Beat a cup of butter, or one-half lard, to a cream,with two cups of sugar. Grate in the peel of a lemon, beat the yolks of three eggs, stir them in, then sift in three cups of flour, using just milk enough to make it a very thick batter; when the flour is in, whip the whites firm and add them, put in'a pinch of salt, and two teaspoonfuls of baking powder; bake in a buttered tin in a quick oven.

I always keep a piece of cardboard (part of an old paper box will do) to cover over cakes the first part of the time they are in the oven; this prevents the heavy streak, that is sometimes caused by the crust forming before the cake has well risen.