Simnel Cake

From Mrs. C. F. Aked

One-half pound butter, 1/2 pound brown sugar, 6 eggs, 1/2 pound currants, 1/2 pound raisins, 1/4 pound mixed peel, a few candied cherries, 1/2 pound flour, 1/2 teaspoonful pounded ammonia. Put the powdered ammonia into the butter and beat it with the sugar to a cream. Beat the eggs well and add them by degrees so as not to curdle them; put in fruits and lastly the flour. Put half into a well-lined round cake tin, then put in a flat round cake of almond paste as described below, and then the rest of the cake mixture on top. Bake gently about 3 hours. When cool, remove the papers, trim the top quite flat and lay on the other half cake of almond paste, having rolled it and moulded it exactly to fit the top of the cake. Bake the remains of the almond paste into even-sized balls, and place all round the cake. Put half a cherry on top of each. It needs no further cooking.

For the Almond Paste: 1 pound ground almonds, 1/2 pound powdered sugar, 1/2 pound icing sugar, vanilla essence, almond essence, the juice of 1/2 lemon (or more if liked). Either pound together in the mortar, or if not convenient mix together with the hand thoroughly, adding either 1 or 2 fresh eggs well beaten as needed to mix all to a moist but firm paste. It needs no cooking. Use as directed above, rolling out with pastry pin to the size of the cake, and making the edge round with a knife.

Lincoln Cake

From Mrs. J. Nash

Six eggs, 1 pound flour, 1/2 pound butter, 1 pound sugar, 2 cupfuls sour cream, 1 teaspoonful soda (stirred in cream), 1 tablespoonful rose water, grated rind of 1 lemon, 1/2 pound seeded raisins. Beat eggs separately and put ingredients together as usual. Bake in loaf or card.

Potato Cake

From Mrs. Franklin A. Zane

One cupful butter, 2 cupfuls sugar, 2 cupfuls flour, 1/2 cupful milk, 1 cupful mashed potatoes (cold and unseasoned) 1 cupful raisins, 1 cupful chopped walnuts, 1 cupful grated chocolate (or 4 sticks), 4 eggs beaten separately, 2 teaspoonfuls baking powder, 1 teaspoonful cinnamon, 1 teaspoonful cloves, 1 teaspoonful nutmeg. If baked in sheet, bake 1 hour to l 1/2 hours. If in loaf, bake 2 1/2 hours to 3 hours.

Tumbler Cake

Miss S. J. Chambers

One tumblerful raisins, 1 tumblerful sugar, 1 tumblerful molasses, 1 tumblerful eggs, 1 tumblerful butter, spices, 1 spoonful soda and 1/2 teaspoonful cream of tartar. Dissolve the soda in water and put the cream of tartar in the flour. Add flour enough to make a very stiff batter. Bake slowly like fruit cake.

Washington Cake

From Mrs. J. Nash

Three cupfuls sugar, 2 cupfuls butter, 5 eggs, 1 cupful milk, 4 cupfuls flour, 2 teaspoonfuls cream of tartar, 1 teaspoonful soda, 1/2 pound currants, 1/4 pound seeded raisins, grated rind of 1 lemon, a handful of citron (cut fine), cinnamon to taste, nutmeg to taste.

Pound Cake

From Mrs. John C. Coleman

One dozen eggs, 1 pound flour, 1 pound butter. 1 pound sugar. Work butter and sugar to a cream; beat eggs well and add to sugar and butter; add flour. Do not beat mixture but slightly after putting it in. Bake at least 1 hour.