1-1/2 cups sugar. 1/2 cup butter. 3/4 cup water. 3 eggs. 1-1/2 teaspoonfuls baking powder.  Flour to stiffen.

Save out white of one egg for icing.  Bake cake in three layers.  Chop 1 cup of hickory nut meats and add to the last layer of cake before putting in pan to bake.  Use the cake containing nut meats for the middle layer of cake.  Put layers together with white boiled icing.

IMPERIAL CAKE (BAKED FOR MARY’S WEDDING)

1 pound sugar. 1 pound butter. 3/4 pound flour. 1 pound raisins, seeded. 1 pound almonds. 1/2 pound thinly shaved citron. 1 lemon. 1 nutmeg. 12 eggs.

Mix ingredients as for pound cake.  A fine cake, but expensive.

A LIGHT FRUIT CAKE (FOR CHRISTMAS)

1 pound butter, scant measure. 1 pound pulverized sugar. 1 pound flour (full pound). 10 eggs. 1 pound English walnut kernels. 1 pound raisins. 3/4 lb. citron, candied orange and lemon peel. 1 cup brandy. 1 teaspoonful baking powder.

Bake 2-1/2 to 3 hours.  This is an excellent cake.

ENGLISH CAKE (SIMILAR TO A WHITE FRUIT CAKE)

5 eggs.  The weight of 5 eggs in sugar.  The weight of 4 eggs in flour. 1 cup raisins. 1 cup currants.  The weight of 3 eggs in butter. 1/2 teaspoonful baking powder. 2 tablespoonfuls of brandy. 1/2 cup finely shaved citron. 1/2 cup English walnut or shellbark meats.  Small quantity of candied orange and lemon peel.

This recipe was given Mary by an English friend, an excellent cook and cake-baker, who vouches for its excellence.

GRANDMOTHER’S FRUIT CAKE (BAKED FOR MARY’S WEDDING)

1 pound butter. 1 pound sugar. 1 pound flour. 2 pounds raisins. 2 pounds currants.  Spices of all kinds. 1/4 pound thinly sliced citron. 8 eggs. 1 tablespoonful molasses. 1 cup sour milk. 1 teaspoonful soda.

Mix together in ordinary manner.  Cream butter and sugar, add yolks of eggs, sour milk and soda; add flour alternately with stiffly beaten whites of eggs.  Lastly, the well-floured fruit.  Bake two hours in a moderate oven.  This quantity makes one very large cake, or two medium sized ones, and will keep one year.  Line inside of pan with well-greased heavy paper to prevent bottom of cake baking too hard.

Aunt Sarah never cut this cake until one month from time it was baked, as it improves with age and may be kept one year.

AN OLD RECIPE FOR POUND CAKE

Cream together 3/4 pound butter and 1 pound sugar and yolks of 10 eggs.  Then add 10 whites of eggs well beaten alternately with 1 pound of sifted flour.

Bake in a moderate oven with a steady heat.  The bottom of pan should be lined with well-greased paper.

“BUCKS COUNTY” MOLASSES CAKES (BAKED IN PASTRY)