54. NATURE OF BUTTER CAKE.--The ingredients for a simple butter cake consist of butter or other fat, sugar, flour, eggs, leavening, and liquid. The proportion of flour and liquid in cake of this kind is similar to that of a thick, or muffin, batter, that is, 2 measures of flour and 1 measure of liquid; but it should be remembered that the addition of other ingredients, such as butter, sugar, and eggs, alter this proportion to a certain extent. However, it is possible to make up a cake recipe from a muffin recipe by using 1/2 as much sugar as flour and 1/2 as much butter as sugar. With a knowledge of these proportions, the housewife will be able to judge how near a new recipe comes to being a reasonable one and what the possibilities of its success are.
55. COMBINING THE INGREDIENTS.--The method of mixing all cakes that include butter as an ingredient is similar. It is explained and illustrated in detail, so that the housewife may become thoroughly familiar with it and thus be prepared to apply it in the preparation of any variety of butter cake. In case a recipe contains additional ingredients, the way in which these are combined should be noted carefully and then carried out.
56. In the making of any kind of butter cake, the ingredients and utensils should be collected and conveniently placed if the best results are desired. Fig. 10 shows these assembled ready to begin the mixing. As will be observed, layer-cake pans are included in the equipment, but these may be replaced by pans of other kinds if it is not desired to make a layer cake. Before the mixing begins, grease whatever pans are to be used and then dust them lightly with flour so that they will be ready when the mixture is prepared.
57. As the first step in the making of butter cake, cream the butter in the mixing bowl, as shown in Fig. 11; that is, work it with a wooden spoon until it is soft and creamy. Then add the sugar from the measuring cup very slowly, as in Fig. 12, stirring continually so that the mixture will remain creamy. The eggs are the next ingredient to be added. These are put in whole and unbeaten, whole and beaten, or they are separated and the yolks and whites beaten separately. If the whole eggs or the yolks are to be beaten, break them into a bowl and beat them with a rotary egg beater as Fig. 13 shows. As has already been learned, the whites, when added alone, should be beaten with an egg whip. When the eggs have been added to the mixture, beat it well so as to make it as light as possible and then stir in the liquid. The mixture will then appear as in Fig. 14. Next add all the dry ingredients to the flour, and, as illustrated in Fig. 15, carefully sift all into the mixture. If desired, the liquid and flour may be added alternately, a little at a time. With all the ingredients combined, beat the mixture vigorously for a short time to make sure that everything is thoroughly mixed, and then, as shown in Fig. 16, pour it into the pans that have been greased and floured. If a two-layer or a three-layer cake is to be made, it may be divided evenly to fill two pans or three pans, but if a loaf cake is desired, all of it should be poured into one pan.
