dients should be
properly prepared before commencing to mix any of them. Eggs beat up
much lighter and sooner by being placed in a cold place sometime
before using them; a small pinch of soda sometimes has the same
effect. Flour should always be sifted before using it. Cream of tartar
or baking powder should be thoroughly mixed with the flour; butter be
placed where it will become moderately soft, but _not_ melted in the
least, or the cake will be sodden and heavy. Sugar should be rolled
and sifted; spices ground or pounded; raisins or any ether fruit
looked over and prepared; currants, especially, should be nicely
washed, picked, dried in a cloth and then carefully examined, that no
pieces of grit or stone may be left amongst them. They should then be
laid on a dish before the fire to become thoroughly dry; as, if added
damp to the other ingredients, cakes will be liable to be heavy.

Eggs should be well beaten, the whites and yolks separately, the yolks
to a thick cream, the whites until they are a stiff froth. Always stir
the butter and sugar to a cream, then add the beaten yolks, then the
milk, the flavoring, then the beaten whites, and, lastly, the flour.
If fruit is to be used, measure and dredge with a little sifted flour,
stir in gradually and thoroughly.

Pour all in well-buttered cake-pans. While the cake is baking care
should be taken that no cold air enters the oven, only when necessary
to see that the cake is baking properly; the oven should be an even,
moderate heat, not too cold or too hot; much depends on this for
success. Cake is often spoiled by being looked at too often when first
put into the oven. The heat should be tested before the cake is put
in, which can be done by throwing on the floor of the oven a
tablespoonful of new flour. If the flour takes fire, or assumes a
dark brown color, the temperature is too high and the oven must be
allowed to cool; if the flour remains white after the lapse of a few
seconds, the temperature is too low. When the oven is of the proper
temperature the flour will slightly brown and look slightly scorched.

Another good way to test the heat, is to drop a few spoonfuls of the
cake batter on a small piece of buttered letter paper, and place it in
the oven during the finishing of the cake, so that the piece will be
baked before putting in the whole cake; if the little drop of cake
batter bakes evenly without burning around the edge, it will be safe
to put the whole c