Sponge-Cake

The Book of Household Management · Beeton, Mrs. (Isabella Mary) · 1861
Source
The Book of Household Management
Time
Cook: 90 min Total: 90 min
Yield
1.0 cake
Status
success · extracted 13 days ago
Not a recipe
No
Ingredients (6)
Instructions (14)
  1. Separate the yolks from the whites of the eggs.
  2. Beat the yolks.
  3. Put the yolks into a saucepan with the sugar.
  4. Let them remain over the fire until milk-warm, keeping them well stirred.
  5. Put them into a basin.
  6. Add the grated lemon-rind mixed with the brandy.
  7. Stir these well together.
  8. Dredge in the flour very gradually.
  9. Whisk the whites of the eggs to a very stiff froth.
  10. Stir the whisked whites into the flour mixture.
  11. Beat the cake well for 1/4 hour.
  12. Put it into a buttered mould strewn with a little fine sifted sugar.
  13. Bake the cake in a quick oven for 1-1/2 hour.
  14. Care must be taken that it is put into the oven immediately, or it will not be light.
Original Text
I. [Illustration: SPONGE-CAKE.] 1783. INGREDIENTS.—The weight of 8 eggs in pounded loaf sugar, the weight of 5 in flour, the rind of 1 lemon, 1 tablespoonful of brandy. Mode.—Put the eggs into one side of the scale, and take the weight of 8 in pounded loaf sugar, and the weight of 5 in good dry flour. Separate the yolks from the whites of the eggs; beat the former, put them into a saucepan with the sugar, and let them remain over the fire until milk-warm, keeping them well stirred. Then put them into a basin, add the grated lemon-rind mixed with the brandy, and stir these well together, dredging in the flour very gradually. Whisk the whites of the eggs to a very stiff froth, stir them to the flour, &c., and beat the cake well for 1/4 hour. Put it into a buttered mould strewn with a little fine sifted sugar, and bake the cake in a quick oven for 1-1/2 hour. Care must be taken that it is put into the oven immediately, or it will not be light. The flavouring of this cake may be varied by adding a few drops of essence of almonds instead of the grated lemon-rind. Time.—1-1/2 hour. Average cost, 1s. 3d. Sufficient for 1 cake. Seasonable at any time. [Illustration: EGYPTIAN WHEAT.] The Egyptian, or Mummy Wheat, is not grown to any great extent, owing to its inferior quality; but it is notable for its large produce, and is often cultivated on allotment grounds and on small farms, where quantity rather than quality is desired. At Wix, in Essex, the seed of this wheat has produced, without artificial assistance, four thousandfold; some of the ears have had eleven offshoots, and have contained, altogether, eleven grains in one ear.
Notes
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