Two cups sugar, 3/4 cup of milk or cream, 2 tablespoonfuls of butter.  Boil until it forms a soft ball when a small quantity is dropped in water, and flavor with vanilla.  Beat until cold and spread between layers of cake.  Also on top and sides.

AN INEXPENSIVE COCOA CAKE

This is a decidedly good cake and no eggs are required.  Cream together 1 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter.  Add 1 cup of sour milk, 1-3/4 cups flour, then sift over 1-1/2 tablespoonfuls of cocoa.  Add 1 level teaspoonful saleratus, dissolved in a little of the sour milk, and 1 teaspoonful vanilla.  Bake in a small loaf.  Use the following icing: 

1/4 cup of grated chocolate, 3/4 cup milk, 1/2 cup sugar, boiled together until thick, and spread on cake.

AUNT SARAH’S WALNUT GINGERBREAD

1/2 cup of New Orleans molasses. 1 cup of light brown sugar. 1/2 cup of shortening (composed of butter, lard and sweet drippings). 1/2 teaspoonful of ginger, cinnamon and cloves each. 2 teaspoonfuls of baking soda (saleratus), sifted with 3-1/2 cups flour. 1 cup boiling water. 2 eggs.

Beat to a cream the sugar and shortening in a bowl; add molasses, then pour over all one cup of boiling water.  Beat well.  Add flour, soda and spices, all sifted together.  Beat into this the two unbeaten eggs (one at a time), then add about 3/4 of a cup of coarsely chopped black walnut meats or the same quantity of well-floured raisins may be substituted for the walnut meats.

The cakes may be baked in muffin pans.  In that case fill pans about two-thirds full.  The above quantity makes eighteen.  They can also be baked in a pan as a loaf cake.  This cake is excellent, and will keep fresh several days.  These cakes taste similar to those sold in an Atlantic City bake-shop which have gained a reputation for their excellence.

AUNT SARAH’S “GERMAN CRUMB CAKES” BAKED IN CRUSTS

3 cups flour. 2-1/2 heaping teaspoonfuls baking powder. 2 cups sugar (soft A or light brown). 1/2 cup lard and butter mixed. 2 eggs. 1 cup sweet milk.  Pinch of salt.  Flavoring—­vanilla or grated orange rind.

Line three small pie tins with pie crust.  Sift together into a bowl the flour and baking powder and add light brown or A sugar, and the butter, lard and salt.  Rub this all together with the hands until well mixed and crumbly.  Take out 1 cupful of these crumbs and stand aside.  Add to the rest of the mixture the yolks of eggs, whites being beaten separately and added last.  Add slowly 1 cup of sweet milk.  Mix it in gradually until the mixture is creamed, then add a small quantity of grated orange peel, lemon or vanilla flavoring.  Lastly, stir in the stiffly beaten whites of eggs.  Pour the mixture into each one of the three unbaked crusts, then sprinkle the cup of crumbs thickly over the tops.  Bake in a moderate oven.  These are very good, cheap cakes for breakfast or lunch.