Cake should be nearly if not quite cold before attempting to frost it.

In frosting dip the knife frequently in cold water.

Very thick frosting may be made to adhere to a cake by taking 1 teaspoonful of gelatine dissolved in as little boiling water as possible and while hot rubbing all over the top of the cake. Then apply the frosting. If this precaution is not taken the sugar when dry is inclined to crumble off a large cake where a very thick frosting has been used.

One teaspoonful, of lemon juice will do much toward preventing frosting from crumbling. Vinegar is a partial substitute. One teaspoonful of cream has a softening effect.

A rim of stiff paper around a cake will retain the frosting in place until it hardens.

Decorative Frosting

Give the cake a plain coating of stiff frosting. Smooth over the top and set the cake in a warm oven for a few minutes. Beat the white of an egg to a firm froth. Stir in powdered sugar until quite stiff, but not so stiff as the first frosting. Make three small cornucopias of writing paper, pin in shape, cut off the small ends of each to leave room to press the frosting through. Graduate the sizes of the three apertures. Fill the cornucopias with frosting, fold the paper over the top and use the thumbs to press the frosting through the lower opening. If it does not keep its shape, the frosting is not stiff enough and more sugar must, be added. Gut out the designs in paper and outline them on the top of the cake by pricking the frosting with a large needle. Use the cornucopia with the largest opening for the large pattern. A horseshoe in the center with a vine of flowers, outside of this a wreath of plain flowers, daisies for instance. Finish the edge with two or three rows of heavy dots.

Cochineal Coloring

1 dram of cream-tartar. 1 dram of alum.

1 dram of saleratus. 1 dram of cochineal.

Mix in 2/3 cup of boiling water. Bottle and cork for use. Make the wished for shade by using more or less of the preparetion. A portion of the cake batter may be colored to suit and arranged in alternate layers. The effect is very pretty. Bed sugar sand may be bought at groceries and used for coloring cake batter.

Quick Icing (White)

5 tablespoonfuls powdered sugar.

1 white of egg. Flavor with rose, vanilla or lemon.

Mix the sugar and white of egg together in a bowl by merely stirring. Spread this semi-transparent mixture over the cake. A rim of paper put around the sides of the loaf will retain the frosting in place until it hardens. Leave in a warm place for an hour or two to dry. The frosting may be colored pink by a drop or so of prepared cochineal color.. Icing is more tender made in this way than where the egg is beaten to a froth before adding the sugar.

Quick Icing (Yellow)

Same as above, taking the yolks of 2 eggs in place of the white to moisten the above amount of sugar. The three shades, white, pink, yellow, may be alternated to great advantage in frosting a layer cake.