THE WAY SHE MADE THE CAKE
Archibald, Mrs. George. "The Way She Made the Cake." Good Housekeeping. March 16, 1889. Volume 8, No. 10. p. 253.
My rule? Why certainly! It's queer-
But no one ever eats that cake,
Who doesn't ask me for my rule,
(How much to use - how long to bake-)
I've given it to scores, and yet,
My knack there's no one seems to get.
I take my flour - sometimes a pint -
Though several cakes require a quart,
And sift it twice, or may be thrice,
Or only once, if time is short,
Three eggs, (or four, if under size.)
If scarce, two large ones may suffice.
A coffee cup of sugar, then,
With just enough of butter, beat; -
Or, add more sugar, if you wish,
Should you prefer it very sweet,-
With milk, the butter I increase,
With cream, I use a smaller piece.
Don't let your baking-powder make
Your cake, too tender or too tough;
Flavor the whole to suit your taste,
And stire it till it's stiff enough;
And now, your work is wasted quite,
Unless your oven's heat is right.
If you should have good luck, I'm sure
You won't regret the pains you take,-
But after all it's judgement, more
Than quantity that makes the cake;
For scores have tried my rule, and yet
My knack there's no one seems to get.
***
If you liked this piece, you might also enjoy:
Food (Historical images)
Kitchens and kitchen tools (Historical images)
Our Kitchen and Dining Room
Victorian Food (A page about what we eat, and Victorian food in general)
Other Historical Poems:
A Floral Flirtation (Poem—1889)
A Header (?) (Poem—1883)
A Modern Love Sung in Ancient Fashion (Poem—1884)
The Autumn Woods (Poem—1888)
An Early Morning Ride (Poem—1883)
Great Grandma's Hallowe'en (Poem —1887)
In Nutting Time (Poem—1890)
Marguerite (Poem—1886)
May Day (Poem—1889)
Memorial Day (Poem—1890)
My Wheel (Poem—1883)
'Neath the Magnolias (Poem—1883)
October (Poem—1888)
On Wings of Love (Poem—1884)
The Right Sort of Girl (Poem—1889)
The Soldier's Daughter (Poem—1889)
Song for October (Poem—1888)
Together (Poem—1888)
Wheelman's Song (Poem—1883)
***
Food (Historical images)
Kitchens and kitchen tools (Historical images)
Our Kitchen and Dining Room
Victorian Food (A page about what we eat, and Victorian food in general)
Other Historical Poems:
A Floral Flirtation (Poem—1889)
A Header (?) (Poem—1883)
A Modern Love Sung in Ancient Fashion (Poem—1884)
The Autumn Woods (Poem—1888)
An Early Morning Ride (Poem—1883)
Great Grandma's Hallowe'en (Poem —1887)
In Nutting Time (Poem—1890)
Marguerite (Poem—1886)
May Day (Poem—1889)
Memorial Day (Poem—1890)
My Wheel (Poem—1883)
'Neath the Magnolias (Poem—1883)
October (Poem—1888)
On Wings of Love (Poem—1884)
The Right Sort of Girl (Poem—1889)
The Soldier's Daughter (Poem—1889)
Song for October (Poem—1888)
Together (Poem—1888)
Wheelman's Song (Poem—1883)
***
Maintaining this website (which you are enjoying for free!) takes a lot of time and resources.
Please show your support for all our hard work by telling your friends about Sarah's books —and by buying them yourself, too, of course!
Tales of Chetzemoka
Please show your support for all our hard work by telling your friends about Sarah's books —and by buying them yourself, too, of course!
Tales of Chetzemoka
A Rapping At The Door:
A Victorian Cycling Club Suspense Story
(Fiction)
***
If our website has been helpful to you,
please consider making a cash donation.
Your generous support helps us
maintain this website and continue our outreach, so that we can keep teaching others about the history we love.
Everything helps and is appreciated!
Search this website:
***