Page:The White House Cook Book.djvu/321

 CAKES. 293

small portion of bitter ; without them, sweet almonds have little or no taste, though they add to the richness of the cake.

Use two heaping teaspoonfuls of baking powder in the flour.

OLD-FASHIONED SPONGE CAKE.

Two CUPS of sifted white sugar, two cups of flour measured before sifting, ten eggs. Stir the yolks and sugar together until perfectly light; add a pinch of salt; beat the whites of the eggs to a very stiff froth and add them with the flour, after beating together lightly; flavor with lemon. Bake in a moderate oven about forty-five minutes. Baking powder is an improvement to this cake, using two large tea- spoonfuls.

LEMON SPONGE CAKE.

INTO one level cup of flour put a level teaspoonful of baking powder and sift it. Grate off the yellow rind of a lemon. Separate the whites from the yolks of four eggs. Measure a scant cup of white granulated sugar and beat it to a cream with the yolks, ihen add the grated rind and a tablespoonful of the juice of the lemon. Stir together until thick and creamy ; now beat the whites to a stiff froth ; then quickly and lightly mix without Seating a third of the flour with the yolks; then a third of the whites ; then more flour and whites until all are used. The mode of mixing must be very light, rather cutting down through the cake batter than beating it; beating the eggs makes them light, but beating the batter makes the cake tough. Bake immediately until a straw run into it can be withdrawn clean.

This recipe is especially nice for Charlotte Russe, being so light and porous.

PLAIN SPONGE CAKE.

BEAT the yolks of four eggs together with two cups of fine pow- dered sugar. Stir in gradually one cup of sifted flour and the whites of four eggs beaten to a stiff froth, then a cup of sifted flour in which two teaspoonfuls of baking powder have been stirred, and, lastly, a scant teacupful of boiling water, stirred in a little at a time. Flavor, add salt and, however thin the mixture may seem, do not add any more flour. Bake in shallow tins.

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