Cake With Yeast

In mixing cakes lightened with yeast observe the same points considered essential to success in bread making. On account of the tendency of sugar, butter, and eggs to retard fermentation, it is advisable to add these either to a light sponge or to a light bread dough. Explicit directions will be given under the several recipes.

Mixing Sponge Cake

As the lightness of sponge cake depends entirely upon the air incorporated into the eggs, of which it is largely composed, and the expansion of this air in baking, great care must be taken first, to secure the incorporation of air in the mixture, and then to regulate the baking so as to retain the same - i.e., never stir a sponge cake mixture; let the heat be such that the enclosed air can be gradually heated, and the cell walls fixed when the air becomes fully expanded. Beat the yolks with an egg beater until very light and thick; add the sugar gradually, beating continuously, then add the flavoring. Beat the whites until stiff and dry; cut and fold part of the whites into the yolks and sugar, then cut and fold in part of the flour; now, in the same order, the remaining whites and flour. If preferred, add the whites, then the flour entire. Bake in an unbuttered pan, made for the purpose, and let the cake stand in the inverted pan to cool. Thus suspended, as it were, from the floor of the pan, the cake will be much lighter, than when it is left to hold up its own weight while cooling.

Mixing Butter Cakes

Cream the butter, using an earthen bowl and a wooden spoon to avoid discoloring the ingredients; add the sugar gradually, beating constantly; add yolks of eggs beaten until thick and light colored. If more sugar is to be used than can be creamed easily with the butter, add it to the yolks and with them to the rest of the sugar and butter; then add the liquid, followed by the flour and leavening ingredients sifted together, or add the liquid and flour alternately. Beat the mixture thoroughly to secure a fine grain then beat in, lightly, the whites of the eggs beaten dry.