Book of American Baking / A Practical Guide Covering Various Branches of the Baking Industry, Including Cakes, Buns, and Pastry, Bread Making, Pie Baking, Etc.

by Various

Butter.

Butter is perhaps the most expensive material used in cake making. Many bakers use cheap butter, it sometimes being even rancid—fishy. It is unwise to use this class of butter, for the cakes will surely tell it in the taste. If the price of butter is high, it is better (in order to reduce the cost of the making of the cake) to use good butter and lard, cottolene, or some other similar compound with it. A very good way is to mix a two weeks’ supply of butter and lard together, first leaving the butter in a warm room for a day or so, so that it will have the stiffness of the lard and will then mix easier and evenly with it. This seems to help keep the butter sweet and saves lots of time and weighing of butter and lard separately, and it is just the right firmness for creaming, and avoids the lumps which are often hard to rub smooth with the sugar while creaming in winter. It also helps to keep the butter firm and from getting too soft in summer when a stiff compound is mixed with it. It also saves money, as the proportion of butter and lard can be changed as butter gets cheaper or dearer. Sixty pounds of butter to 100 pounds of lard is frequently used. When butter is cheaper, use 75 to 100 pounds, and this can be changed to meet the class of goods turned out in the different bakeries.