As Aunt Sarah taught Mary to bake this, it was fine.  She creamed together in a bowl the sugar and butter, poured the hot milk over this, and when lukewarm, added the compressed yeast cake, dissolved in 1/4 cup of lukewarm water.  She then added two small, well-beaten eggs, about 2-1/2 cups flour, or enough to make a stiff batter, and 1/2 teaspoonful salt.  Beat thoroughly, cover and set to rise in a warm place about 1-1/2 hours or until doubled in bulk.  This was set to rise quite early in the morning.  When light, beat thoroughly and with a spoon spread evenly on top of well-greased, deep pie tins, which have been sprinkled with a little flour.

Spread the crumbs given below over the top of cakes, cover and let rise 15 minutes and bake a rich brown in moderate oven.

For the crumbs, mix together in a bowl 1 heaped cup of fine, soft, stale bread crumbs, 2-1/2 tablespoonfuls light brown sugar, 3/4 of a teaspoonful cinnamon, pinch of salt, 1/4 cup of blanched and chopped almonds, and 2 tablespoonfuls of soft butter.  This sponge or dough should be unusually soft when mixed, as the crumbs sink into the dough and thicken it.  Add only the quantity of flour called for in recipe.

“FAST NACHT KUCHEN” (DOUGHNUTS)

3 tablespoons honey. 3/4 quart milk. 2 quarts flour. 1 yeast cake. 1/2 cup butter. 2 eggs.

Without fail, every year on Shrove Tuesday, or “Fast Nacht,” the day before the beginning of Lent, these cakes were made.  Quite early in the morning, or the night before, the following sponge was set to rise:  The lukewarm, scalded milk, mixed into a smooth batter with 1 quart of flour; add 1 Fleischman’s yeast cake, dissolved in a very little water.  Beat well together, set in a warm place to rise over night, or several hours, and when light, add the following, which has been creamed together:  eggs, butter and lard, a little flour and the honey.  Beat well, and then add the balance of the flour, reserving a small quantity to flour the board later.  Set to rise again, and when quite light roll out on a well-floured board, cut into circles with a doughnut cutter, cut holes in the centre of cakes, let rise, and then fry in deep fat; dust with pulverised sugar and cinnamon, if liked.  These are regular German doughnuts, and are never very sweet.  If liked sweeter, a little sugar may be added.  From this batter Mary made 18 “fried cakes,” or “Fast Nacht Kuchen,” as the Germans call them.  She also made from the same dough one dozen cinnamon buns and two Dutch cakes.  The dough not being very sweet, she sprinkled rivels composed of sugar, flour and butter, generously over the top of the “Dutch cakes.”  The dough for doughnuts, or fried cakes, should always have a little more flour added than dough for “Dutch cakes” or buns; baked in the oven.  If too soft, they will absorb fat while frying.

“KAFFEE KUCHEN” (COFFEE CAKE)