Compare the recipes for chocolate and plain cake. How do you account for the difference in the quantities of sugar (see Chocolate Corn-starch Pudding)?
Does the water used for making the chocolate paste change in quantity during the cooking? Explain. What ingredient do both chocolate and cocoa contain which aids in thickening the cake? From this can you account for the greater quantity of moisture used in Chocolate Cake?
Would it be advisable to use a greater quantity of fat (1/2 cupful) for
Chocolate Cake? Why?
NUT CAKE
Follow the recipe for Plain Cake, use the smaller quantity of fat, and add 1 cupful of chopped nuts. A convenient way of chopping nuts is to put them through the food chopper, using the coarse knife.
CAKE CONTAINING FRUIT
Follow the recipe for Plain Cake, but add 1 cupful of raisins or currants. Clean the fruit, then dry, and sprinkle it with flour. Raisins may be chopped, or cut in two pieces (see To Prepare Raisins for Cooking). Citron may also be added. It should be cut in thin slices or put through the food chopper.
When light brown sugar is used instead of white sugar, dates make a pleasing addition. These should be cleaned, stoned, cut into pieces, and added as are the raisins or currants.
Spices give pleasing flavor when dried fruits are used. 1 teaspoonful each of cinnamon and nutmeg and 1/8 teaspoonful of cloves make desirable flavoring.