All ingredients 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 some time before using. Flour should always be sifted before using, and cream of tartar or baking powder should be thoroughly mixed with the flour; butter should be placed where it will become moderately soft, but not melted.

Eggs should be well-beaten, whites and yokes separately. Always stir the sugar and butter to a cream, then add the beaten yolks, the milk, the beaten whites, and lastly the flour. If fruit is used, dredge with sifted flour, and stir in gradually and thoroughly. Never stir cake after the butter and sugar is creamed, but beat it down from the bottom up, and over; this laps air into the cake batter and produces little air cells which cause the dough to puff and swell when in contact with the heat. To ascertain when cake is done, run a broom straw into the middle of it; if it comes out clean and smooth, the cake will do to take out.

Frostings - Icings - Fillings

Allow, for the white of one egg, one small teacupful of powdered sugar. Break the eggs and throw a small handful of the sugar on them as soon as you commence beating; keep adding it at intervals until it is all used up. The eggs must not be beaten until the sugar has been added this way, which gives a smooth tender frosting, and one that will dry much sooner than if made the old way. Add flavoring.

Boiled Icing

To white of one egg allow one small teacupful of sugar, and just water enough to moisten well. Boil your sugar and water until the syrup spins a thread, then beat slowly into well beaten whites of eggs, beating steadily until all is thoroughly mixed and light. Add flavoring. For chocolate stir your ground unsweetened chocolate into the boiled icing.

Boiled Frosting

1 pint granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons water.

2 eggs (whites only.)

Boil sugar and water until it spins threadlike when slowly dropped from tip of spoon. Have the whites of eggs beaten stiff and pour hot syrup over, beating hard all the time. Flavor with any preferred extract.

Almond Frosting

3 eggs.

1 pound almonds<./p>

3 cups sugar.

Blanch almonds, pound them in a mortar with a little sugar, till a fine paste.

Beat eggs and fine white sugar to stiff icing, then add almond paste, mixing thoroughly. Cover cake with thick coating of this and afterward with plain icing.

Maple Frosting

1/4 cup maple syrup, 2 tablespoons Karo corn syrup, 2 egg whites.

Boil maple syrup and Karo corn syrup to 240 degrees F., or to the soft ball stage. Pour in a fine stream on the whites of eggs, beating constantly meanwhile; beat occasionally until cold. If the frosting does not hold its shape, set the bowl in a double boiler (over boiling water) and keep moving it from the bottom until it thickens perceptibly. Leave it rough on cake.

Tutti Fruitti Icing

1 ounce chopped citron 1 ounce seedless raisins 1 ounce blanched almonds.

1 ounce candied cherries 1 ounce candied pineapple.

Mix with boiled icing.

Banana Filling

Cut fine the desired amount of bananas, mix thoroughly with sufficient sugar to make paste that will spread well, and place between the layers. Cover the cake with boiled icing, and if to be served soon, lay long pieces of banana on top.

Caramel Filling

1 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup cream 1 tablespoon butter

Boil until it starts to string from spoon.

Chocolate Filling

Mrs. Gibson.

1 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon butter, pinch of salt

3/4 cup milk ,2/5 cake chocolate.

Boil together until it' thickens, stirring constantly.

Cream Filling

1/4 cup hot water, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon grated cocoanut.

1 egg white, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, 1/2 cup raisins.

Put water on sugar, let them simmer. Beat white of egg and mix with syrup. When cold add nuts, raisins and cocoanut. Place between layers.

Fig Filling For Cake

1 cup chopped figs, 1/2 cup water.

1 cup sugar.

Place in double boiler and boil until thick. Dates may be used in same way.

Fruit Filling

4 tablespoons citron, 1/2 cup almonds, 3 eggs.

4 tablespoons raisins, 1/4 pound figs, 1/2 cup sugar.

Beat the whites of eggs to stiff froth, add sugar. Then thoroughly mix into this the whole of the chopped ingredients. Put between layers of cake while it is hot.

Fruit And Nut Filling

1 cup seeded raisins.

1 cup chopped nuts.

Make a boiled icing and add the chopped raisins and nuts. Save out a few nuts to sprinkle over top of cake.

Orange Filling

3 cups powdered sugar, 2 egg whites.

1 orange, 1/2 lemon.

Mix sugar with beaten whites of eggs, the juice and grated rind of orange and juice of lemon, flavoring with orange extract. Spread between layers. Ice top with boiled icing and decorate with sections of mandarin oranges.