Observations on making and baking Cakes

New system of domestic cookery, forme... · Rundell, Maria Eliza Ketelby · 1806

Source: New system of domestic cookery, formed upon principles of economy, and adapted to the use of private families
Status: success · extracted 13 days ago
Not a recipe: No

Ingredients (10)

preparation

currants ↝ Currants, european black, raw [Fruits and Fruit Juices]
eggs ↝ Eggs, Grade A, Large, egg whole [Dairy and Egg Products]
sugar ↝ Sugar, NFS [Sugars and honey]
lemonpeel
flour, milk and water, and yeast ↝ Flour, 00 [Cereal Grains and Pasta]
flour, milk and water, and yeast ↝ Milk, NFS [Milk, reduced fat]
flour, milk and water, and yeast ↝ Water, tap [Tap water]
flour, milk and water, and yeast ↝ Yeast [Not included in a food category]
butter ↝ Butter, stick, unsalted [Dairy and Egg Products]
eggs ↝ Eggs, Grade A, Large, egg whole [Dairy and Egg Products]

Instructions (15)

Wash currants very nicely, dry them in a cloth, and then set them before the fire. If damp they will make cakes or puddings heavy.
Before adding currants, throw a dust of dry flour among them and give them a shake, which causes the thing that they are put to, to be lighter.
Beat eggs very long, whites and yelks apart, and always strain them.
Rub sugar to a powder on a clean board, and sift it through a very fine hair or lawn sieve.
Pare lemonpeel very thin, and with a little sugar beat it in a marble mortar to a paste, then mix with a little wine, or cream, so as to divide easily among the other ingredients.
After all the articles are put into the pan, thoroughly and long beat them, as the lightness of the cake depends much on their being well incorporated.
Cakes made with yeast require less butter and eggs, and eat equally light and rich.
If the leaven be only of flour, milk and water, and yeast, it becomes more tough, and is less easily divided.
If the butter be first put with those ingredients, and the dough afterwards set to rise by the fire.
The heat of the oven is of great importance for cakes, especially those that are large. If not pretty quick, the batter will not rise.
If you fear the cake catching by being too quick, put some paper over it to prevent its being burnt.
If the oven is not long enough lighted to have a body of heat, or it has become slack, the cake will be heavy.
To know when the cake is soaked, take a broad bladed knife that is very bright, and plunge it into the very centre. Draw it instantly out, and if the least stickiness adheres, put the cake immediately in, and shut up the oven.
If the heat was sufficient to raise, but not to soak, put fresh fuel quickly in, and keep the cakes hot till the oven is fit to finish the soaking. They will turn out extremely well.
Those who are employed ought to be particularly careful that no mistakes occur from negligence when large cakes are to be baked.

Original Text

Observations on making and baking Cakes.

Currants should be very nicely washed, dried in a cloth, and then set before the fire. If damp they will make cakes or puddings heavy. Before they are added, a dust of dry flour should be thrown among them, and a shake given to them, which causes the thing that they are put to, to be lighter.

Eggs should be very long beaten, whites and yelks apart, and always strained.

Sugar should be rubbed to a powder on a clean board, and sifted through a very fine hair or lawn sieve.

Lemonpeel should be pared very thin, and with a little sugar beaten in a marble mortar to a paste, and then mixed with a little wine, or cream, so as to divide easily among the other ingredients.

After all the articles are put into the pan, they should be thoroughly and long beaten, as the lightness of the cake depends much on their being well incorporated.

Whether black or white plumcakes, they require less butter and eggs for having yeast, and eat equally 213light and rich. If the leaven be only of flour, milk and water, and yeast, it becomes more tough, and is less easily divided, and if the butter be first put with those ingredients, and the dough afterwards set to rise by the fire.

The heat of the oven is of great importance for cakes, especially those that are large. If not pretty quick, the batter will not rise. Should you fear its catching by being two quick, put some paper over the cake to prevent its being burnt. If not long enough lighted to have a body of heat, or it is become slack, the cake will be heavy. To know when it is soaked, take a broad bladed knife that is very bright, and plunge into the very centre, draw it instantly out, and if the least stickiness adheres, put the cake immediately in, and shut up the oven.

If the heat was sufficient to raise, but not to soak, I have with great success had fresh fuel quickly put in, and kept the cakes hot till the oven was fit to finish the soaking, and they turned out extremely well. But those who are employed, ought to be particularly careful that no mistakes occur from negligence when large cakes are to be baked.

Notes

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