[SPONGE CAKE.—No. 1.]
Twelve eggs, the weight of ten in powdered sugar, the weight of six in sifted flour, the grated rind and juice of one lemon. Beat the yolks of the eggs to a cream, add the sugar and stir well, and then the lemon juice and rind. Add the whites of eggs beaten to a stiff froth, and fold in the flour as quickly and lightly as possible.
[SPONGE CAKE.—No. 2.]
Four cups of flour, three cups of sugar, one cup of cold water, eight eggs, two even tablespoonfuls of baking powder, the grated peel of an orange. Pour the water on the sugar in a bowl, stir until almost dissolved, beat the whites to a stiff froth, the yolks to a cream, put one cup of flour with the yolks into the sugar and water, beat hard, add the whites of the eggs, mix the baking powder with the flour, and stir into the other ingredients by degrees quickly and lightly. Bake in a shallow pan in a quick oven. When it no longer sizzles it is done. Ice with a boiled icing while hot, flavored with almond extract.
[CORN SPONGE CAKE (a Spanish Recipe).]
Half a pound of corn meal, half a pound of butter, seven ounces of granulated sugar, seven eggs, two tablespoonfuls of catalan (brandy). Beat separately the whites and yolks of the eggs; when the yolks are beaten to a cream add the sugar, then the whites of eggs, stir the corn meal in lightly, then the butter melted, and the brandy. Mix well, pour into shallow pans well buttered, and bake in a moderate oven from twelve to fifteen minutes, test with a straw. Best when quite fresh.
[SPICED GINGERBREAD.]
One cup of Porto Rico molasses, one cup of boiling water, butter the size of an egg, half a teaspoonful of ground cloves, one teaspoonful of cinnamon, one egg, one teaspoonful of ginger, half a teaspoonful of soda, a light half pound of flour, a quarter of a cup of brown sugar. Melt the butter and stir into the molasses, add the spices, then the water. Sift the soda with the flour and add at the last. Currants and raisins stoned and chopped may be added and are an improvement. The cake may be baked in a loaf or in small moulds.
[CREAM GINGERBREAD.]
One cup of Porto Rico molasses, one cup of sour cream, two cups of sifted flour, one teaspoonful of salt, one teaspoonful of ginger, one even teaspoonful of soda, one egg, a little cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, two tablespoonfuls of brown sugar. Beat the egg, sugar and spice together, add the molasses and one cup of flour, then the cream, after that the other cup of flour with the soda sifted together. It should be a thick batter, and if not thick enough add a little more flour—not more than half a cup. Bake in a shallow pan. When done the cake should be about two inches thick. Ice with boiled icing.