cake sinks in the center. A cake made under such conditions
would have a thick shiny crust, and be liable to crumble when touched.
The inside of the cake would be heavy, having more the appearance of
pudding than cake.

Successful cake making means constant care. In recipes in which milk
is used as one ingredient, either sweet or buttermilk may be used
but not a mixture of both. Buttermilk makes a light, spongy cake,
and sweet milk makes a cake which cuts like pound cake. _In creaming
shortening and sugar, when the shortening is too hard to blend easily
warm the bowl slightly, but do not heat the shortening, as this will
change both the flavor and texture of the cake._ For small cakes have
a quick oven, so that they set right through, and the inside is baked
by the time the outside is browned. For all large cakes have a quick
oven at first, to raise them nicely and prevent the fruit sinking to
the bottom. The oven then should be allowed to become slower to fire
the cakes thoroughly.

Cake must not be hurried. Keep the oven steady though slow, and after
putting a large cake into it do not open the door for at least twenty
minutes. During baking, do not open the door unnecessarily, or in
fact do anything to jar the cake lest the little bubbles formed by the
action of the baking powder burst, causing the gas to escape and the
cake to sink. This produces what is known as a "sad" cake, but refers
probably to the state of mind of the cook. A very light cake put into
a quick oven' rises rapidly round the sides, but leaves a hollow in
the middle.

If a cake is made too light with eggs or powder and an insufficient
quantity of flour is added it will drop in the center. Another
frequent cause is the moving of cakes while in the oven before the
mixture has set properly. The same defect is produced if the cakes
are removed from the oven before being baked sufficiently. When a cake
batter curdles, the texture will not be so even as if the curdling had
not taken place. Sometimes the mixture will curdle through the eggs
being added too quickly, or if the shortening contains too much water.
This forms a syrup with the sugar, and after a certain quantity of
eggs have been added the batter will slip and slide about, and will
not unite with the other ingredients. Weak, watery eggs are another
cause of this happening; and although this may be checked by adding
a little flour at the right time, yet the cake would be better if it
were u