Cakes may be classified under two heads :

1. Cakes without butter, or sponge cakes.

2. Cakes with butter.

Powdered sugar makes a fine-grained cake. Coarse granulated sugar makes a coarse-grained, sticky cake.. Winter wheat flour should be used, as it makes a light, tender cake.

How To Mix Sponge Cake

Separate the yolks from the whites. Beat the yolks till lemon-colored and thick. Add the sugar gradually and continue beating. Add flavoring. Fold in the whites beaten stiff. Sift in the flour carefully, and do not beat after adding the flour, or the air bubbles will be broken and the cake will be close grained and tough.

Do not grease the pan for sponge cakes. Line the bottom of the pan with ungreased paper cut to fit it.

How To Mix Butter Cakes

Use an earthen bowl and a wooden spoon. Have all the ingredients measured and ready, the pans greased before beginning to mix the cake. Cream the butter, add the sugar gradually, and beat till very light. Add the beaten yolks, flavoring, then the milk, and flour in which the baking powder has been sifted, alternately. Beat well, as cake is made fine-grained only by long beating; then fold in the beaten whites. Never stir the cake after the final beating.

For butter cakes, grease the pan with lard (do not use butter, as it burns), sprinkle with flour, shake out all the flour that does not adhere to the grease. Fill the pans about two thirds full, having the mixture come well into the corners. Leave a slight depression in the middle, so that the cakes will be level when baked.