Sometimes milk or cream is used in cake-making. If Swiss milk is used as a substitute, remember that less sugar will be required.

When pounded almonds are used for cakes, the almonds must be blanched by being thrown, first into boiling water, and then into cold water. In pounding them, add a little rose-water or orange-flower water, or the white of an egg, to prevent the almonds getting oily.

Nearly all plain cakes, where only a few eggs are used, will be made lighter by the addition of a little baking-powder. A very good baking-powder is made by mixing an ounce of tartaric acid with an ounce and a half of bicarbonate of soda, and an ounce and a half of arrowroot. The baking powder should be kept very dry.

A very nice way of making home-made cakes is to use some dough, which can be procured from the baker’s. Suppose you have a quartern of dough, put it in a basin, cover it over with a cloth, and put it in front of the fire to rise, then spread it on a floured pastry-board, slice it up, and work in half a pound of fresh butter, half a pound of moist sugar, six eggs, a teaspoonful of salt, and half an ounce of caraway seeds. When all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, place them in two or more well-buttered tins or hoops, and let them stand in front of the fire a little while before they are placed in the oven. Cakes can be flavoured with a variety of spices, such as cinnamon, mace, nutmeg, or powdered coriander seeds. These last are always used to give a special flavour to hot cross buns.