1920’s – From Aunt Kate’s Baking Book

“There’s such a pleasant sound about the word ‘cake.’ It seems to promise something really good – probably because it is usually associated with afternoon tea and parties. And what better excuse could there be for making cakes and eating them, than birthdays and parties and cosy, informal afternoon teas?

Every housewife, I am sure is just as pleased to have the chance to show her skill as the members of her family are to enjoy her cakes! For all the fun isn’t in eating the cakes, as any experienced baker will tell you. Making them can be quite an exhilarating business, too. First there are the careful preparations, then the satisfaction of seeing the cake turn out well, and last but not least, the thrill of watching the appreciative appetites of the household.

Little wonder that we all aspire to be good cake-makers.

Now, cake-making, although it might seem difficult to the inexperienced, is really a very simple process. For although there are hundreds of cake recipes, all differing slightly actually, the basis is the same in every case. There are a few simple rules about cake making, and once you know these, you can bake any sort of cake at all. What is more, you can feel perfectly confident about the result.

So let me tell you about the rules that prevent scorched tops and sagging centres……..”