Soda Cake

Ingredients

1 lb. of flour, 1/2 lb. sugar, 1/2 lb. butter, 1/2 lb. currants, 1/2 oz. of candied peel, 1 tea-spoonful of carbonate of soda, 1 pint of milk, 3 eggs.

Method

Rub the butter into the flour, add the other dry ingredients, and, lastly, the milk and well-whisked eggs. Bake in two buttered cake-tins, in a moderate oven.

Soda Buns

Ingredients

1/2 lb. of flour, 3 oz. of butter, 4 oz. of sugar, a little candied peel, 1 oz. of currants, a pinch of salt, a teacupful of milk, 1/2 a small tea-spoonful of carbonate of soda, yolks of 2 eggs, and the white of 1.

Method

Rub the butter well into the flour, add the sugar, currants, and peel, pour the milk on boiling, and add the beaten eggs; when well mixed, dust over and stir well in the carbonate of soda, which should be well powdered. Bake in buttered patty-tins until firm to the touch and coloured underneath. They need not be baked immediately.

Scotch Shortbread

Ingredients

2 lb. flour, 1/2 lb. powdered loaf sugar, 1/2 lb. currants (if liked), 6 oz. candied peel (cut fine), 10 oz. butter, 6 oz. lard, 1/2 teaspoonful carbonate of soda, 1 tablespoonful water.

Method

Mix all the dry ingredients together. Soften the lard and butter together in a lined saucepan, with the water, and when it has cooled again and is of the consistence of batter, mix it with the other ingredients, to form a rather stiff dough. Divide it into eight equal pieces, and work out each piece with the hand into a flat, round cake, not more than half-an-inch thick, and, as nearly as possible, the same size. Pinch them round the edges with the finger and thumb, cut a small round out of the centre, and the rest of the cake into six or eight pieces. Bake on flat tins, covered with paper, from three-quarters of an hour to an hour. They should be a very pale, delicate colour when done. The pieces will need to be parted again with a knife, as they join while hairing. When perfectly cold, pile on two plates, with castor sugar sifted between each layer.

Sly Cakes

Ingredients

1 lb. of flour, 8 oz. butter, 8 oz. currants, 2 oz. sugar, and 6 drops of essence of lemon.

Method

Mix the flour and sugar, and make it into a smooth paste with water, but do not make it very wet. Roll out three times, and spread in the butter as for pastry. Roll it very thin, and cut into round or square cakes. Spread half of them very thickly with currants, press the others gently on the top, so as to form a sandwich, and bake in a quick oven till of a light brown. If preferred, jam may be used instead of the currants.

Seed Cake

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb. of flour, 1/4 lb. butter, 1/4 lb. lard, 1 oz. caraway seeds, 1/2 lb. sifted sugar, a pinch of salt, 2 eggs, 3/4 of a pint of milk, 2 drachms of carbonate of soda, 1 1/2 drachm tartaric acid.

Method

Mix the dry ingredients well together; then add the milk and eggs, which should be previously well beaten. Bake at once in a moderate oven.

Scones

Ingredients

1 lb. flour, 1/4 lb. butter, 1/2 small tea-spoonful salt, 1/4 teaspoonful of soda, 1/4 teaspoonful tartaric acid.

Method

Mix with milk, and roll out half-an-inch hick, cut with a tumbler, and bake about fifteen or twenty minutes.

Victoria Buns

Ingredients

1 egg and its weight in flour, 2 oz. pounded loaf sugar, 1 1/2 oz. ground rice, 2 oz. butter, 1 1/2 oz. currants, a few thin slices of peel.

Method

Whisk the egg, stir in the sugar, and beat these ingredients well together. Beat the butter to a cream, stir in the ground rice, currants, and peel, and after adding the egg, stir in a little flour; but do not make them very stiff. Bake in small patty-tins for about a quarter-of-an-hour.

White Cake

Ingredients

Whites of 3 eggs, 1 teacup of white sugar, 1 teacup of flour, 1 teacup of cornflour, 1/2 teacup of butter, 1/2 teacup of milk, 2 spoonfuls of baking powder, flavour to taste. Lemon is best.

Method

Beat the butter to a cream, add the sugar and other ingredients, and lastly the eggs (whites only), well beaten. Bake at once in a moderate oven.

Yorkshire Cake

Ingredients

1 egg, its weight in flour, butter, ground rice, and sugar; 1 teaspoonful of baking powder, and a very little milk.

Method

Mix all together, spread over two dessert-plates, well buttered, and bake from ten to fifteen minutes. When finished, slip them off the plates, spread preserve upon one, and press the second cake gently on the top; then sprinkle with castor sugar.