CAKES AND BAKES...

New Cake

New cake usually crumbles when cut with a knife. Use ordinar y cotton thread as a cutter. Work the thread, saw fashion, through the cake. It will be a clean-cut job.

Mrs Priestley, Kirkcaldy

Unusual Icing

Bring four tablespoons of red jam slowly to the boil, and boil for a minute. Pour it over a stiffly beaten egg white, and beat until mixture is stif f. Pour at once over a plain cake for a tasty and unusual icing.

Mrs M. Thompson, Lancaster

Flavoured Icing

When you want to give icing a little colour and flavour, melt one half-teaspoonful of raspberry jelly crystals in a little water and add to the icing.

A. McMurray, Glasgow

Banana Cream

Add a sliced banana to the white of an egg and beat until stif f. The banana disappears and you have a delicious substitute for whipped cream.

Mrs Pettigrew,

Glasgow

Nut Decoration

Before putting almonds on top of a cake, drop them in milk. They bake a pale brown and don’t burn.

Mrs E. W. Wallis, Edinburgh

Pastry Cases

Instead of filling small pastr y tar t cases with dried breadcrumbs or rice to stop them rising, turn the patty tins upside down an dput pastr y on the outside. When baked and taken of f, cases will be just right for filling. Mrs E. A. M. Gear, Oxon