147.—Bride Cakes.
The following mixtures are made in a few first-class shops, and the recipes for the same are not generally known. The prices quoted allow for almond-icing as well.
| Ingredients. | 10s. 6d. | 12s. | 15s. | 18s. | £1 1s. | £1 11s. | £2 2s. |
| lb. oz. | lb. oz. | lb. oz. | lb. oz. | lb. oz. | lb. oz. | lb. oz. | |
| Butter | 0 11 | 0 13 | 1 1 | 1 4 | 1 6 | 2 1 | 2 12 |
| Sugar | 0 7 | 0 8 | 0 10 | 0 12 | 1 0 | 1 6 | 1 12 |
| Currants | 1 4 | 1 6 | 1 10 | 2 0 | 2 8 | 3 12 | 5 0 |
| Orange and citron, mixed | 0 6 | 0 7 | 0 8 | 0 10 | 0 12 | 1 2 | 1 8 |
| Almonds | 0 1½ | 0 2 | 0 2 | 0 3 | 0 3 | 0 4 | 0 6 |
| Mixed spice[B] | 0 0½ | — | 0 0¾ | — | 0 1 | 0 1½ | 0 2 |
| Flour | 0 11 | 0 13 | 1 1 | 1 4 | 1 6 | 2 1 | 2 12 |
| Eggs, number of | 6 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 18 | 24 |
| Brandy or brandy and wine | Wineglassful. | Wineglassful. | Wineglassful. | Wineglassful. | ¼-pint. | ¼-pint. | ½-pint. |
148.—Icing Sugar for Bride Cakes, &c.
To make this take 2 lbs. of finely powdered icing sugar (first having an earthenware pan made warm), put in six fresh whites of eggs, and immediately whisk them, and as quickly as possible, until quite stiff; then add the sugar by degrees, whisking all the time. As soon as it appears light cease whisking, and beat it well with the spatter until you have put in all the sugar. A little tartaric acid or lemon-juice may be added towards the end of the mixing. To know when it is sufficiently beaten, take up a little on the spatter and let it drop into the basin again. If it keeps its shape it is ready; if it runs it is either beaten too little or requires more sugar.
A good substitute for eggs is French glue. Take a quarter of an ounce of it and fully one imperial pint of boiling water. Pour the water on the glue, and stir in with a spoon until all is dissolved. If convenient, make it two days before using. The glue is used similar to eggs. Add to it a small pinch of tartaric acid. This glue is mostly used for wholesale or cheap purposes.