[FIG CAKE.]
Half a cup of butter, one cup of granulated sugar, half a cup of milk, two cups of flour, two rounded teaspoonfuls of baking powder, the whites of four eggs. Beat the butter and sugar to a cream, stir the milk and one cup of the flour together and add to the butter and sugar. Sift the remaining cup of flour and the baking powder together, beat the whites of egg to a stiff froth and stir alternately with the flour into the other ingredients. Grease three layer cake tins well, divide the batter evenly and bake from seven to ten minutes.
Filling.—Boil without stirring until it is clear one cup of sugar wet with a little water; remove from the fire and stir into it three-quarters of a cup of figs chopped fine and a quarter of a cup of currants, washed and dried. Spread two of the layers with this, put them together and ice top and sides with a plain icing made as follows: The whites of two eggs beaten to a froth and one and a half cups of powdered sugar stirred into it and flavored with almond extract.
[GINGER LAYER CAKE.]
Two cups of flour, one cup of Porto Rico molasses, one cup of milk, the third of a cup of butter, one egg, one slightly heaping teaspoonful of soda sifted with the flour, one heaping teaspoonful of ginger, one cup of currants. Beat the egg a little, add the molasses with the butter melted and stirred into it, then the currants, about half the milk, all of the flour, beat well and add the rest of the milk. Bake in two cakes in a quick oven from twelve to fifteen minutes. Use the chocolate filling, given for chocolate layer cake, and ice the top and the sides with the same.
[ORANGE CAKE.]
Beat to a cream the yolks of four eggs with one cup of granulated sugar, to which add the whites of two eggs beaten to a stiff froth, one-half cup of milk alternately with one and a half cups of sifted flour into which a teaspoonful and a half of baking powder has been well mixed. Beat well and bake in three layers if the pans are large, or four if small, in a quick oven from seven to ten minutes, try with a broom straw, and when it comes out clean remove from the oven. Don't let them bake a moment too long, or they will not absorb the icing.
Filling.—The whites of two eggs beaten to a stiff froth, to which add a cup of powdered sugar, pouring it in all at once and beating hard, then the grated rind of an orange—select one dark in color—and the juice. The mixture should be like a thick cream. Spread thickly on the cake while hot, and to what is left add enough sugar—about half a cupful—for frosting to harden. Ice the top and sides. This is a delicious cake, easily and quickly made.