CAKES.
Observations on making and baking Cakes.
Currants should be very nicely washed, dried in a cloth, and then set before the fire. If damp they will make cakes or puddings heavy. Before they are added, a dust of dry flour should be thrown among them, and a shake given to them, which causes the thing that they are put to, to be lighter.
Eggs should be very long beaten, whites and yelks apart, and always strained.
Sugar should be rubbed to a powder on a clean board, and sifted through a very fine hair or lawn sieve.
Lemonpeel should be pared very thin, and with a little sugar beaten in a marble mortar to a paste, and then mixed with a little wine, or cream, so as to divide easily among the other ingredients.
After all the articles are put into the pan, they should be thoroughly and long beaten, as the lightness of the cake depends much on their being well incorporated.
Whether black or white plumcakes, they require less butter and eggs for having yeast, and eat equally light and rich. If the leaven be only of flour, milk and water, and yeast, it becomes more tough, and is less easily divided, and if the butter be first put with those ingredients, and the dough afterwards set to rise by the fire.
The heat of the oven is of great importance for cakes, especially those that are large. If not pretty quick, the batter will not rise. Should you fear its catching by being two quick, put some paper over the cake to prevent its being burnt. If not long enough lighted to have a body of heat, or it is become slack, the cake will be heavy. To know when it is soaked, take a broad bladed knife that is very bright, and plunge into the very centre, draw it instantly out, and if the least stickiness adheres, put the cake immediately in, and shut up the oven.
If the heat was sufficient to raise, but not to soak, I have with great success had fresh fuel quickly put in, and kept the cakes hot till the oven was fit to finish the soaking, and they turned out extremely well. But those who are employed, ought to be particularly careful that no mistakes occur from negligence when large cakes are to be baked.
Plumcake.
Mix thoroughly a quarter of a peck of fine flour, well dried with a pound of dry and sifted loaf sugar, three pounds of currants washed, and very dry, half a pound of raisins stoned and chopped, a quarter of an ounce of mace and cloves, twenty Jamaica peppers, a grated nutmeg, the peel of a lemon cut as fine as possible, and half a pound of almonds blanched, and beaten with orange flour water. Melt two pounds of butter in a pint and a quarter of cream, but not hot, put to it a pint of sweet wine, a glass of brandy, the whites and yelks of twelve eggs beaten apart, and half a pint of good yeast. Strain this liquid by degrees into the dry ingredients, beating them together a full hour, then butter the hoop, or pan, and bake it. As you put the batter into the hoop, or pan, throw in plenty of citron, lemon, and orange candy.
If you ice the cake, take half a pound of double refined sugar sifted, and put a little with the white of an egg, beat it well, and by degrees pour in the remainder. It must be whisked near an hour, with the addition of a little orange flour water, but mind not to put much. When the cake is done, pour the icing over, and return it to the oven for fifteen minutes; but if the oven be warm, keep it near the mouth, and the door open; lest the colour be spoiled.
Another Plumcake.
Flour dried, and currants washed and picked, four pounds, sugar pounded and sifted one pound and a half, six orange, lemon, and citron peels, cut in slices; mix these.
Beat ten eggs, yelks and whites separately; then melt a pound and a half of butter in a pint of cream; when lukewarm put it to half a pint of ale yeast, near half a pint of sweet wine, and the eggs; then strain the liquid to the dry ingredients, beat them well, and add of cloves, mace, cinnamon and nutmeg, half an ounce each. Butter the pan, and put it into a quick oven. Three hours will bake it.
A very fine Cake.
Wash two pounds and a half of fresh butter in water first, and then in rosewater; beat the butter to a cream: beat twenty eggs, yelk and whites separately, half an hour each. Have ready two pounds and a half of the finest flour, well dried, and kept hot, likewise a pound and a half of sugar pounded and sifted, one ounce of spice in finest powder, three pounds of currants nicely cleaned and dry, half a pound of almonds blanched, and three quarters of a pound of sweetmeats cut not too thin. Let all be kept by the fire, mix all the dry ingredients; pour the eggs strained to the butter; mix half a pint of sweet wine with a large glass of brandy, pour it to the butter and eggs, mix well, then have all the dry things put in by degrees; beat them very thoroughly; you can hardly do it too much. Having half a pound of stoned jar raisins chopped as fine as possible, mix them carefully, so that there shall be no lumps. Beat the ingredients together a full hour at least. Have a hoop well buttered, or if you have none, a tin, or copper cakepan; take a white paper, doubled and buttered, and put in the pan round the edge, if the cake batter fill it more than three parts, for space should be allowed for rising. Bake in a quick oven. It will require three hours.
An excellent and less expensive Cake.
Rub two pounds of dry fine flour, with one of butter, washed in plain and rosewater, mix it with three spoonfuls of yeast in a little warm milk and water. Set it to rise an hour and a half before the fire, then beat into it two pounds of currants, one pound of sugar sifted, four ounces of almonds, six ounces of stoned raisins, chopped fine, half a nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, and a few cloves, the peel of a lemon chopped as fine as possible, a glass of wine, ditto of brandy, twelve yelks and whites of eggs beat separately, and long; orange, citron, and lemon. Beat exceedingly well, and butter the pan. A quick oven.
A very good Common Cake.
Rub eight ounces of butter into two pounds of dried flour, mix it with three spoonfuls of yeast that is not bitter, to a paste. Let it rise an hour and a half; then mix in the yelks and whites of six eggs beaten apart; one pound of sugar, some milk to make it a proper thickness, (about a pint will be sufficient,) a glass of sweet wine, the rind of a lemon, and a teaspoonful of ginger. Add either a pound and a half of currants, or some carraways, and beat well.
A cheap Seed Cake.
Mix a quarter of a peck of flour with half a pound of sugar, a quarter of an ounce of allspice, and a little ginger; melt three quarters of a pound of butter with half a pint of milk; when just warm, put to it a quarter of a pint of yeast, and work up to a good dough. Let it stand before the fire a few minutes before it goes to the oven; add seeds, or currants, and bake an hour and a half.
Another.
Mix a pound and a half of flour, and a pound of common lump sugar, eight eggs beaten separately, an ounce of seeds, two spoonfuls of yeast, and the same of milk and water.
Note. Milk alone causes cake and bread soon to dry.
Common Bread Cake.
Take the quantity of a quartern loaf from the dough when making white bread, and knead well into it two ounces of butter, two of Lisbon sugar, and eight of currants. Warm the butter in a teacupful of good milk.
By the addition of an ounce of butter, or sugar, or an egg or two, you may make the cake better. A teacupful of raw cream improves it much. It is best to bake it in a pan, rather than as a loaf, the outside being less hard.
A good Pound Cake.
Beat a pound of butter to a cream, and mix with it the whites and yelks of eight eggs beaten apart. Have ready warm by the fire, a pound of flour, and the same of sifted sugar, mix them and a few cloves, a little nutmeg and cinnamon in fine powder together; then by degrees work the dry ingredients into the butter and eggs. When well beaten, add a glass of wine, and some carraways. It must be beaten a full hour. Butter a pan, and bake it a full hour in a quick oven.
The above proportions, leaving out four ounces of the butter, and the same of sugar, make a less luscious cake.
Queen Cakes.
Mix a pound of dried flour, the same of sifted sugar, and of washed clean currants. Wash a pound of butter in rosewater, beat it well, then mix with it eight eggs, yelks and whites beaten separately, and put in the dry ingredients by degrees; beat the whole an hour; butter little tins, teacups, or saucers, and bake the batter in, filling only half. Sift a little fine sugar over just as you put into the oven.
Queen Cakes, another way.
Beat eight ounces of butter, and mix with two well beaten eggs, strained; mix eight ounces of dried flour, and the same of lump sugar, and the grated rind of a lemon, then add the whole together, and beat full half an hour with a silver spoon. Butter small pattypans, half fill, and bake twenty minutes in a quick oven.
A Common Cake.
Mix three quarters of a pound of flour with half a pound of butter, four ounces of sugar, four eggs, half an ounce of carraways, and a glass of raisin wine. Beat it well, and bake it in a quick oven. Fine Lisbon sugar will do.
Shrewsbury Cakes.
Sift one pound of sugar, some pounded cinnamon, and a nutmeg grated, into three pounds of flour, the finest sort; add a little rosewater to three eggs, well beaten, and mix these with the flour, &c. then pour into it as much butter melted as will make it a good thickness to roll out.
Mould it well, and roll thin, and cut it into such shapes as you like.
Little white Cakes.
Dry half a pound of flour, rub into it a very little pounded sugar, one ounce of butter, one egg, a few carraways, and as much milk and water as to make a paste; roll it thin, and cut it with the top of a cannister or glass. Bake fifteen minutes on tin plates.
Tea Cakes.
Rub fine four ounces of butter into eight ounces of flour; mix eight ounces of currants, and six of fine Lisbon sugar, two yelks and one white of eggs, and a spoonful of brandy. Roll the paste the thickness of an Oliver biscuit, and cut with a wineglass. You may beat the other white, and wash over them; and either dust sugar, or not, as you like.
Little short Cakes.
Rub into a pound of dried flour four ounces of butter, four ounces of white powder sugar, one egg, and a spoonful or two of thin cream to make into a paste. When mixed, put currants into one half, and carraways into the rest. Cut them as before, and bake on tins.
Very good common Plum Cakes.
Mix five ounces of butter in three pounds of dry flour, and five ounces of fine Lisbon sugar; add six ounces of currants, washed and dried, and some pimento finely powdered. Put three spoonfuls of yeast into a Winchester pint of new milk warmed, and mix into a light dough with the above. Make it into twelve cakes, and bake on a floured tin half an hour.
Benton Tea Cakes.
Mix a paste of flour, a little bit of butter, and milk; roll as thin as possible, and bake on a back-stone over the fire, or on a hot hearth.
Another sort, as Biscuit.
Rub into a pound of flour six ounces of butter, and three large spoonfuls of yeast, and make into a paste, with a sufficient quantity of new milk; make into biscuit, and prick them with a clean fork.
Another sort.
Melt six or seven ounces of butter with a sufficiency of new milk warmed to make seven pounds of flour into a stiff paste: roll thin, and make into biscuit.
Hard Biscuit.
Warm two ounces of butter in as much skimmed milk as will make a pound of flour into a very stiff paste, beat it with a rolling pin, and work it very smooth. Roll it thin, and cut it into round biscuit; prick them full of holes with a fork. About six minutes will bake them.
Flat Cakes, that will keep long in the house good.
Mix two pounds of flour, one pound of sugar, and one ounce of carraways, with four or five eggs, and a few spoonfuls of water to make a stiff paste; roll it thin, and cut into any shape. Bake on tins lightly floured. While baking, boil a pound of sugar in a pint of water to a thin syrup; while both are hot, dip each cake into it, and put them on tins into the oven to dry for a short time; and when the oven is cooler still, return them there again, and let them stay four or five hours.
Plain and very crisp Biscuit.
Make a pound of flour, the yelk of an egg, and some milk, into a very stiff paste; beat it well, and knead till quite smooth; roll very thin, and cut into biscuit. Bake them in a slow oven till quite dry and crisp.
Little Plumcakes, to keep long.
Dry one pound of flour, and mix with six ounces of finely pounded sugar, beat six ounces of butter to a cream, and add to three eggs, well beaten, half a pound of currants washed, and nicely dried, and the flour and sugar; beat all for some time, then dredge flour on tin plates, and drop the batter on them the size of a walnut. If properly mixed, it will be a stiff paste. Bake in a brisk oven.
Rusks.
Beat seven eggs well, and mix with half a pint of new milk, in which has been melted four ounces of butter; add to it a quarter of a pint of yeast, and three ounces of sugar, and put them, by degrees, into as much flour as will make a very light paste, rather like a batter, and let it rise before the fire half an hour; then add some more flour to make it a little stiffer, but not stiff. Work it well and divide it into small loaves or cakes, about five or six inches wide and flatten them. When baked and cold, slice them the thickness of rusks, and put them in the oven to brown a little.
Note. The cakes, when first baked, eat deliciously buttered for tea; or with carraways to eat cold.
A Biscuit Cake.
One pound of flour, five eggs well beaten and strained, eight ounces of sugar, a little rose or orange flower water; beat the whole thoroughly, and bake one hour.
Cracknuts.
Mix eight ounces of flour, and eight ounces of sugar; melt four ounces of butter in two spoonfuls of raisin wine; then with four eggs beaten and strained, make into a paste; add carraways, roll out as thin as paper, cut with the top of a glass, wash with the white of an egg, and dust sugar over.
Water Cakes.
Dry three pounds of fine flour, and rub into it one pound of sugar sifted, one pound of butter, and one ounce of carraway seed. Make into a paste with three quarters of a pint of boiling new milk, roll very thin, and cut into the size you choose; punch full of holes, and bake on tin plates in a cool oven.
Cracknels.
Mix with a quart of flour half a nutmeg grated, the yelks of four eggs beaten with four spoonfuls of rosewater, into a stiff paste, with cold water; then roll in a pound of butter, and make them into a cracknel shape; put them into a kettle of boiling water, and boil them till they swim, then take out, and put them into cold water; when hardened, lay them out to dry, and bake them on tin plates.
Rice Cake.
Mix ten ounces of ground rice, three ounces of flour, eight ounces of pounded sugar; then sift by degrees into eight yelks and six whites of eggs, and the peel of a lemon shred so fine that it is quite mashed. Mix the whole well in a tin stewpan over a very slow fire with a whisk, then put it immediately into the oven in the same, and bake forty minutes.
Another Rice Cake.
Beat twelve yelks and six whites of eggs with the peels of two lemons grated. Mix one pound of flour of rice, eight ounces of flour, and one pound of sugar pounded and sifted; then beat it well with the eggs by degrees, for an hour, with a wooden spoon. Butter a pan well; and put it in at the oven mouth.
A gentle oven will bake it in an hour and a half.
Sponge Cake.
Weigh ten eggs, and their weight in very fine sugar, and that of six in flour; beat the yelks with the flour, and the whites alone to a very stiff froth; then by degrees mix the whites and the flour with the other ingredients, and beat them well half an hour. Bake in a quick oven an hour.
Another, without Butter.
Dry one pound of flour, and one and a quarter of sugar; beat seven eggs, yelks and whites apart; grate a lemon, and with a spoonful of brandy, beat the whole together with your hand for an hour. Bake in a buttered pan, in a quick oven.
Sweetmeats may be added, if approved.
Macaroons.
Blanch four ounces of almonds, and pound with four spoonfuls of orange flower water; whisk the white of four eggs to a froth, then mix it, and a pound of sugar, sifted, with the almonds to a paste; and laying a sheet of wafer paper on a tin, put it on in different little cakes the shape of macaroons.
Wafers.
Dry the flour well which you intend to use, mix a little pounded sugar and finely pounded mace with it, then make it into a thick batter with cream; butter the wafer irons, let them be hot, put a teaspoonful of the batter into them, so bake them carefully, and roll them off the iron with a stick.
Tunbridge Cakes.
Rub six ounces of butter quite fine into a pound of flour, then mix six ounces of sugar, beat and strain two eggs, and make with the above into a paste. Roll it very thin, and cut with the top of a glass; prick them with a fork, and cover with carraways, or wash with the white of an egg, and dust a little white sugar over.
Gingerbread.
Mix with two pounds of flour half a pound of treacle, three quarters of an ounce of carraways, one ounce of ginger finely sifted, and ten ounces of butter.
Roll the paste into what form you please, and bake on tins.
If you like sweetmeats, add orange candied; it may be added in small bits.
Another sort.
To three quarters of a pound of treacle beat one egg strained; mix four ounces of brown sugar, half an ounce of ginger sifted, of cloves, mace, allspice, and nutmeg, a quarter of an ounce, beaten as fine as possible; coriander and carraway seeds, each a quarter of an ounce; melt one pound of butter, and mix with the above; and add as much flour as will knead into a pretty stiff paste; then roll it out, and cut into cakes.
Bake on tin plates in a quick oven. A little time will bake them.
Of some, drops may be made.
To make a good Gingerbread, without Butter.
Mix two pounds of treacle, of orange, lemon, citron, and candied ginger, each four ounces, all thinly sliced, one ounce of coriander seeds, one ounce of carraways, and one ounce of beaten ginger, in as much flour as will make a soft paste; lay it in cakes on tin plates, and bake it in a quick oven. Keep it dry in a covered earthen vessel, and it will be good for some months.
Note. If cake or biscuit be kept in paper or a drawer, the taste will be disagreeable. A pan and cover, or tureen, will preserve them long and moist. Or, if to be crisp, laying them before the fire will make them so.
A good plain Bun, that may be eaten with or without toasting and Butter.
Rub four ounces of butter into two pounds of flour, four ounces of sugar, a nutmeg, or not, as you like, a few Jamaica peppers, a dessert spoonful of carraways; put a spoonful or two of cream into a cup of yeast, and as much good milk as will make the above into a light paste. Set it to rise by a fire till the oven be ready. They will quickly bake on tins.
Richer Buns.
Mix one pound and a half of dried flour, with half a pound of sugar; melt a pound and two ounces of butter in a little warm water; add six spoonfuls of rosewater, and knead the above into a light dough, with half a pint of yeast; then mix five ounces of carraway comfits in, and put some on them.
Muffins.
Mix two pounds of flour with two eggs, two ounces of butter melted in a pint of milk, and four or five spoonfuls of yeast; beat it thoroughly, and set it to rise two or three hours. Bake on a hot hearth in flat cakes. When done on one side turn them.
Note. Muffins, rolls, or bread, if stale, may be made to taste new, by dipping in cold water, and toasting or heating in an oven, or Dutch oven, till the outside be crimp.
French Rolls.
Rub an ounce of butter into a pound of flour, mix one egg beaten, a little yeast that is not bitter, and as much milk as will make a dough of a middling stiffness. Beat it well, but do not knead; let it rise, and bake on tins.
Brentford Rolls.
Mix with two pounds of flour a little salt, two ounces of sifted sugar, four ounces of butter, and two eggs beaten with two spoonfuls of yeast, and about a pint of milk. Knead the dough well, and set it to rise before the fire. Make twelve rolls, butter tin plates, and set them before the fire to rise till they become a proper size; then bake half an hour.
Excellent Rolls.
Warm one ounce of butter in half a pint of milk, put to it a spoonful and half of yeast of small beer, and a little salt. Put two pounds of flour into a pan, and mix in the above. Let it rise an hour; knead it well; and make into seven rolls, and bake in a quick oven.
If made in cakes three inches thick, sliced and buttered, they resemble Sally Lumm’s as made at Bath.
The foregoing receipt, with the addition of a little saffron, boiled in half a teacupful of milk, makes remarkably good
Saffron cakes, to eat hot with butter.
Potatoe Butter.
Boil three pounds of potatoes, bruise and work them with two ounces of butter, and as much milk as will make them pass through a colander. Take half or three quarters of a pint of yeast, and half a pint of warm water, mix with the potatoes, then pour the whole upon five pounds of flour, and add some salt. Knead it well; if not of a proper consistence, put a little more milk and water warm. Let it stand before the fire an hour to rise. Work it well, and make into rolls. Bake about half an hour in an oven not quite so hot as for bread.
They eat well toasted and buttered.
Yorkshire Cake.
Take two pounds of flour, and mix with it four ounces of butter melted in a pint of good milk, three spoonfuls of yeast, and two eggs; beat all well together, and let it rise; then knead it, and make into cakes; let them rise on tins before you bake, which do in a slow oven.
Another sort is made as above, leaving out the butter.
The first sort is shorter; the last lighter.
French Bread.
With a quarter of a peck of fine flour mix the yelks of three and whites of two eggs, beaten and strained, a little salt, half a pint of good yeast that is not bitter, and as much milk, made a little warm, as will work into a thin light dough. Stir it about, but do not knead it. Have ready three quart wooden dishes, divide the dough among them, set to rise, then turn them out into the oven, which must be quick. Rasp when done.
To make Yeast.
Thicken two quarts of water, with fine flour about three spoonfuls; boil half an hour, sweeten with near half a pound of brown sugar; when near cold, put into it four spoonfuls of fresh yeast in a jug, shake it well together, and let stand one day to ferment near the fire, without being covered. There will be a thin liquor on the top, which must be poured off, shake the remainder, and cork it up for use. Take always four spoonfuls of the old to ferment the next quantity, keeping it always in succession.
An half peck loaf will require about a gill.
Another way.
Boil one pound of potatoes to a mash, when half cold add a cupful of yeast, and mix it well. It will be ready for use in two or three hours, and keeps well.
Use a double quantity of this to what you do of beer yeast.
To take off the bitter of yeast, put bran into a sieve, and pour it through.
To preserve Yeast.
When you have plenty of yeast begin to save it in the following manner; whisk it until it becomes thin, then get a large wooden dish, wash it very nicely, and when quite dry, lay a layer of yeast over the inside with a soft brush; let it dry, then put another layer in the same manner, and so do until you have a sufficient quantity, observing that each coat dry thoroughly before another be added. It may be put on two or three inches thick, and will keep several months; when to be used cut a piece out; stir it in warm water.
If to be used for brewing, keep it by dipping large handfuls of birch tied together; and when dry, repeat the dipping once. You may thus do as many as you please; but take care that no dust comes to them, or the vessel in which it has been prepared as before. When the wort be set to work, throw into it one of these bunches, and it will do as well as with fresh yeast; but if mixed with a small quantity first, and then added to the whole, it will work sooner.
To pot Cheese.
Cut and pound four ounces of Cheshire cheese, one ounce and a half of fine butter, a teaspoonful of white pounded sugar, a little bit of mace, and a glass of white wine. Press it down in a deep pot.
To roast Cheese, to come up after dinner.
Grate three ounces of fat Cheshire cheese, mix it with the yelks of two eggs, four ounces of grated bread, and four ounces of butter, beat the whole well in a mortar, with a teaspoonful of mustard, and a little salt and pepper. Toast some bread, lay the paste as above thick upon it, put it into a Dutch oven, covered with a dish till hot through, remove the dish, and let the cheese brown a little. Serve as hot as possible.
To poach Eggs.
Set a stewpan of water on the fire; when boiling, slip an egg, previously broken into a cup, into the water; when the white looks done enough, slide an egg slice under the egg, and lay it on toast and butter, or spinach. As soon as enough are done, serve hot.
The servants of each country are generally acquainted with the best mode of managing the butter and cheese of that country; but the following hints may not be unacceptable to give information to the Mistress.