Sponges and Small cakes

These recipes are in my mother's handwriting and are housed in a battered, blue plastic folder. They are transcribed here as part of the A-Z Challenge 2019. Each day in April a new letter of the alphabet and accompanying recipes are posted.

Sponges

Our birthday cakes were often a double-decker sponge filled with delicious homemade jam and freshly whipped cream. The secret to my mother's feather light sponges was the gentle folding in the flour after the eggs were beaten. This was done with a spoon rather than beaters.

Sponge

4 egg whites stiffly beaten

Then gradually add ¾ cup sugar

Mix egg yokes[yolks] and beat in

Sift tog.

¾ cup cornflour

¼ cup plain flour

1 [flat] teasp. cream of tartar 

½ teasp. carb soda 

Stir in lightly and bake 20 mins in mod. oven

And sponge roll

2 tins    10 - 12 mins

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Patty Cakes

Small cakes were standard fare at many a function. Unlike the large cupcakes of current times these were cooked in the small patty pans. When cooled there were a dozen different ways to decorate them. Plain icing for everday consumption or the top was sliced off, a dollop of whipped cream added then the top replaced and sprinkled with icing sugar.
These small cakes were also turned into jelly cakes, by carefully rolling them in soft jelly then covering all over with coconut. Quick and easy to make and decorate. Where the recipes specifies flavouring, this could be the addition of vanilla essence, or cocoa, or ginger or lemon rind etc. depending on the flavour desired.

Small Cakes

1½ cups S.R. flour
2 eggs
4 tablespoons milk (sml ½ cup)
½ cup butter (4 ozs)
¾ cup sugar

Beat eggs and sugar fast till
thick and creamy (about ½ min)
Add butter (melted) then milk, flavouring and flour

Cook in 425° [F] oven on top shelf
till firm to touch ( 6 -8 mins)

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