In the days of long ago, yeast, ammonia, pearl ash, honey water and a treacle mixture were used to lighten cakes--before the time of dependable baking powder.
In Europe the housewife makes from bread dough delicious cakes with yeast. These provide splendid variety. They include savarins, babas, and yeast-raised fruit cakes.
Many women fail in making these delicious goodies because they do not realize that the addition of large amounts of sugar, fruit, shortening and eggs to yeast dough, unless carefully handled, is apt to produce heavy, moist cakes that lack the light, velvety texture which makes cake a success.
The addition of nuts, cake crumbs and fruit will afford a large variety.
A sponge dough is necessary for successful results.
Prepare the dough as for brioche, adding one cupful of finely shredded almonds when ready to mould for the pan. Use a long narrow pan to bake loaf in. When baked, cool and then cut in one-inch slices and toast light brown in the oven.
Scald one cupful of milk and then cool to 80 degrees Fahrenheit and pour in a bowl and add
Three tablespoonfuls sugar, One-half teaspoonful salt, One yeast cake dissolved in four tablespoonfuls cool water, Three cupfuls of flour.
Beat for five minutes with a spoon and let rise for two hours. Now cream
One and one-quarter cupfuls sugar, One-half cupful of shortening
until very light and creamy and then drop in, one by one, three eggs, beating the eggs for three minutes. Add this to the yeast-raised dough, together with one cupful of sifted flour. Beat with a wooden spoon for fifteen minutes and then pour into a greased and floured pan, filling the pan half full. Put the raisins on the top and then cover and let rise until it fills the pan almost to the edge. Bake in a moderate oven for fifty-five minutes and then cool and ice.
Prepare dough as for brioche and, when ready to pan, mould into loaf shape adding nuts and finely shredded citron. Place in well-greased Boston brown-bread mould; let rise for one hour. Bake in moderate oven forty-five minutes. Then begin to baste the Baba with syrup made from
One cupful syrup, One-half cupful water, One tablespoonful vanilla, One teaspoonful mace.
Cook syrup ten minutes before using to baste the Baba, and bake until the syrup is absorbed, then turn on plate.