Christmas Fruitcake

1 pound butter

1 1/2 pounds brown sugar 1 1/2 pounds flour

2 teaspoons nutmeg 1 teaspoon mace

1 teaspoon cloves

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 teaspoons baking powder 3 pounds raisins

2 pounds currants

1 pound citron, sliced 1 pound dates, sliced 10 eggs, well beaten 1 cup molasses 1 cup strong cold coffee Juice and grated rind of

2 oranges Juice and grated rind of

1 lemon 1 cup tart jelly 1/4 pound almonds, sliced

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Sift dry ingredients together 3 times and mix with fruit. Add eggs to creamed mixture. Add flour-fruit mixture alternately with next 5 ingredients and beat thoroughly. Pour into pans lined with greased paper. Sprinkle almonds on top. Cover cakes with greased paper. Steam for 2 hours, then bake in slow oven (300°F.) 11/2 to 2 hours, removing paper last 1/2 hour to dry surface.

Dried Apricot Cake

1 cup dried apricots

2 cups water

6 tablespoons sugar 1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 3/4 cups sifted cake flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup water

Simmer first 3 ingredients together 30 minutes. Mash and measure 1/2 cup pulp. Cream shortening and sugar thoroughly, add yolks and vanilla; beat. Sift dry ingredients together and add alternately with water and pulp. Bake in a cake pan (8x8 inches), lined with waxed paper, at 350°F., 45 minutes.

True Spongecake

1 cup sifted cake flour 1/4 teaspoon salt Grated rind 1/2 lemon 11/2 tablespoons lemon juice

5 egg yolks, beaten until thick and lemon-colored 5 egg whites 1 cup sugar

Sift flour and salt together 4 times. Add lemon rind and juice to beaten yolks and beat until thick and light. Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Fold in sugar, a small amount at a time, then add egg yolks. Fold in flour, sifting about 1/4 cup at a time over surface. Bake in ungreased tube pan in moderate oven (3 50°F.) 1 hour. Remove from oven and invert pan 1 hour before removing cake.

For Martha Washington Cream Pie, bake in 2 cake pans. Use the filling page 474 and top with whipped cream. When serving cut in wedges like a pie.

Hot Water Spongecake

1 cup sifted cake flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 tablespoon lemon juice 2 eggs, separated 1 cup sugar

6 tablespoons hot water

Proceed as for True Spongecake (page 468), adding water to egg and sugar mixture before adding dry ingredients.

Meringue Spongecake

1/2 cup water

1 1/4 cups sugar

3/4 cup egg whites (6)

1 teaspoon cream tartar

1 tablespoon lemon juice 6 egg yolks, beaten thick 1 1/8 cups sifted cake flour 1/4 teaspoon salt

Boil water and sugar together to soft-ball stage (238°F.). Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry, pour sirup over whites, add cream of tartar and beat until cool. Add juice. Fold egg yolks into sirup mixture. Fold in flour sifted with salt. Bake in ungreased pan in a 3 50°F. oven 45 minutes.