Beat together for twenty minutes until very light the yolks of eight eggs with one-half pound of granulated sugar, then add the very stiffly-beaten whites of eggs, place the bowl in which it has been stirred over a boiler in which water is boiling on the stove, stir continually but slowly until all the batter is well warmed but not too hot, add a small pinch of salt, and one-half pound of grated hazelnuts, add the nuts gradually, mix well and pour into a greased spring form.
Bake very slowly. The grated rind of one-half lemon can be added if desired. Ice with boiled icing.
LINZER TORTE
Cream one pound of b.u.t.ter with one pound of sugar until foamy, then add one by one four whole eggs. Mix well, then stir in three-fourths pound of pounded almonds or walnuts, one teaspoon of cinnamon, one-fourth teaspoon of cloves, one pound of flour, one teaspoon of baking-powder, and a few drops of bitter almond essence. Put in four layer pans and bake in slow oven. Put together with apricot, strawberry, or raspberry jam and pineapple marmalade, each layer having a different preserve. Ice top and sides. If only two layers are desired for home use, half the quant.i.ty of ingredients can be used. This is a very fine cake. It is better the second day.
RUSSIAN PUNCH TORTE
Bake three layers of almond tart and flavor it with a wine gla.s.s of arrack. When baked, sc.r.a.pe part of the cake out of the thickest layer, not disturbing the rim, and reserve these crumbs to add to the following filling: Boil one-half pound of sugar in one-fourth cup of water until it spins a thread. Add to this syrup a wine gla.s.s of rum, and the crumbs, and spread over the layers, piling one on top of the other.
Another way to fill this cake is to take some crab-apple jelly or apple marmalade and thin it with a little brandy.
WALNUT TORTE, No. 1
Grate eight ounces of walnuts and eight ounces of blanched almonds. Beat light the yolks of twelve eggs and three-fourths pound of sugar. Add the grated nuts and one-fourth pound of sifted flour, fold in the whites beaten to a stiff froth. Bake in layers and fill with sweetened whipped cream.
WALNUT TORTE, No. 2
Separate the yolks and whites of six eggs, being very careful not to get a particle of the yolks into the whites. Sift one-half pound of granulated sugar into the yolks and beat until thick as batter. Add a pinch of salt to the whites and beat very stiff. Have ready one-fourth pound of grated walnuts, reserve whole pieces for decorating the top of cake. Add the pounded nuts to the beaten yolks, and two tablespoons of grated lady fingers or stale sponge cake. Last add the stiffly-beaten whites of the eggs. Bake in layers and fill with almond or plain icing.
CHESTNUT TORTE
Boil one pound of chestnuts in the sh.e.l.ls, peel them while warm, put nuts through potato ricer or colander. Beat well the yolks of six eggs with six tablespoons of sugar, add all the chestnut puree but two or three tablespoons reserved for top of torte, then add three teaspoons of baking-powder and the well-beaten whites of the six eggs; bake in moderate oven fifteen to twenty minutes. Whip one-half pint of cream, add to this the chestnut puree which was reserved, and a little sugar; garnish torte with this mixture. Enough for twelve persons.
NUT HONEY CAKE
Mix two cups of brown sugar, two cups of honey, six egg yolks and beat them thoroughly. Sift together three cups of flour, one-quarter teaspoon of salt, three teaspoons of ground cinnamon, one-half teaspoon each of ground cloves, ground nutmeg and allspice, and one and one-half teaspoons of soda; add one cup of chopped raisins, one-half ounce of citron cut in small pieces, one-half ounce of candied orange peel cut in small pieces, one-half pound of almonds coa.r.s.ely chopped. Beat the whites of three eggs very stiff and add them last. Pour the dough to the depth of about half an inch into well-b.u.t.tered tins and bake in a slow oven for one-half hour.
*ICINGS AND FILLINGS FOR CAKES*
BOILED ICING
One cup of sugar, one-third cup of boiling water, white of one egg beaten stiff. Pour water on sugar until dissolved, heat slowly to boiling point without stirring; boil until syrup will thread when dropped from tip of spoon; as soon as it threads, pour slowly over beaten white, then beat with heavy wire spoon until of proper consistency to spread. Flavor.
WHITE CARAMEL ICING
Put on to boil two cups of brown sugar, one cup of milk and a small lump of b.u.t.ter. Boil until it gets as thick as cream, then beat with a fork or egg whip until thick and creamy. Spread quickly on cake.
MAPLE SUGAR ICING
Boil two cups of maple sugar with one-half cup of boiling water until it threads from the spoon. Pour it upon the beaten whites of two eggs and beat until cold. Spread between layers and on top of cake. Do not make icings on cloudy or rainy days.
UNBOILED ICING
Take the white of one egg and add to it the same quant.i.ty of water (measure in an egg sh.e.l.l). Stir into this as much confectioner"s sugar to make it of the right consistency to spread upon the cake. Flavor with any flavoring desired. You may color it as you would boiled frosting by adding fruit coloring.
COCOANUT ICING
Mix cocoanut with the unboiled icing. If you desire to spread it between the cakes, scatter more cocoanut over and between the layers.
NUT ICING
Mix any quant.i.ty of finely chopped nuts into any quant.i.ty of cream icing (unboiled) as in the foregoing recipes. Ice the top of cake with plain icing, and lay the halves of walnuts on top.
ORANGE ICING
Grate the peel of one-half orange, mix with two tablespoons of orange juice and one tablespoon of lemon juice and let stand fifteen minutes.
Strain and add to the beaten yolk of one egg. Stir in enough powdered sugar to make it the right consistency to spread upon the cake.
CHOCOLATE GLAZING
Grate two sticks of bitter chocolate, add five tablespoons of powdered sugar and three tablespoons of boiling water. Put on the stove, over moderate fire, stir while boiling until smooth, glossy and thick. Spread at once on cake and set aside to harden.
CHOCOLATE ICING, UNBOILED
Beat the whites of three eggs and one and one-half cups of pulverized sugar, added gradually while beating. Beat until very thick, then add four tablespoons of grated chocolate and two teaspoons of vanilla.
This quant.i.ty is sufficient for a very large cake.
INSTANTANEOUS FROSTING
To the white of an unbeaten egg add one and one-fourth cups of pulverized sugar and stir until smooth. Add three drops of rose-water, ten of vanilla, and the juice of half a lemon. It will at once become very white, and will harden in five or six minutes.
PLAIN FROSTING
To one cup of confectioner"s sugar add some liquid, either milk or water, to make it the right consistency to spread, flavor with vanilla.
Instead of the water or milk, orange juice can be used. A little of the rind must be added. Lemon juice can be subst.i.tuted in place of vanilla.
Chocolate melted over hot water and added to the sugar and water makes a nice chocolate icing; flavor with vanilla.