A bit of volatile salts, the size of a nutmeg, dissolved in hot water (the same quantity of alum dissolved with it, improves it), and put to half a cup of milk.
Beat till light, then add a teaspoonful of essence of lemon, and small thin strips of citron, or candied lemon peel.
Six eggs, and half a pint of distillery yeast, or twice as much home-brewed.
Melt the butter in the milk, and beat the eggs. Then add all the ingredients, set it to rise, and when very light, mould it into small biscuits, and bake in a quick oven.
_Old Hartford Election Cake (100 years old)._
Three gills of distillery yeast, or twice the quantity of home-brewed.
Half an ounce of nutmegs, and two pounds of fruit.
Rub the butter very fine into the flour, add half the sugar, then the yeast, then half the milk, hot in winter, and blood warm in summer, then the eggs well beaten, the wine, and the remainder of the milk. Beat it well, and let it stand to rise all night. Beat it well in the morning, adding the brandy, the sugar, and the spice. Let it rise three or four hours, till very light. When you put the wood into the oven, put the cake in buttered pans, and put in the fruit as directed previously. If you wish it richer, add a pound of citron.
Two gills of wine, and two gills of brandy.
In the afternoon, mix the butter and sugar, take half of it and rub into the flour; take about a quart of milk, blood warm, put the yeast into the flour, then wet it up. When fully light, add the rest of the butter and sugar, beat the eggs, and put them in, and set the whole to rise till morning. Add the brandy, wine, and spice, in the morning, and put it in the pans. The fruit is to be added in this way:--First dredge it with flour, then put in enough cake to cover the bottom of the pans, then sprinkle some fruit, and do not let any of it rest against the pan, as it burns, and is thus wasted. Then continue to add a layer of fruit and a layer of cake, having no fruit on the top. This saves those that usually burn on the pan, and secures a more equal distribution.
_Mrs. H.’s Raised Wedding Cake (very fine)._
One quart of the yeast, fresh made as below.
Put the ingredients together as directed in the Raised Loaf Cake.
Nine large potatoes, peeled, boiled, and mashed fine.