Ribbon Cake.
Two cupfuls of sugar, one of butter, one of milk, four of flour (rather scant), four eggs, half a teaspoonful of soda, one of cream of tartar. Beat the butter to a cream. Add the sugar, gradually, beating all the while; then the flavoring (lemon or nutmeg). Beat the eggs very light. Add them and the milk. Measure the flour after it has been sifted. Return it to the sieve, and mix the soda and cream of tartar with it. Sift this into the bowl of beaten ingredients. Beat quickly and vigorously, to thoroughly mix, and then stop. Take three sheet pans of the same size, and in each of two put one-third of the mixture, and bake. To the other third add four teaspoonfuls of cinnamon, a cupful of currants and about an eighth of a pound of citron, cut fine. Bake this in the remaining pan. When done, take out of the pans. Spread the light cake with a thin layer of jelly, while warm. Place on this the dark cake, and spread with jelly. Place the other sheet of light cake on this. Lay a paper over all, and then a thin sheet, on which put two irons. The cake will press in about two hours.
Regatta Cake.
Two pounds of raised dough, one pint of sugar, one cupful of butter, four eggs, a nutmeg, a glass of wine, a teaspoonful of saleratus, one pound of raisins. Mix thoroughly, put in deep pans that have been thoroughly greased, and let it rise half an hour, if in very warm weather, or fifteen minutes longer, if in cold weather. Bake in a moderate oven.
Nut Cake.
One cupful of sugar, half a cupful of butter, half a cupful of milk, two cupfuls of pastry flour, two eggs, one coffee-cupful of chopped raisins, one of chopped English walnuts, one teaspoonful of cream of tartar, half a teaspoonful of soda. Beat the butter to a cream. Add the sugar, gradually, and when light, the eggs, well beaten, then the milk and the flour, in which the soda and cream of tartar have been thoroughly mixed. Mix quickly, and add the raisins and nuts. Bake in rather deep sheets, in a moderate oven, for thirty-five minutes. Frost, if you please. The quantities given are for one large or two small sheets. If you use baking powder, instead of cream of tartar and soda, take a teaspoonful and a half.
Snow Flake Cake.
Half a cupful of butter, one and a half of sugar, two of pastry flour, one-fourth of a cupful of milk, the whites of five eggs, one teaspoonful of cream of tartar, half a teaspoonful of soda, or a teaspoonful and a half of baking-powder, the juice of half a lemon. Beat the butter to a cream. Gradually add the sugar, then the lemon, and when very light, the milk, and whites of the eggs, beaten to a stiff froth; then the flour, in which the soda and cream of tartar are well mixed. Bake in sheets in a moderate oven. When nearly cool, frost.
Frosting: The whites of three eggs, two large cupfuls of powdered sugar, half a grated cocoanut, the juice of half a lemon. Beat the whites to a stiff froth. Add the sugar, gradually, and the lemon and cocoanut. Put a layer of frosting on one sheet of the cake. Place the other sheet on this, and cover with frosting. Or, simply frost the top of each sheet, as you would any ordinary cake. Set in a cool place to harden.
Federal Cake.