"With weights and measures just and true.

Oven of even heat, Well buttered tins and quiet nerves,

Success will be complete."

Cake should not stand before being baked. The richer the cake the more slowly and longer it must bake. Streaks in cakes are caused by too rapid or unequal baking, unskilful mixing or a sudden decrease in heat before cake is quite done.

See that the oven is properly heated; if too hot cake will brown too quickly and before the inside has commenced to bake; if too cold cake will not rise. Small cakes require a hotter oven than large ones. An oven can be cooled by putting in dish of cold water.

Baking powder should always be sifted once or twice with flour. If soda and cream of tartar are used sift the cream of tartar with the flour and dissolve soda in the milk, if milk is used in the cake, if not. dissolve in teaspoon-ful of boiling water and stir into cake before adding any of the flour.

Dried currants before being used should be washed in three or four waters, first two warm, then spread on coarse cloth to dry. After partially dry, put cloth in a dripping pan, pour in currants, place in a warm oven, leaving door open. Stir occasionally; when dry look over carefully. Dust with flour, shaking and mixing well; put into colander and shake to remove surplus flour. It is a good plan to wash currants in this way when bought, keeping them in glass jars, as it is a great convenience to have them ready for use.

Unless cake containing raisins is to be cooked a long time it is a good plan to steam them by spreading on a plate which will fit in your steamer and steam for an hour. This makes them more tender and more wholesome than if only cooked a short time in a cake. Dredge well with flour before using.

In cakes where a. large number of whites of eggs are used, do not beat them too dry and stiff else cake will shrink in baking.

Grease tins, then flour lightly and cake will not stick. A pan in which fruit cake is to be baked should be well greased, then have three or four thicknesses of paper placed on bottom and two on sides (paper also greased). This prevents them from getting too brown. If cakes brown too rapidly cover with thick brown paper.

To test whether a cake is done run a straw or broom splint into the thickest part; if done the straw will come out clean. Or, if done, cake will rise when pressed with finger; also, there will be no hissing noise.

All recipes must be changed at a high alti tude - less butter and less sugar. If a recipe calls for half a cupful of butter, a tablespoon-ful will be quite sufficient. Half a cupful of sugar will answer for a cupful. A sweet cake is little more than ordinary bread dough at a high altitude. If sweetness is desired cake may be baked in layers and put together with soft icing.

Walnut Cake

2/3 cupful of sweet milk, 3 eggs,

3 cupfuls of sifted flour,

1 level tablespoonful of mace,

1 coffee cupful of walnuts, chopped a little, 1 heaping teaspoonful of baking powder sifted through the flour. Fill the cake pans with a layer of the cake, then a layer of raisins upon that, then strew over a handful of nuts, and so on until the pan is two-thirds full. Line the pans with well buttered paper and bake in a steady but not too hot oven.

Miss C. Rea, Gilroy.