The Calumet Book of Oven Triumphs!

All your baking can be perfect

What makes a perfect cake? Even rising? Tender brown crust? Delicate flavor and fragrance? All these qualities and one more—the fine, moist, tender texture that is hard to describe by any word except “velvety”!

“Velvety crumb”—that is the expression cake judges use in speaking of the beautiful texture of cakes leavened by Calumet, the Double-Acting Baking Powder.

See it in this close-up picture of a slice of Calumet cake! Then make any cake in this book—cut a slice and feel a crumb between thumb and finger. Soft as velvet! Touch the cut surface. So moist and springy! Now taste a morsel of the cake. Velvet-fine—velvet-smooth!

Every Calumet cake, plain cake or party cake, dark or light or golden-yellow, has this same lovely texture—thanks to Calumet’s dependable Double-Action. Use the recipes in this book, following Calumet’s thrifty proportion with care, and all your cakes will be perfect—the envy and admiration of your friends!

What makes a perfect biscuit? A little flaky, crusty morsel—and pass the plate often—that’s the South’s perfect biscuit, while a Yankee biscuit is fluffy and high as your Grandmother’s comforter. Westerners like sugar and spice.... New Yorkers have a fondness for the old-world flavor of cheese.

But thick or thin, sweet or tangy, the best biscuits the country over are light and tender biscuits—perfectly leavened biscuits.

Calumet, the modern Double-Acting Baking Powder, will show you the way to biscuits light as air, delicately brown and tender. And on pages 19 to 20 are tested Calumet recipes, based on Calumet’s marvelously economical proportion, for any type of biscuit you prefer to make and serve.

There is an extra touch of perfection in every quick bread made with Calumet. Muffins are tender, evenly risen, free from humps and from tunnels. Waffles, griddle cakes, cookies, gingerbread, all owe a new quality and sureness to Calumet’s Double-Action. Read on and see just how it works!

CALUMET’S DOUBLE-ACTION
What it means to your baking!

First Action

See Calumet’s First Action. It begins in the mixing bowl when you add liquid (milk, water, or eggs) to the dry ingredients. The instant liquid is added, things begin to happen. Thousands of tiny gas bubbles surge through the batter, making it light and spongy and ready for baking. BUT—only part of Calumet’s leavening gas is released in the mixing bowl....

Second Action

Calumet’s Second Action is released by heat. See what happens in the oven. Steadily, evenly, hundreds of new tiny bubbles swell through the batter and continue the leavening. Up! ... up! ... they keep raising the batter and hold it high and light. Thanks to these two scientifically balanced actions, Calumet Baking Powder protects your baking from start to finish.

Baking powder is a small part of any given recipe, yet it plays such an important role that it is often called “the biggest little thing in baking”. Too much or too little baking powder or baking powder that is not efficient ... what a lot of baking trouble that can cause! Humped, uneven cakes ... dry, harsh, coarse-grained cakes ... even flat failures!

Calumet’s two leavening actions are perfectly timed and balanced to give maximum protection and superb quality to all your baking. A little of this Double-Acting Calumet does a superfine job—and this means extra economy for Calumet users. The usual Calumet proportion is 1 level teaspoon per cup of sifted flour. This amount is only one-half to two-thirds the amount recommended for many other baking powders.

Most of the recipes in this book call for this proportion. In some recipes, however, the number of eggs, the type of flour, or the nature of other ingredients make advisable slightly more or slightly less. But every recipe has been tested again and again and has been carefully built with exactly the right proportions to give you the full advantage of Calumet’s Double-Action. Follow these recipes accurately, faithfully, and rejoice in the efficiency and economy of Calumet.

Such a comfort to busy women!
CALUMET BATTERS CAN WAIT

Cake Batter on hand in the icebox! Muffin batter! Cooky dough! Ready to slip into the oven and bake whenever you want them.

Fresh, hot, good things for dinner without the fuss and flurry of last minute mixing! Three or four hot desserts for week-end meals from one batter mixing! No more cake failures because of ringing doorbells and children’s demands just when a batter is ready for the oven.

Calumet batters can wait—for moments or for days! This is another wonderful advantage that Calumet’s Double-Action brings you. For even when you store cake batter for days, you can count on perfect lightness when you bake it.

If baking is to be delayed only an hour or so, slip the bowl or pan of batter into the refrigerator. To store longer, follow directions below. Turn to page 11 for a large quantity cake recipe that will give you batter for three quick desserts—a real Miracle Cake.

1. Mix Calumet batter, pour in pan; cover tightly, first with a damp cloth, and then with waxed paper. Tie securely.

2. Store batter in a cold place until you are ready to bake. Calumet’s second action will be held in reserve until the batter reaches the heat of the oven.

3. Unwrap pans and bake as usual. Results will be perfect—delicately light, tender, fine and velvety in texture. How delightful to serve things fresh-baked—hot—delicious, without one bit of last-minute fuss and flurry ... thanks to Calumet’s remarkable Double-Action.

REMEMBER THESE POINTS
whenever you bake.

Do be orderly. Plan your baking before you start. Choose your recipe, read it through carefully, understand it clearly. Collect all the ingredients specified, and arrange them in the order called for in the recipe; assemble all the utensils needed on your work table. Cultivate the do-it-right habit.

Do use good ingredients. You can’t do first-rate baking with second-rate materials. Use fresh, sweet shortening and eggs of fine quality. Use fine granulated sugar, unless some other kind is called for in your recipe. Remember that baking powder and flour are the most important ingredients in baking. Give yourself the protection and advantages of Calumet, the Double-Acting Baking Powder ... and of Swans Down Cake Flour, too, whenever the recipe calls for it. It gives to cakes and to certain quick breads a fineness and lightness that you cannot expect from ordinary flour.

Don’t use more Calumet than the recipes call for. Calumet’s Double-Action gives it extra efficiency—less of its leavening gas is lost from the surface of batters during mixing. Thousands of tests have proved that the small amounts of Calumet Baking Powder specified in these recipes will give you best results. One level teaspoon of Calumet to a cup of sifted flour is the correct proportion for most recipes. In some recipes the nature of the ingredients makes advisable slightly more or slightly less.

THESE ARE BASIC RULES
for surest, best results!

Do measure all ingredients accurately with standard measuring cups and standard measuring spoons. A standard measuring cup is an accurate half-pint measure—the equivalent of 16 level tablespoons. It is grooved on one side to read ¼, ½, and ¾; on the other, to read ⅓ and ⅔. A standard tablespoon is equivalent to 3 standard teaspoons. Always sift flour once before measuring, and remember that all standard measurements are level.

Do mix carefully. Follow exactly the mixing directions given in each recipe. The way you combine and handle your ingredients is important.

Do use the type and size of pans specified in the recipes, and prepare your pans before mixing. A greased paper lining in pans for large butter cakes gives added protection.

Do handle cakes carefully, after baking. Place butter cake and pan on cake rack, for about 5 minutes; then remove from pan, and turn cake, top side up, on rack to finish cooling. For sponge cakes, follow directions given in recipes.

Don’t guess about your baking temperatures. If your stove does not have an oven heat regulator, use a portable thermometer. It does not control heat, but it does tell you when to adjust the baking temperature.

“Velvety crumb” in all your Calumet
BUTTER CAKES

Calumet One-egg Cake

Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder and salt, and sift together three times. Cream butter thoroughly, add sugar gradually, and cream together well. Add egg and beat very thoroughly. Add flour, alternately with milk, a small amount at a time. Beat after each addition until smooth. Add vanilla. Bake in greased pan, 8 × 8 × 2 inches, in moderate oven (350°F.) 50 minutes. Spread Chocolate Butter Frosting (page 17) on top and sides of cake.

This cake may be baked in two greased 8-inch layer pans in moderate oven (375°F.) 25 minutes.

Orange Dessert Cake

Use recipe for Calumet One-egg Cake. Add 2 teaspoons grated orange rind to butter before creaming, and ½ cup finely cut raisins to creamed butter-sugar-egg mixture; omit vanilla. Bake in greased 8 × 8 × 2-inch pan in moderate oven (350°F.) 50 minutes. When cake has cooled ½ hour, cover with part of sweetened orange juice, prepared by adding ½ cup sugar to ½ cup juice and stirring until sugar is dissolved. Repeat at intervals until all juice has been used.

Boston Cream Pie

Use recipe for Calumet One-egg Cake. Bake in two greased 9-inch layer pans in moderate oven (375°F.) 25 minutes. Spread Custard Cream Filling (page 18) between layers. Sift powdered sugar over top.

Chocolate Fudge Cake
(1 egg)

Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder and salt, and sift together three times. Cream butter thoroughly, add sugar gradually, and cream together until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat well; then chocolate and blend. Add flour, alternately with milk, a small amount at a time. Beat after each addition until smooth. Add vanilla. Bake in greased pan, 8 × 8 × 2 inches, in moderate oven (325°F.) 1 hour, or until done. Spread Fudge Frosting (page 16), or Hungarian Chocolate Frosting (page 18) on top and sides of cake.

Plantation Marble Cake
(2 eggs)

Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder and salt, and sift together three times. Cream butter thoroughly, add sugar gradually, and cream together until light and fluffy. Add eggs; then flour, alternately with milk, a small amount at a time. Beat after each addition until smooth. Divide batter into two parts. To one part, add spices and molasses. Put by tablespoons into greased loaf pan, 8 × 4 × 3 inches, alternating light and dark mixtures. Bake in moderate oven (350°F.) 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until done. Spread Butter Frosting (page 17) on top and sides of cake.

Louisiana Spice Cake
(2 eggs)

Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder, salt, and spices, and sift together three times. Cream butter thoroughly, add sugar gradually, and cream together until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat well; then molasses and blend. Add flour, alternately with coffee, a small amount at a time. Beat after each addition until smooth. Bake in two greased 9-inch layer pans in moderate oven (375°F.) 25 minutes, or until done. Spread Butter Frosting (page 17) between layers and on top of cake.

Patty’s Birthday Cake
(2 egg whites)

Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder and salt, and sift together three times. Cream butter thoroughly, add sugar gradually, and cream together well. Add egg whites, one at a time, beating very thoroughly after each addition. Add flour, alternately with milk, a small amount at a time. Beat after each addition until smooth. Add flavoring. Bake in greased pan, 8 × 8 × 2 inches, in moderate oven (350°F.) 50 minutes. Spread Seven Minute Frosting (page 16) on top and sides of cake; sprinkle with Baker’s Coconut, Southern Style, tinted a delicate pink. Insert tiny pink candles in frosted cake.

Favorite Chocolate Layer Cake
(2 eggs)

Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder and salt, and sift together three times. Cream butter thoroughly, add sugar gradually, and cream together until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat well. Add flour, alternately with milk, a small amount at a time. Beat after each addition until smooth. Add vanilla. Bake in two greased 9-inch layer pans in moderate oven (375°F.) 25 minutes. Spread Fudge Frosting (page 16) between layers and on top and sides of cake.

Favorite Cup Cakes

Use recipe for Favorite Chocolate Layer Cake. Turn the batter into greased cup-cake pans, filling them ⅔ full; bake in moderate oven (375°F.) 20 minutes, or until done. Cover with Chocolate Wonder Frosting (page 17), or Burnt Sugar Frosting (page 16). Makes 2 dozen cakes.

Busy Day Cake
(3 eggs)

Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder, salt, and sugar, and sift together three times. Add butter. Combine eggs, milk, and vanilla, and add to flour mixture, stirring until all flour is dampened. Then beat vigorously 1 minute. Bake in three greased 9-inch layer pans in moderate oven (375°F.) 25 minutes. Spread Orange Butter Frosting (page 17) between layers and on top of cake.

Coconut Layer Cake
(3 eggs)

Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder and salt, and sift together three times. Cream butter thoroughly, add sugar gradually, and cream together until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks; then flour, alternately with milk, a small amount at a time. Beat after each addition until smooth. Add vanilla and fold in egg whites. Bake in two greased 9-inch layer pans in moderate oven (375°F.) 25 to 30 minutes. Spread Seven Minute Frosting (page 16) between layers and on top and sides of cake. Sprinkle each layer and outside of cake with coconut while frosting is still soft.

Prize Devil’s Food Cake
(3 eggs)

Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder and salt, and sift together three times. Cream butter thoroughly, add sugar gradually, and cream together until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat well; then chocolate and beat until smooth. Add flour, alternately with milk, a small amount at a time. Beat after each addition until smooth. Add vanilla. Bake in two greased 9-inch layer pans in moderate oven (350°F.) 35 minutes, or until done. Spread Seven Minute Frosting (page 16) between layers and on top and sides of cake.

Burnt Sugar Cake
(3 eggs)

To make caramelized sugar syrup, place ½ cup sugar in skillet over medium flame and stir constantly until melted and quite dark. Remove from fire, add ¼ cup hot water, stir until dissolved. Cool.

Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder and salt, and sift together three times. Cream butter thoroughly, add sugar gradually, and cream together until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks and beat well. Add flour, alternately with water, a small amount at a time. Beat after each addition until smooth. Add vanilla. Add 2 tablespoons caramelized sugar syrup and blend. Fold in egg whites. Bake in two greased 9-inch layer pans in moderate oven (375°F.) 25 to 30 minutes, or until done. Spread Burnt Sugar Frosting (page 16), made with remaining caramelized sugar syrup, between layers and on top and sides of cake.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Use recipe for Apricot Upside Down Cake, substituting 4 slices canned pineapple for apricots, and adding 1 cup slightly broken pecan meats. Arrange pineapple slices on butter-sugar mixture covering bottom of 8 × 8 × 2-inch pan, and sprinkle pecan meats over top. Turn batter over contents of pan, and bake in moderate oven (350°F.) 50 minutes, or until done. Serve upside down on dish with pineapple and nuts on top. Serve warm. Garnish with whipped cream and additional nuts, if desired. Cut in wedges.

Lady Baltimore Cake
(3 egg whites)

Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder and salt, and sift together three times. Cream butter thoroughly, add sugar gradually, and cream together until light and fluffy. Add flour, alternately with liquid, a small amount at a time. Beat after each addition until smooth. Add flavoring; fold in egg whites. Bake in two greased 9-inch layer pans in moderate oven (375°F.) 20 minutes. Spread Lady Baltimore Filling (page 17) between layers, and Frosting over cake.

Apricot Upside Down Cake
(1 egg)

Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder and salt, and sift together three times. Cream butter thoroughly, add sugar gradually, and cream together well. Add egg and beat very thoroughly. Add flour, alternately with milk, a small amount at a time. Beat after each addition until smooth. Add vanilla.

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in 8 × 8 × 2-inch pan or 8-inch skillet, over low flame. Add brown sugar; stir until melted. On this arrange apricots, cut-side up. Turn batter over contents of pan. Bake in moderate oven (350°F.) 50 minutes, or until done. Loosen cake from sides and bottom. Serve upside down with apricots on top.

Chocolate Ribbon Cake
(2 eggs and 2 egg yolks)

Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder and salt, and sift together three times. Cream butter thoroughly, add sugar gradually, and cream together until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat well. Add flour, alternately with milk, a small amount at a time. Beat after each addition until smooth. Add vanilla. Combine chocolate, sugar, water, soda, and butter, and mix well. Cool slightly. Turn a generous one-third of batter into greased 9-inch layer pan. Add chocolate mixture to remaining batter, stirring until thoroughly blended; turn into two greased 9-inch layer pans. Bake in moderate oven (375°F.) 30 minutes, or until done. Spread raspberry jam between layers, arranging light layer between dark ones; cover cake with Seven Minute Frosting (page 16).

Hungarian Cream Cake
(2 eggs)

Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder and salt, and sift together three times. Add sugar gradually to eggs, and beat well. Add flour, alternately with cream, beating after each addition until smooth. Add vanilla. Bake in greased pan, 8 × 8 × 2 inches, in moderate oven (350°F.) 50 minutes. Spread with Hungarian Chocolate Frosting (page 18).

Economical Gold Cake
(3 egg yolks)

Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder, and sift together three times. Cream butter thoroughly, add sugar gradually, and cream together until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks and beat well. Add flour, alternately with milk, a small amount at a time. Beat after each addition until smooth. Add flavoring. Beat well. Bake in two greased 9-inch layer pans in moderate oven (375°F.) 25 to 30 minutes. Spread Lemon Coconut Filling (page 18) between layers and Snowy Lemon Frosting (page 17) on top and sides of cake. Sprinkle Baker’s Coconut, Southern Style, over cake.

This cake may be baked in greased pan, 8 × 8 × 2 inches, in moderate oven (350°F.) 50 minutes, or until done; or in greased cup-cake pans in moderate oven (375°F.) 20 minutes, or until done. Makes 3 dozen small cup cakes.

Silver Cake
(4 egg whites)

Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder, and sift together three times. Cream butter thoroughly, add sugar gradually, and cream together until light and fluffy. Add flour, alternately with milk, a small amount at a time. Beat after each addition until smooth. Add lemon extract. Fold in egg whites; bake in two greased 9-inch layer pans in moderate oven (375°F.) 25 to 30 minutes. Spread Snowy Lemon Frosting (page 17) between layers and on top and sides of cake.

Miracle Cake
(4 eggs)

Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder and salt, and sift together three times. Cream butter thoroughly, add sugar gradually, and cream together until light and fluffy. Add eggs and mix well. Add flour, alternately with milk, a small amount at a time. Beat after each addition until smooth. Add vanilla. Divide batter into pans for storing and baking in the three ways suggested below.

Orange Layer Cake. Turn about ⅓ of Miracle Cake batter into two greased 8-inch layer pans. Cover closely with a damp cloth, then with waxed paper; tie securely, and store in refrigerator until cake is to be baked. Bake in moderate oven (375°F.) 25 minutes, or until done. Cool. Spread Orange Butter Frosting (page 17) between layers and on top and sides of cake.

Favorite Jam Squares. Turn about ⅓ of Miracle Cake batter into greased pan, 8 × 8 × 2 inches, cover closely with damp cloth, then with waxed paper; tie securely, and store in refrigerator until cake is to be baked. Bake in moderate oven (350°F.) 50 minutes, or until done. Cool. Top with ½ cup of any favorite jam folded into ½ cup cream, whipped. Cut in squares for serving.

Currant Cup Cakes. Turn about ⅓ of Miracle Cake batter into greased cup-cake pans, filling them ⅔ full. Sprinkle currants or seedless raisins over tops of cakes. Cover closely with damp cloth, then waxed paper: tie securely, and store in the refrigerator until cakes are to be baked. Bake in moderate oven (375°F.) 20 minutes, or until done. Makes 16 large or 24 medium cup cakes.

Fruit Cake
(10 eggs)

Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder and spices, and sift together three times. Cream shortening thoroughly, add sugar gradually, and cream together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, fruits, peel, nuts, honey, molasses, and cider. Add flour gradually. Turn into four 8 × 8 × 2-inch pans which have been greased, lined with heavy paper, and again greased. Bake in slow oven (250°F.) 3 to 3½ hours. Makes 10 pounds fruit cake.

Gingerbread
(1 egg)

Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder, soda, spices, and salt, and sift together three times. Cream butter thoroughly, add sugar gradually, and cream together until light and fluffy. Add egg and molasses; then flour, alternately with milk, a small amount at a time. Beat after each addition until smooth. Bake in greased pan, 8 × 8 × 2 inches, in moderate oven (350°F.) 50 minutes, or until done.

Thank Calumet for delicious and thrifty
SPONGE CAKES

Hot Milk Sponge Cake
(3 eggs)

Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder, and sift together three times. Beat eggs until very thick and light and nearly white (10 minutes). Add sugar gradually, beating constantly. Add lemon juice. Fold in flour, a small amount at a time. Add milk, mixing quickly until batter is smooth. Turn at once into ungreased tube pan and bake in moderate oven (350°F.) 35 minutes, or until done. Remove from oven and invert pan 1 hour, or until cold. This mixture may be baked in two lightly greased 8 × 8 × 2-inch pans in moderate oven (350°F.) 25 minutes, or in 12 × 8 × 3-inch pan in moderate oven (350°F.) 30 minutes.

Old-fashioned Jelly Roll
(4 eggs)

Sift flour once; measure. Combine baking powder, salt, and eggs in bowl. Place over smaller bowl of hot water and beat with rotary egg beater, adding sugar gradually until mixture becomes thick and light-colored. Remove bowl from hot water. Fold in flour and vanilla. Turn into 15 × 10-inch pan which has been greased, lined with paper to within ½ inch of edge, and again greased. Bake in hot oven (400°F.) 13 minutes. Quickly cut off crisp edges of cake. Turn from pan at once on cloth covered with powdered sugar. Remove paper. Spread with jelly and roll. Wrap in cloth and cool on rack.

Orange Sponge Cake
(2 eggs and 1 egg yolk)

Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder and salt, and sift together three times. Add ½ cup sugar and orange rind to eggs, and beat with rotary egg beater until thick and lemon-colored; add remaining sugar gradually, beating very thoroughly; then add orange juice and water. Add flour gradually, beating with rotary egg beater until smooth. Bake in ungreased tube pan, in moderate oven (350°F.) 55 minutes, or until done. Remove from oven and invert pan 1 hour, or until cold.

Chocolate Sponge Layer Cake
(4 eggs)

Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder, soda, and salt, and sift together three times. Add chocolate to milk and heat in double boiler. When chocolate is melted, stir until blended; add ½ cup sugar and cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Cool. Add remaining sugar gradually to egg yolks, beating with rotary egg beater until mixture becomes very thick and light-colored. Add chocolate mixture and flavoring and blend. Fold in flour, a small amount at a time; then egg whites. Turn into two greased 9-inch layer pans. Bake in moderate oven (350°F.) 30 minutes. Spread with Chocolate Butter Frosting (page 17).

Chocolate Sponge Roll
(4 eggs)

Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder and salt, and sift together three times. Fold sugar gradually into egg whites. Fold in egg yolks and vanilla. Fold in flour gradually. Then beat in chocolate, gently but thoroughly. Turn into 15 × 10-inch pan which has been greased, lined with paper to within ½ inch of edge, and again greased. Bake in hot oven (400°F.) 13 minutes, or until done. Quickly cut off crisp edges of cake. Turn from pan at once on cloth covered with powdered sugar. Remove paper. Spread Seven Minute Frosting (page 16) over cake and roll. Wrap in cloth and cool on rack. Cover with chocolate coating, made by adding 1 teaspoon melted butter to 1 square Baker’s Unsweetened Chocolate, melted, and stirring to blend.

Fruited Sponge Torte
(3 eggs)