136.—Directions for mixing Cakes made with Butter.
Take your butter and work it on a marble slab, then cream it in a warm earthenware pan, and be particularly careful not to let the butter oil; add the sugar and work it well with your hand, mixing in one or two eggs at a time, and so on progressing until all the eggs are used. Beat it well up, and as soon as you perceive the mixing rise in the pan put in the flour and beat it well. Then add the spices, currants, and whatever else is required for the mixing. You may then put it up into the tins you intend for it. It will be necessary during the time of creaming it to warm it two or three times, particularly in cold weather.
137. Another Way.—Proceed with the butter and sugar as before. Have ready separated the whites from the yolks of the eggs; mix in the yolks two or three at a time; let another person whisk up the whites stiff. Then put them to the other mixture and proceed as before directed.
138.—London Way of mixing Cakes.
Weigh down the flour and sugar on a clean smooth table, make a hole in it, and bank it well up; in this hole put your eggs; cream the butter in an earthenware pan; then add to the flour and sugar the eggs and butter; mix all together and beat up well with both hands. You may work it up this way as light as a feather; then add the currants, spices, &c.
139. Another Way.—Take six pieces of cane about 18 inches long, tie them fast together at one end, but in order to make them open put in the middle, where you tie them, one or two pieces half the length. This is called a mixing-rod. Provide a tall pot, as upright as can be procured, which make hot; work your butter on a marble slab, then put it in the pan and work it well round with the rod until it is nicely creamed; put in the sugar and incorporate both together; add one or two eggs at a time, and so on progressively until they are all used up; work away with the rod with all speed, and as soon as it is properly light (which you may know by its rising in the pan) take it out and mix in the flour, spices, currants, &c., with a spatter. This is esteemed the very best way of mixing cakes.
140.—Citron Cake.
1 lb. of butter, 1 lb. 2 ozs. of sugar, 6 eggs, and 4 yolks; 1 lb. 4 ozs. of flour. Cut 4 ozs. of green citron in long thin pieces and place them in two or three layers as you put the cake up. It must be baked in a deep tin or rim papered with fine paper. Neatly buttered and baked in a slow oven.