THE BAKERS GUIDE

not even excepting the much-abused pimento or allspice. The addition of a few drops of mixed spice to any fruit- cake mixture or buns, or of powdered cinnamon to the Madeira, or of nutmeg and a glass of rum to the -Genoa cake, will improve them. Having said this much, we leave the matter of the use of spice to the tastes and discretion of our readers. Essence of spice is preferable ; it does not discolour the goods.

1 J lb. eggs, 1 lb. flour, 1 lb. castor sugar, and about 4 drops lemon essence ; orf lb. sugar, Jib. flour, and 1 lb. eggs. Put the eggs and sugar into a pan large enough to allow room for whisking without waste, then well whip for about half-an-hour— if a machine is used, from ten to fifteen minutes will be long enough — passing the whisk through the mixture always in one direciion, not backwards and forwards, nor with a chopping, jerky stroke, but with a regular motion from right to left, bringing the whisk over to the right again, forming a circle each time. Do not stop or rest from whipping the mixture until quite ready, because the air cells that have been formed by the rapid beating, being extremely fragile, will collapse, the expanded and separated albumen of the eggs go together again, and the mixture become leathery and heavy. If unable to sustain the exertion so long, ask a companion or fellow-worker to give you a few minutes' rest by taking your place. Whether in bakehouse or kitchen this will be cheerfully vouchsafed. At the end of the half-hour it will be ready ; add the essence of lemon, stirring once or twice, and having previously sifted the flour carefully and lightly, mix. Great care must be exercised in mixing in the flour, as every motion of the spoon in its passage through the mixture destroys some of the aforesaid air-cells, ' and the more it is stirred the heavier it will become. As soon as the flour is mixed, it should be put into the moulds or frames (previously prepared), and baked in a sound oven that has been made hot and allowed to cool a little. The smaller sizes should be dusted on the top with castor sugar when in the tins. They bake very quickly, and must b

To prepare sponge-cake tins : Wash well, dry thoroughly, then grease with the following preparation — \ lb. beef suet, the same quantity of lard ; melt, and add a table spoonful of flour ; when cool enough work it with a paste brush into a froth, with which grease the tins. If the tins or moulds have awkward angles or recesses that the brush will not reach, the grease must be poured in while warm, and the tins turned upside down to drain. Having greased the tins, sift over them some fine castor sugar through a fine hair sieve ; turn them • upside down, and slightly knock the

Sponge Cakes-