Take the weight of ten eggs, in sifted loaf sugar, beat it well with the yolks of twelve eggs, then grate in the peel of a fresh lemon, and add the juice of half an one. Beat the whites of six eggs to a froth, and mix them with the sugar and yolks. Beat the whole, well together without any cessation, for fifteen minutes, on a shallow plate, then stir in very gradually the weight of six eggs, in sifted flour, put it in a moderate oven, as soon as the flour is well mixed in, and bake it from fifteen to twenty minutes.
[176.] Almond Sponge Cake.
Into the whites of sixteen eggs, beaten to a froth, stir their weight of sifted loaf sugar; beat them well five or six minutes, then add the weight of seven whites of eggs, in sweet almonds, previously blanched, dried, and pounded fine, a table spoonful of cream or lukewarm melted butter, beat the ingredients well together, then stir in very gradually, the weight of the whites of eight eggs, in sifted flour; as soon as it is mixed in well, bake it in a moderate oven about twenty minutes.
[177.] Black or Fruit Cake.
Stir for twenty minutes, four pounds of butter with five of sugar. Beat forty eggs, the whites and yolks separate, and stir them into the butter and sugar, then add a table spoonful of cinnamon, the same quantity of rosewater, a tea spoonful of essence of lemon, or three of orange flower water, half an ounce of allspice, the same of mace, and a tea spoonful of cloves. Stir in very gradually, five pound of sifted flour. Mix three glasses of white wine, three of brandy, and two of milk. Stir it with the rest of the above ingredients for twenty minutes, then stir in three quarters of a pound of blanched, dried and pounded almonds, four pounds of stoned raisins, five of Zante currants, and a pound of citron, cut in small pieces, the fruit should be stirred in gradually, a handful of each kind alternately. Bake it immediately in a moderate oven, for about two hours and a half. This kind of cake will keep good four or five months.
[178.] Almond Cheese Cake.
Mix half a pound of powdered loaf sugar, with four ounces of butter, when white add a gill of cream, if you have it, if not put in the same quantity of boiling milk, with an ounce of pounded cracker, two ounces of blanched and pounded sweet almonds, half a glass of wine, a tea spoonful of orange flower or rosewater, and half a grated nutmeg. Beat five eggs to a froth, the whites and yolks separate, and stir into the above mixture; then set it on a few coals and stir it constantly till scalding hot, take it off before it boils, and stir it till nearly cold, then add quarter of a pound of Zante currants. Pour it into patty pans, lined with puff paste, cut blanched almonds into small slips, and ornament the top of the cheese cake with them. Bake them in a quick oven twenty minutes.
[179.] Maccaroons.
Beat the whites of nine eggs to a stiff froth, then stir in ten large table spoonsful of powdered loaf sugar, beat them together well; add quarter of a pound of bitter almonds, previously blanched, dried and pounded fine, and the same quantity of sweet ones. When the whole is well mixed, do them up into balls of the size of a walnut, lay them on buttered baking plates, several inches apart, flatten them on the top, bake them in a slow oven till of a light brown.