Before you begin to mix cake, grease the tins, measure out all the necessary ingredients, and see that you have a good fire; for cake should not be allowed to stand either during the process of mixing or when ready for the oven. Cake is less liable to stick to the pans if they are greased with lard (of course very little should be used), but some prefer to use butter. Several thicknesses of paper (greased) should be laid in the bottom of pans for fruit cake, as this is more liable to burn than other kinds.

To Mix Cake, the usual rule is, first rub the butter and sugar together with a wooden spoon or potato-masher till they look soft and creamy and are several shades lighter in color than when you began. This process is facilitated by having the mixing-bowl slightly warm; but on no account melt the butter. Upon this faithful "creaming"

of the butter and sugar, depends chiefly the success of the cake.

To the butter and sugar add the eggs, which will beat light much more quickly if they are cold. Break each into a cup by itself before adding it to the rest, for one bad egg would spoil all. If necessary to separate the yolks from the whites, be careful in doing it; for the least particle of yolk would prevent the whites from being beaten stiff. Beat them in a platter with long strokes from a silver fork. Do not stop beating until they are stiff; if you do they will liquify, and cannot afterward be beaten light. Yolks should be beaten till frothy.

Next, put in the milk. Never use fresh and stale milk in the same cake ; it would make it heavy.

Measure the soda and cream of tartar carefully. (A little too much soda would affect the whole cake disagreeably.) Dissolve the former in a teaspoonful or so of warm water and mix with the milk before adding it to the cake. The cream of tartar should be stirred through the flour(or a part of it) and this beaten in last. Of course the flour must be sifted before it is measured. Beat all well together. Then pour into the pans, which should be filled only two thirds full, leaving room for the cake to rise.

To Bake Cake. Most cake requires a moderately hot oven to make it rise up well. Fruit cake, however, should be put into a slow oven, as it needs longer baking and is apt to burn. For all cake the heat should be well kept up; if allowed to decrease the loaves will be doughy inside, or at least, heavy. Sponge cake, in particular, needs a steady heat. Jelly-cake and all layer-cakes need a hot oven, and are easier for a novice to bake than any other kind. They bake quickly; therefore watch care, fully, to see that they do not burn around the edges. Except with layer-cakes, do not open the oven door till the end of ten minutes; it might chill the cake whild rising, which is the most critical time. When you do look in the oven, take care that no cold draught of air from an open window or door strikes in, and do not slam the oven door when you shut it, or jar the pans by moving them unnecessarily.

To tell when Cake is done, run a clean broom straw quickly down into the thickest part of the cake; if it comes up moist the cake is not yet done, but if dry, it is time to take it out. Do this carefully, putting the pan down gently in a place where no draught will strike it. Take it out of the pan while warm, not hot.

What to do in case of failure. If the cake is heavy, nothing can be done. If burned on the bottom and the rest is good, frost on the bottom. If the whole outside is burned, cut out the good parts to use for "Tipsy Parson," or if you can cut into good slices do so, and frost each slice, laying a bit of candied orange (or other fruit) or half an English walnut in the centre.