A Forest Ranger's Cookbook - Cakes

CAKES

Plain Cake
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup shortening or butter
3/4 cup milk
3 eggs (separated)
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder

Cream sugar and shortening (see tips); add egg yolks which have been beaten lightly; add a small quantity of milk and flour alternately until all has been used up; add vanilla and finally stiffly beaten egg whites to which the salt has been added. Bake in two layer pans or baking pan, which has been slightly greased and floured, for 15 minutes. Test with a toothpick; if any substance sticks to it, it must be baked until none sticks to the toothpick. Cover with boiled or fudge icing.

Dutch Apple Cake
1/2 cup flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
4 tablespoons fat or shortening
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons brown sugar (Brown white sugar by putting it in a pan and letting it get hot enough to start to melt or turn brown without burning.)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups applesauce (sweetened)

Mix flour with sugar and baking powder. Cut in fat or shortening and add milk. Place soft dough in shallow pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon and spread with sauce. Bake 30 minutes in moderate oven. Serve warm. (Serves two people - small proportions.)

Upside-Down Cake
Cover bottom of a baking pan with maple syrup; add 4 teaspoons butter and bring to a boil on top of stove. Into this lay pieces of cooked fruit such as pineapple, peaches, apricots or prunes. Peaches and prunes used together are a good combination. Also pineapple and apricots. Then cover with the following cake batter:

4 tablespoons shortening
1 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup milk
2 level teaspoons baking powder

Cream shortening (see tips), add sugar and mix well. Add egg, beat well. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together. Add alternately with milk; add vanilla. Beat well and spread over top of fruit. Bake in a moderate oven about 30 minutes.

Prune Cake
1/2 cup butter or shortening
1 teaspoon cloves
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 eggs
1 teaspoon allspice
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups chopped prunes
(If shortening is used instead of butter, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt.)

Put shortening and sugar together and mix until it looks creamy, then add the eggs and stir thoroughly. Sift and salt. Add shortening and sugar mixture, alternately with ilk. Stir in prunes or plums and vanilla. Put in a greased pan and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes in a moderate oven. To test the cake to see if it is done or not, put a toothpick into the cake and pull it out; and if the toothpick comes out without anything on it, the cake is done, but if the toothpick comes out with dough on it, let the cake bake for a while.

Spice Cake
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon (other spices may be used if desirable)
1/2 cup milk

Cream sugar and shortening (see tips). Add the eggs and beat well. Sift flour, baking powder, spices, and add alternately with milk. Beat well and bake about 30 minutes in a moderate oven.

Devil's Food Cake
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
Sift together 3 or 4 times.

2 heaping tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon of salt

Add to this 1 cup of sour milk with 1 teaspoon of soda mixed in it. Last add 5 tablespoons melted butter, stir.