The same rule for buying holds good of all groceries. Buy the best. You will save money and insure comfort by it. There is no more economy in buying cheap sugar than cheap flour. A barrel of pure, clear, granulated sugar will last longer, and in the end be cheaper, than any of the coffee or brown sugars.
Before collecting your materials for making cake or pies, see that your stove or range is in good order; the grate shaken free from ashes; all the fuel needed for the cooking added and burning clear. Be careful that no doors or windows are opened, so that the air will blow across the stove. No oven can bake well if this is not prevented, or if the sun shines across it. We all know that if this happens, the coal will soon look whitish, instead of burning clear and lively.
Having the fire and oven in a proper condition, you can now prepare for making bread, cake, or pastry. Of course you will have a large, clean apron, and fold, not push, your sleeves back above the elbow. A sack apron, with high neck and short sleeves, made long and full enough to cover the dress, is a great convenience, for if suddenly called from your work you can throw it off easily, leaving your dress in a neat, presentable condition. A close net cap drawn over the head will prevent loose hairs falling into your work, and should be more used than is common. A basin of water and a clean towel close by are necessary, so that you need not be obliged to stop in the midst of your work to get it in case of any mishap. Put everything you will need on the table. Be sure that all utensils are always put away clean, so that, when they are next wanted, you will not be hindered to do more than wipe them free from the dust which may have gathered upon them. Scrupulous neatness about all your cooking-utensils should never be forgotten. If iron, tin, wood, or earthen vessels are set aside without being scrubbed perfectly clean and wiped dry, you will waste much time when next they are needed, aside from risking a moldy or rusty taste in your food.
A good-sized bread or molding-board, white and clean, perfectly dry and smooth, should be placed on the table. It keeps the flour, sugar, etc. that may fall, from the table, and is readily lifted, with all the soiled dishes on it, to the sink for washing,—thus saving much litter and many steps. Learn to cook without gathering a large number of things about; after a little practice, you will be surprised to see how few things are really needed, and how much confusion and how many steps can be avoided by a little management.
In making cake, dry and sift the flour, roll the sugar, if at all lumpy (granulated sugar will not lump), and put it in separate bowls or pans. Wash the butter, for cake or pastry, and put it into ice-water; weigh or measure the sugar and milk needed. Raisins should be stoned, the citron cut in thin slices, and currants washed and picked over, covered closely, and put away in a cool place the night before they are needed.
These materials all collected, butter the pans. If for cake, line them with clean white paper, well buttered. Use butter, instead of lard or drippings, as they may give an unpleasant taste to the under crust. Cake baked in butter-lined pans does not burn so readily on the bottom. If the cake does not require long baking, unbuttered paper will answer, as it will peel off readily when the cake is cool. Have some clean paper at hand to cover the top of the cake, if it begins to scorch.
The white paper used to print our newspapers on is as good for buttering and lining cake pans as the more expensive letter-paper, and is also very nice to cover shelves with, or lay in the bottoms of drawers. Two or three dozen sheets will last a good while, be of little expense, and very convenient for many purposes.
Eggs that are to be used in cake should be put into cold water in summer, while you are making your preparations, until ready to use them. Then break each one separately into a cup, to see if it is good; but by breaking all into the dish you beat them in, you risk ruining the whole by one bad egg. If good, turn it into the dish, and proceed the same way with the others. Have your nutmegs grated, and all other spices ready.
These preliminaries attended to, (and it takes but a few minutes to have all in readiness when you have done it rightly and methodically,) begin to put the materials together. First beat the butter and sugar together, till white and creamy; then beat the eggs,—the yelks and whites separately always, as whites require longer beating than yelks. Strain the yelks after beating, and add to them well-beaten butter and sugar; then the spices; stir in the flour gradually, before using the sweet or sour milk needed. If you use soda and cream of tartar, the latter should be sifted with the flour, and the soda, dissolved in cool milk or water,—never in hot water,—should be added after the milk. If prepared flour is used, no soda or cream of tartar can be put in at all. Beat the batter very light, flour the currants and raisins and stir in; then add the whites, beaten stiff, the last thing. After they are added, the batter must not be beaten hard,—only enough to have it thoroughly incorporated with the dough. In beating the whites, do not stop after you begin till quite stiff, else they will “go back,” and then they will not come up light again.
In raised cake, put in the fruit, rolled in flour, just before you put the cake into the oven. Spread it over the top lightly, and press it in but a little way, else it will all sink to the bottom and be worthless.