Rub together half a pound of butter and a pound of flour, mixing in a quarter of a pound of caster-sugar, a beaten egg and half a pint of milk. Dust a board with some flour and roll out the paste quite thin, then cut into small fancy shapes, brushing over the top of each with a paste-brush dipped in beaten white of egg, and dust some caster-sugar over the top; then butter some tin dishes, place the cakes in them and bake in a quick oven for about ten to twelve minutes, and serve either hot or cold, as desired.

Peach Shortcake

Peel one quart of ripe peaches, cut them in small pieces, mix them with a breakfast cupful of sugar, and set them in a cool place. Rub eight ounces of butter in twelve ounces of flour, make a hollow in the center, then pour in one breakfast cupful of ice water, and mix it up soft. Sprinkle a little flour over a paste-board, and roll the paste out on it, folding and rolling it out three or four times to make it flakey; gather the paste into a lump, let it stand five minutes, then roll it about one-fourth inch in thickness, and bake it on a baking-sheet. Split the cake into two when baked, spread some peaches and sugar on the lower half, put the top on, the cut side up, and spread more peaches and sugar over that, place it on a dish, and serve with cream.

Strawberry Shortcake

Sift one and one-half pounds of flour and three heaping teaspoonfuls of baking-powder through a fine hair-sieve onto a marble slab, then rub in three ounces of butter until it is perfectly smooth, add one saltspoonful of salt, a little more than one-half teacupful of sugar, and stir in sufficient milk to form the whole into a stiff paste. Mix well, dredge the paste lightly over with flour, and roll it out very thin. Divide the paste into six equal-sized squares. Butter a shallow baking-dish, put in one square of the paste, spread a little butter over it, and dredge it lightly over with flour; place another square of paste over the first one, flour and butter that also, and proceed in the same way with the remainder. Put the cake into a brisk oven, and bake it for about twenty minutes. When cooked, turn the cake out of the tin, lay it on a dish, and put over it as many fresh strawberries as will cover it, strew over some powdered sugar, and cover with another layer of cake. Finish with alternate layers of strawberries and cake, making the last layer of strawberries, over which sift more sugar. Whip about one pint of rich cream to a stiff froth, pile it all around the cake, and serve.

Soda Cakes

Mix one teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda with one pound of flour, and rub into it half a pound of warm butter. When quite smooth, add three beaten eggs, half a pound of currants washed and dried, half a pound of caster-sugar, and a few caraway seeds. When thoroughly mixed, put in buttered tin, and bake.

Spice Cakes

Put one and one-fourth pound of flour in a basin and rub in one pound of butter with the hands until smooth, mix in one pound of well washed currants, one-fourth pound of moist sugar, one-third of a tablespoonful of pounded spice, one-half tablespoonful of yeast that has been dissolved in a little warm water, the beaten yolks of two and the white of one egg, together with one wineglassful of brandy. Stir the ingredients well and stand the mixture close to the fire, where it will rise for thirty minutes or so. Divide the cake mixture into small portions, mould these into nicely-shaped cakes, place them on baking-sheets and bake in a moderate oven. Leave the cakes until cold, then pile them on a dish, and serve.

Sponge-Cakes, Large

Boil one pound of lump sugar in a teacupful of boiling water, and when boiling pour it over six eggs, whisk for half an hour; sift in slowly two tablespoonfuls of flour, grate the rind of one lemon and mix in. When well worked together put in a greased mould of any suitable shape and bake for three-quarters of an hour, or a little longer if required.

Almond Sponge Cake

Take a sufficient quantity of sweet almonds and mix the whites of some eggs, adding a little grated lemon rind, sugar and the yolks of fifteen or sixteen eggs, well whisked. Then take the whites of a dozen or so eggs, whip them to a froth and stir them in; sift in slowly, beating all the time, a small quantity of dried flour, then pour this into a tin, carefully buttered and dusted with fine sugar, until it is half full; put it into the oven and bake for an hour. When done turn it out and set it on the sieve to cool.

Sponge Cake, Chantilly

Cut off the top of a stale sponge cake, scoop out the inside, leaving the wall three-quarters of an inch thick. Put this on a glass dish, fill the hollow with one-half pound of cherries (stoned and stalks taken off), pour over them a wineglassful of brandy, and then replace the top of the cake. Put one-half pint of rich cream and one ounce of powdered white sugar into a large bowl, and with an egg-whisk whip the cream to a stiff froth; add to this six or eight drops of essence of vanilla, and pour it over the cake just before serving.