Beat to mix and then bake in well-greased and floured loaf-shaped pans in moderate oven for forty minutes. Ice with chocolate icing made as follows:
One cup of x.x.xX sugar, Six tablespoons cocoa, One tablespoon of cornstarch.
Sift to mix and then add just sufficient boiling water to make a mixture that will spread.
TWO LAYER CAKE
Place in bowl
One and one-half cups of sugar, Yolks of two eggs.
Cream, then add
One-half cup of shortening,
Cream again, then add
Three cups of flour, Two level tablespoons baking powder, One teaspoonful flavoring, One cup of water or milk.
Beat just enough to mix, then fold in whites of two eggs, bake in well-greased and floured deep layer-cake pans in moderate oven twenty minutes.
Every variety of layer cake may be made from this foundation. To chocolate layer cake--put together with chocolate icing and cover cake with same icing.
DROP CAKES
Place in a mixing bowl
Three-quarters cup of sugar, Yolks of two eggs.
Cream and then add
Four tablespoonfuls of shortening, One and one-half cups of flour, Three teaspoonfuls of baking powder, Stiffly-beaten whites of two eggs.
Drop by the spoonful three inches apart on well-greased and floured baking sheet. Bake in a moderate oven.
LOAF CAKE
Place in a mixing bowl
One and one-half cups of sugar, Yolks of four eggs.
Cream until well blended and then add
Six ounces of b.u.t.ter.
Cream again and then add
Four cups of flour, Five teaspoons of baking powder, One teaspoon of flavoring, One and one-quarter cups of milk.
Beat to mix and then cut and fold in the stiffly beaten whites of the four eggs. Place in a well-greased and floured loaf-shaped pan and bake fifty minutes in moderate oven.
COTTAGE PUDDING
Place in a mixing bowl
One cup of sugar, One egg, Six tablespoons of shortening, Two and one-half cups of flour, Five teaspoonfuls of baking powder, One cup of water.
Beat hard and thoroughly mix and then bake one-half of this mixture in well-greased custard cups for cottage pudding. To the balance of the mixture add a choice of any of the following:
One-half cup cocoanut or One-half cup of finely chopped nuts, One-half cup of finely chopped raisins, One-half cup of currants, candied orange peel or lemon peel, One-half cup of finely chopped figs, dates or evaporated apricots.
Pour into well-greased and floured loaf-shaped pan and bake in moderate oven for thirty minutes. Cool and ice with water icing.
FONDANT ICING
Place in saucepan
Two and one-half cups of sugar, One-quarter cup white corn syrup, One-half cup water.
Stir to dissolve sugar, bring to boil, cook until it forms soft ball when tried in cold water, or 240 degrees Fahrenheit in candy thermometer. Remove from the fire, pour on large well-greased meat platter and let cool; then begin and knead with spatula or spoon until creamy white--when stiff knead like dough, cover and set aside for twenty-four hours. To use, melt in double boiler, adding flavoring desired and just a tablespoon or two of boiling water to make a consistency that will spread.
CHOCOLATE ICING
Place in bowl
One pound x.x.xX sugar, Two tablespoons cornstarch, One-half cup cocoa, Sufficient boiling water to make mixture spread.
Beat until smooth, then add one tablespoon of melted b.u.t.ter and use.
b.u.t.tER CREAM ICING
Wash salt from two ounces of b.u.t.ter, then beat until creamy, then add white of one egg and beat until mixture fluffs, then add
One teaspoonful vanilla extract, One-half teaspoonful almond or rose extract, One pound x.x.xX sugar.
Beat to thoroughly blend, if too thick, add one tablespoonful of boiling water, spread between layers and use for icing the cake.
Cakes covered with b.u.t.ter cream icing may also be covered with finely chopped nuts or toasted cocoanut. To toast cocoanut, put cocoanut in pan in hot oven for few minutes, stirring frequently until it just begins to take the color.
SOFT GINGERBREAD