BAKING FORMULA FOR DELICATE NEVER-FAIL SPONGE CAKE:

1 cup sifted cake flour
1/2 level tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
5 eggs, separated
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 cup sugar

Sift dry ingredients together three times (flour, baking powder and salt). Set aside until needed.

Separate the eggs and beat the yolks with rotary egg beater until very thick and lemon colored. Add lemon rind and juice. Again beat well.

Add half the sugar gradually, beating as you add. Beat the egg whites in another mixing bowl until they being to pile high. Then to these whites begin to add the remaining half cup of sugar, a small amount at a time, beating as you add. Fold the well-beaten egg yolks into the well-beaten egg whites.

Gradually begin to add the sifted dry ingredients; fold in each portion carefully. To do this, sift about 1/4 cup at a time over the surface of eggs and fold in lightly.

Turn into ungreased tube pan (about 7 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches in size). Bake in moderate (325°F) oven for about 1 hour. Invert pan until cake is cold (about 1 hour). Then remove from pan.

Note: Always bake sponge cakes in an ungreased pan. This will permit the cake batter to cling to the sides of the pan as it rises during baking, giving you a light, tender, full-sized cake.

The temperature used in baking a sponge cake is important also. Bake in a slow, but not too slow, oven. Generally speaking, 325°F is the most perfect temperature and will bake a cake in about 1 hour. Too slow an oven will give you a sponge cake of coarse, uneven grain; also, too slow an oven requires a longer baking time and is very apt to make a dry cake. Too hot an oven will give you an undersized cake, close-grained and tough.

BAKING FORMULA FOR ECONOMY SPONGE CAKE:

1 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
1 1/4 level tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
5 tbsp. boiling water

Sift dry ingredients together twice (flour, baking powder and salt). Set aside until needed.

Beat eggs (not separated) with rotary egg beater until thick and light. Add sugar gradually, beating as you add. Add lemon juice. Fold in sifted dry ingredients alternately with hot water, blending each addition well, but mixing quickly.

Bake in ungreased 8-inch square pan, or in ungreased tube pan, in moderate (350°F) oven for 45 minutes or until done. Invert pan 1 hour, until cold, before removing cake from pan. Frost, if desired.

COCOA SPONGE:

Use baking formula for either Sponge Cake. Substitute 1/4 cup cocoa for 1/4 cup sifted flour. Use only 3/4 cup sugar. Mix and bake as directed in baking formula. Frost, if desired.

BRAZIL NUT SPONGE:

Use baking formula for Delicate Never-Fail Sponge Cake. Fold in 1/2 cup finely sliced Brazil nuts after the cake batter has been completely mixed. Bake in tube pan. Or bake in small cupcake pans in moderately slow (325°F) oven for 20 minutes. Do not grease cupcake pans before filling, but line with cupcake liners. Frost as desired.

OLD-FASHIONED APPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE:

Use baking formula for Economy Sponge Cake. Pour batter over a specially prepared Apple Topping (see below) arranged in 8-inch square cake pan. Bake in moderate (350°F) oven for 50 minutes. Turn out onto large serving platter, fruit side up. Serve hot. Serves 8 generously.

APPLE TOPPING:

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in bottom of 8-inch square cake pan. Over the melted butter, spread 3/4 cup brown sugar. On top of brown sugar arrange 2 cups of tart apples, sliced. Pour the cake batter over top of fruit. Then bake as directed.

OLD-FASHIONED JELLY ROLL:

Use baking formula for Economy Sponge Cake. Bake on a low-rimmed sheet cake pan, about 15x10-inches in size.

To prepare pan: Grease the pan and line with parchment paper, but cut this lining smaller than the pan - so small that there is a half inch of the pan uncovered around all four sides (this allows cake to be removed from pan more quickly and easily). Grease the paper lining.

To bake: Pour batter into prepared pan. Spread smoothly into the corners. Bake in hot (400°F) oven, about 15 minutes, or until done. Remove pan from oven and at once (while the cake is still in the pan) trim off the crusty edges all around the cake.

Next, turn cake out onto large sheet of wrapping paper or a clean kitchen towel, sprinkled with confectioners' sugar. Remove paper lining from cake quickly. Spread with jelly (your choice) and roll at once. Wrap in towel or paper and set cake on wire rack to dry.

Note: Speed is required after cake comes from the oven because cake will crack if rolled after it begins to cool.