1270. Baba, Or Polish Cake

Ingredients: - Two pounds of flour, twenty ounces of butter, four ounces of sugar, six ounces of muscatel raisins, four ounces of currants, two ounces of candied citron, a good pinch of saffron, two wine-glasses of brandy, and the same quantity of rum, half an ounce of salt, about fifteen eggs, and one ounce of German yeast.

First, set the sponge with one-fourth part of the flour and the yeast, in the same way as directed for preparing brioche. Then, spread out the remainder of the flour so as to form a hollow in the centre : place in this the butter and salt previously dissolved with a drop or two of water, four ounces of pounded sugar, and break in fifteen eggs : mix the whole thoroughly, working the paste with the hands on the slab. When this is effected, gather the paste up closely, and take up portions of it with the hands, and jerk or throw these down again on the other part of the paste; continue working it in this fashion for five minutes, then, if the sponge is sufficiently risen, spread it out over the paste and mix both together lightly. A large mould should now be spread with butter, and lined not more than half through with a thin coating of the paste, and as soon as this has been effected, all the fruit, the rum, the brandy, and an infusion of the saffron, must be added ; the whole of which must be instantly well mixed and lifted into the mould.

The baba should next be set, to rise gradually, in a place where the temperature is moderate and free from any current of air; and as soon as it has risen in a satisfactory manner, which may easily be known by its increasing sufficiently in quantity (through fermentation), to nearly fill the mould, - although at first only half filled, the baba should be immediately placed in the oven on a thick baking-sheet, with a thick roll of paper round the bottom of the mould to protect the baba from receiving too much heat at first. From one hour and a half to two hours will suffiee to bake it.

Particular care should be taken in baking the baba, to prevent its acquiring a deep color; to obviate this, it must be baked in an oven of moderate heat.

1271. Compiegne Cake

Ingredients: - Two pounds of flour, twenty-two ounces of butter, half a pint of double cream, six ounces of pounded sugar, two wine-glasses of maraschino, one ounce of German yeast, fifteen eggs, and half an ounce of salt.

Set the sponge with one-fourth part of the flour and the yeast in the usual way (see Brioche No. 1269), and while it is rising, prepare the paste at follows: -

Place the remainder of the flour on the marble slab, spread it out in the centre to form the well, place in this the salt, and sugar (with a very little water to dissolve the salt), the butter and eggs, and proceed to mix these thoroughly in the same way as brioche; just before adding the sponge, mix in the maraschino and the whipped cream. The paste must be instantly lifted into an appropriate-sized mould, previously spread with butter, and deposited in a comparatively-cool place to rise, or ferment in the usual manner : as soon as it has nearly reached the surface of the mould, stick a band of paper round the edge, and put it in the oven to bake, at a very moderate heat ; remem-beriug that an essential characteristic of this kind of cake, is a light color.

It. is customary to eat the Compiegne cake hot, and it is served in various ways. When turned out of the mould, a small piece should be taken out of the centre of the top, and a few glasses of maraschino poured in through the opening; or, the cake may be cut up in horizontal slices half an inch thick, and previously to putting them together again, some apricot marmalade maybe placed between each. Dried cherries and angelica may be introduced in the composition of these cakes, previously to their being baked.