used in connection with icing between the layers and over the top layer. Coconut may be purchased already shredded in boxes or cans, or it may be obtained in the shells and then shredded at home. That which is prepared commercially either is dried, when it will be found to be somewhat hard, or is mixed with the milk of the coconut or with glycerine, which keeps it soft. Much more satisfactory coconut can be secured by procuring a coconut, cracking open the shell, removing the flesh, and then grating or grinding it. Coconut of this kind will be found to be very delicious and will make excellent cake. In case coconut becomes dry and hard before it is used, it can be softened by steaming it in the manner in which dried fruits are steamed.

18. CHOCOLATE AND COCOA.--Materials that are much used for flavoring cake mixtures and icings are chocolate and cocoa. Chocolate is sold in pound and half-pound cakes in both the bitter and the sweetened form, while cocoa is sold in packages or bottles in powder form. The bitter chocolate gives the greatest amount of food value and flavor and is therefore used the most. Cocoa is neither so strong in flavor nor so high in food value as chocolate, but it can be substituted for chocolate when this is not in supply.

19. SPICES.--In many kinds of cake, spices are needed to give the desired flavor. When they are to be used for this purpose, they should be obtained in the ground form and then mixed with the dry ingredients. The principal varieties used in cakes are cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice. Sometimes a combination of all these is added to the mixture, but very often just a little cinnamon or a mild flavoring of nutmeg is all that is required. When spices are purchased, the best possible brands should be selected, because these things are very easily adulterated with other materials and adulterated spices have not so much strength as the better kinds.

20. FLAVORING EXTRACTS.--In cake preparation, almost more than in any other part of cookery, flavoring extracts have a place. They are used in plain cakes that do not contain any of the other miscellaneous ingredients, and some of them are also added to many cake mixtures and icings that contain fruits, nuts, spices, chocolate, etc. Vanilla, which is an alcoholic extract of the vanilla bean, is probably used more frequently than any other flavoring. The alcoholic extracts of orange, lemon, almond, pistachio, and various other flavors are also valuable in cake making. When any of these flavorings are used in cakes, it should be remembered that much of their strength is lost through the baking. Therefore, in order that the cake may be well flavored after it is baked, a comparatively large quantity of flavoring must be used.

GENERAL CLASSES OF CAKES

21. Although many varieties of cake can be made, they may all be put into two general classes: _sponge cake_ and _butter cake_. These classes may also be regarded as cake made without butter and cake made with butter, for it is the presence or absence of fat in a cake mixture that makes the difference in the method of mixing the ingredients and determines the texture after baking. While there are many true examples of each of these classes, it must be remembered that there are also numerous variations of the two which must be placed in either one or the other of these classes. For instance, a true sponge cake does not contain baking powder, but some recipes for sponge cake are given in which baking powder is included. Such recipes must be regarded as variations of sponge cake, for they are more similar to that than to butter cake.

The ingredients are not, however, the only source of difference between these two general classes of cakes. They also differ as to the method used to combine the ingredients, the correct oven temperature for baking, and the length of time required for the baking. All these differences must be thoroughly understood if successful cake making is to be the result.

GENERAL EQUIPMENT FOR CAKE MAKING

22. The different forms of cake require, of course, different utensils, and these are taken up in connection with the preparation of each class. However, it is well for the housewife to be familiar at the outset with the general equipment used in the making of cakes and similar foods.

23. The utensils required for the mixing of the ingredients are somewhat similar to those used in the preparation of hot breads. An earthen bowl is preferable for the mixing of the batter. If this kind is not available, an enamel one rather than an aluminum one should be used. When cake dough is stirred in an aluminum dish, the sides usually become darkened and are liable to discolor the mixture.

Spoons for the mixing of the ingredients are also important. Enameled spoons are not very satisfactory, because the enamel is likely to chip off the edges. Aluminum spoons may be used. In fact, they have lightness in weight which recommends their use, but if much stirring is done, a slight discoloration is apt to occur from the spoon. Wooden spoons or spatulas are found to be the most satisfactory for this purpose. They are light in weight, cause no discoloration, and do not chip nor wear off.

24. Two measuring cups, one for the dry ingredients and one for the wet materials, should be provided, as they will prove a convenience. A tablespoon, a teaspoon, and a case knife are also necessary for measuring. To remove any foreign material from the flour and at the same time make it light, a flour sifter is required.

25. Certain utensils are required for the beating of the eggs used in cakes. If they are to be beaten separately before being put into the mixture, a bowl and a rotary egg beater should be provided. In case the eggs are to be separated and the whites beaten alone, a flat dish, such as a platter or a soup plate, and an egg whip are the most satisfactory.

26. The kind of pan required for the baking of cakes depends entirely on the kind of cake that is to be prepared. Fig. 1 shows the types of pans for which the housewife will have the most use. The square pan at the left is suitable for any kind of cake that is to be baked in the form of a loaf. In front of this is a layer-cake pan with a removable bottom. This type of layer-cake pan is the most satisfactory, for the cake may be lifted right out of the pan rim on the cake-pan bottom and the bottom then easily removed from the cake after it has been placed on the cooler. Of course, pans without false bottoms may also be used successfully with a little care. The large flat pan at the right is a pan for the baking of all kinds of cookies. On this is shown a round pan having a removable bottom, to the center of which is attached a tube. Sponge cakes, although they may be baked in loaf-cake pans, are generally baked in a pan of this kind. Pans for individual cakes range in size from large muffin pans, like the one shown at the right front, to pans that produce cakes very small in size.

* * * * *

PROCEDURE IN CAKE MAKING

PREPARATION OF INGREDIENTS

27. In cake making, as in the preparation of other dishes, a systematic plan must be followed if good results are desired. A housewife cannot expect to have a successful cake if she has to stop during the mixing to get some of the ingredients or some of the utensils ready. Before the mixing is begun, all the utensils and ingredients should be collected and any of the ingredients that require special preparation should be prepared. Then, if the recipe is correct, if the ingredients are measured accurately and combined correctly, and if the baking is done properly, success in cake making is assured.

28. The first thing to be done, when a cake is to be made, is to read the recipe to determine just what is required and to find out whether all the ingredients called for are in supply. With this done, all the utensils should be placed conveniently on the table and the ingredients collected and measured. Some authorities advise the weighing of the ingredients in cake because weight is always regarded as more accurate than measure. If a recipe calls for weights, it will be found easier to use them than to try to change them to measure; but when a recipe requires measures, and does not state weights, it would be unwise to attempt to use scales for measuring.

29. The measuring of the fat often requires a little attention. For instance, if only 1/4 cupful of butter or some other fat is required, it may perhaps be more convenient to measure it with a tablespoon than with a cup. Otherwise, unless the recipe calls for melted fat, the fat should be measured by pressing it down tight into the cup until it reaches the mark indicating the required amount. If the fat is hard and cold, as is usually the case when it is first taken from the refrigerator or other cold place, it will be difficult to cream. A good plan is to let the fat stand until it is 70 degrees Fahrenheit, or ordinary room temperature, before the mixing is begun.

30. The dry ingredients used in cakes include the sugar, flour, baking powder, spices, etc. Granulated sugar seldom requires any preparation except measuring. However, sugar other than granulated, particularly brown sugar and pulverized sugar, should be rolled with a rolling pin and then sifted in order to free it from any lumps it might contain. Flour should be sifted once before measuring and again with the baking powder, or soda and cream of tartar, and salt in order to mix them. Other dry ingredients, such as spices and occasionally pulverized sugar, may also be sifted with the flour and other dry ingredients. If the dry leavening agent appears to be lumpy when the cover is removed from the can, it should be worked smooth with a spoon and sifted before it is measured. A very small mesh wire sieve may be used for this purpose.

31. The liquid should be measured by pouring it into the measuring cup with the cup stationary and level. The eggs, which are, of course, one of the liquid ingredients, should be neither broken until just before they are to be used, nor beaten until the mixture is brought to the point where the eggs are to be added. If the whites are to be used for the preparation of icing after the cake is baked, they should be kept in a cool place until they are beaten.

32. Fruits, nuts, and other miscellaneous ingredients should be prepared before the mixing of the cake is begun; that is, they should be cleansed, cut, ground, or chopped, as the case may be, so that it will not be necessary to stop the mixing of the cake to do any of this work. If they are to be dredged with flour, this may be done at the time they are prepared.

PREPARATION OF PANS

33. The pan or pans in which the cake is to be baked should also be prepared before the mixing is begun. The treatment to be given to the pans depends to a large extent on the cake that is to be put into them. Butter cake or any of its variations requires greased pans, whereas sponge cake should be put in pans that are not greased.

34. BUTTER-CAKE PANS.--The fat used to grease pans of any kind should be a clean, tasteless fat. Less will be required to cover the surface of the pan if an oil rather than a solid fat is used. In case butter is selected for this purpose, it should first be melted and then allowed to stand until the clear fat that rises to the top can be gathered. However, fats that are less expensive than butter are perfectly satisfactory for greasing pans, and so butter should not be used unless other fats are not available.

35. Muffin pans or individual pans of any kind should first be greased with a brush or a small piece of clean paper dipped into the fat that is to be used, and then dusted with flour. The flour should cover the surface of the pan, but should be shaken out so that no more than just a film remains over the grease. A brush may also be used for the greasing of other pans, but it is not recommended, as the fat is apt to become rancid in the brush, and if it is cleansed as often as is necessary to keep it in good condition, a great deal of fat, which clings to the brush, will be wasted. A small piece of paper dipped in fat will be found much more economical and quite as satisfactory for this work.

36. Loaf-cake pans, that is, pans that make cake in the form of a loaf, should first be greased and then, as shown in Fig. 2, have the bottom covered with a piece of oiled paper or light wrapping paper that may be oiled after being put into the pan. This paper should be the exact width of the bottom of the pan and should be long enough to cover the bottom and extend up to the top of each end. The sides of the pan need not be covered, as it is a simple matter to loosen the cake from them with a knife. When the cake is turned out of the pan, the paper will stick to the cake, but it may be easily removed by merely pulling it off.

37. Layer-cake pans, whether they have false bottoms or not, should be greased and then covered with a light layer of flour, just as is done with individual pans. If such a pan does not have a false bottom and the cake seems to stick to it, the best plan is to turn the pan upside down and place a cold damp towel on it for a few minutes. This will moisten the surface of the bottom sufficiently to permit the pan to be removed without difficulty.

38. SPONGE-CAKE PANS.--The preparation of sponge-cake pans differs from that for butter-cake pans because of the nature of the cake. No grease of any sort should be applied to the surface of sponge-cake pans. If desired, they may be dusted with flour, but even this is not necessary, as very satisfactory results are obtained by putting the cake mixture into the bare pan.

* * * * *

SPONGE CAKES AND THEIR PREPARATION

METHOD OF PROCEDURE

39. With the ingredients and utensils gathered and prepared, the mixing of the cake may be begun at once. The method of mixing depends entirely on the kind of cake that is being made, sponge cake involving a different procedure from butter cake. These methods should be thoroughly mastered, so that there will be no danger of confusing them and so that the recipe will not need to be referred to constantly during the mixing of the cake. When an ingredient that is not usually included in the ordinary butter or sponge cake is found in the recipe, the way in which this ingredient is added to the mixture should be carefully noted, so that no mistake will be made.

40. NATURE OF SPONGE CAKE.--A true sponge cake contains nothing besides eggs, sugar, flour, and flavoring material. The eggs, sugar, and flour are used in equal amounts, the eggs and sugar being about the same by weight or measure and the flour half as much by weight. For instance, a successful sponge cake can be made with a cupful each of eggs, sugar, and flour. To these ingredients the juice of 1/2 lemon is usually added, and sometimes the grated rind of the lemon is used also. The simple variation in sponge-cake mixtures is the addition of liquid, which is usually water, sometimes cold and sometimes hot. In the true sponge cake, eggs supply all the leavening, but it is possible to economize in the number of eggs by using leavening of some other kind, such as soda and cream of tartar or baking powder. The texture of a sponge cake in which leavening other than eggs is used is not so good as that of the true sponge cake, but if this leavening is used discreetly, it is possible to decrease the number of eggs somewhat without sacrificing too much in texture. However, it is useless to try to make a good sponge cake with fewer than three eggs, for the other ingredients--flour, sugar, leavening, and liquid--are not sufficient to produce a delicious cake.

41. COMBINING THE INGREDIENTS.--The ingredients required for a true sponge cake and the utensils used in making such a cake are shown in Fig. 3. As will be observed, both the utensils and the materials are so placed on the table in front of the one who is to make the cake that the work may be performed with the least amount of effort.

If the whole eggs are to be used, break them into the mixing bowl and beat them with a rotary egg beater, as shown in Fig. 4, until they are thick and lemon-colored. In case only the whites are to be used, beat them with an egg whip on a flat dish or in a large bowl until they are stiff. To the beaten egg, add the sugar a little at a time, as shown in Fig. 5, beating it into the egg with the rotary beater.

Either granulated or pulverized sugar may be used, but pulverized is the better of the two, because it is lighter. When the sugar is added at this time, sift the flour several times, and, as in Fig. 6, add it last, folding it into the mixture with a wire egg whip. However, if it is desired to do so, the sugar and flour may be sifted together and added at the same time, or both the sugar and flour may be sifted separately and then added to the eggs alternately. Then add the flavoring and, if liquid is to be used, put it in at this time. In case leavening is supplied, sift it in with the flour. The mixture is then ready for the pan. Place the ungreased pan conveniently on the table and then, as shown in Fig. 7, pour the mixture from the bowl into it. Scrape the sides of the bowl well, so that there will be no more waste than is necessary.

42. BAKING SPONGE CAKE.--As soon as the mixture has been poured into the pan, set it in a moderate oven to bake. The temperature should be about 300 degrees Fahrenheit when the cake is put into the oven, but it may be gradually increased to 350 or 400 degrees. If the temperature cannot be determined, the paper test may be applied. This consists in placing a piece of white paper in the oven. To be right for sponge cake, the heat should turn this paper a moderate brown in 4 minutes. The time for baking depends, of course, on the size of the cake, but usually more time is required than for butter cake.

In putting the cake into the oven, set it on the lower rack, as here the mixture will be in a position to come up with the heat of the oven, which, as is known, has a general tendency to rise. If it is placed on the top rack where the heated air is necessarily passing down toward the outside walls because of the circulation that is established, there will be a certain amount of pressure on top of the cake which will prevent it from rising. Allow the cake to remain on the lower rack until it has risen to its fullest extent, and then, if necessary, remove it to the top rack for browning.

43. Several tests to determine whether sponge cake is ready to remove from the oven can be applied. One of these consists in observing the cake in the pan. After it has risen as much as it will rise, a small amount of shrinkage will, as shown in Fig. 8, loosen the cake from the sides of the pan. Another test, which is known as the finger test, consists in making a depression in the center of the cake. If the cake is baked sufficiently, it will spring back to fill the depression, but if it is not done, the depression will remain.

44. REMOVING SPONGE CAKE FROM PAN.--When sponge cake is taken from the oven, it requires different treatment from that of butter cake. Instead of removing it from the pan immediately, turn it upside down on a cooler to sweat, as shown in Fig. 9. Allow it to remain in this way until it has shrunken sufficiently from the pan, and then lift off the pan. If necessary, the cake may become completely cold before the pan is taken from it. Close adherence to these directions will prevent any trouble that may arise in removing sponge cake from the pan.

RECIPES FOR SPONGE CAKE AND ITS VARIATIONS

45. PLAIN SPONGE CAKE.--The ideal proportions for a sponge cake are given in the accompanying recipe and upon these proportions the other recipes are based.

PLAIN SPONGE CAKE

4 eggs 1 c. sugar 1 c. flour Juice and rind of 1/2 lemon

Beat the eggs until they are thick and lemon-colored. Add the sugar gradually and continue to beat. Sift the flour several times and fold into the mixture. When the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, add the grated rind and the juice of the lemon, pour into a sponge-cake pan, and bake.

46. COLD-WATER SPONGE CAKE.--The accompanying recipe is a slight variation from the true sponge cake, for it contains leavening other than eggs and a small amount of cold water. No difficulty will be experienced in making a cake according to this recipe if the directions are carefully followed.

COLD-WATER SPONGE CAKE

3 eggs 1-1/2 c. sugar Rind and juice of 1 lemon 1/2 c. cold water 2 tsp. baking powder 1-1/2 c. flour

Beat the eggs until they are thick and lemon-colored. Add the sugar gradually and continue beating. Grate the yellow part from the lemon rind and add it with the juice. Pour in the cold water, continuing to beat. Sift in the baking powder with the flour and add to the egg mixture. Pour into a sponge-cake pan and bake.

47. HOT-WATER SPONGE CAKE.--Hot water and leavening in the form of soda and cream of tartar are used in the accompanying recipe for sponge cake. The texture is not just the same as that of a plain sponge cake, but if the recipe is carefully followed an excellent cake will be the result.

HOT-WATER SPONGE CAKE

4 eggs 2 c. flour 1-1/2 c. powdered sugar 1/2 tsp. soda 1-1/4 tsp. cream of tartar 1/4 c. hot water 1 tsp. vanilla

Beat the eggs with a rotary beater until they are thick and lemon-colored. Sift the flour, powdered sugar, soda, and cream of tartar together several times. Sift these into the eggs and continue beating. When all of the dry ingredients have been added, pour in the boiling water, flavor with the vanilla, and pour into a sponge-cake pan and bake.

48. ORANGE SPONGE CAKE.--Sponge cake is delicious when it is flavored with orange. No leavening except the eggs is used in the recipe for cake of this kind. Lemon may be used in place of orange and 1/2 cupful of finely chopped nuts may be added.

ORANGE SPONGE CAKE

4 eggs 1 c. granulated sugar 3/4 c. flour 2 Tb. orange juice 1/2 tsp. orange extract

Beat the eggs with a rotary beater until they are light and lemon-colored. Add the granulated sugar gradually. Sift into this the flour, and continue the beating until all are mixed. Add the orange juice and extract, pour into a sponge-cake pan, and bake.

49. SUNSHINE CAKE.--Nothing more delicious in the way of cake can be made than sunshine cake. It is especially nice to serve with a frozen dessert of some kind, for it is not too rich and it is attractive in color.

SUNSHINE CAKE

6 eggs 1/3 tsp. cream of tartar 1 c. sugar 3/4 c. flour 1 tsp. lemon juice 1 tsp. vanilla

Separate the eggs. Beat the yolks with a rotary beater until they are thick and lemon-colored. Beat the egg whites until they are foamy, add the cream of tartar, and continue beating until they are dry. Fold the sugar into the egg whites and then fold the yolks into this mixture. Sift the flour several times and add it. Add the lemon juice and vanilla, pour into a sponge-cake pan, and bake.

50. ANGEL CAKE NO. 1.--A variety of sponge cake in which only the egg whites are used is known as angel cake. Some persons hesitate to make cake of this kind because of the number of eggs it takes, but usually the yolks that remain can be put to very good use and so the cake is no more expensive than most others.

ANGEL CAKE No. 1

1 c. flour 1 c. powdered sugar 10 egg whites 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar 1 tsp. vanilla