BAKING FORMULA FOR ECONOMY WHITE CAKE:

2 cups sifted cake flour
2 level tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup water
1/3 tsp. almond flavoring
1/3 tsp. vanilla flavoring
3 egg whites, stiffly beaten

Mix and sift dry ingredients twice (flour, baking powder and salt). Set aside until needed. Measure liquids, add flavorings and set aside until needed.

Cream shortening well. Add sugar, gradually, creaming thoroughly after each addition. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with the liquid (1/3 of each at a time), blending thoroughly after each addition. Fold in stiffly beaten whites.

Bake in tube pan or 8-inch square cake pan, greased and lined with parchment paper in moderate (350°F) oven for 45 minutes. Or, in two prepared 8-inch layer pans, in moderate (350°F) oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Or, in small cupcake tins, greased lightly, in moderate (350°F) oven for 20 minutes. Cool. Frost as desired.

BAKING FORMULA FOR LUXURIOUS WHITE CAKE:

3 cups sifted cake flour
3 level tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup shortening
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp. rose or almond extract
7 egg whites, stiffly beaten

Sift the dry ingredients together twice (flour, baking powder and salt). Set aside until needed. Measure liquid, add flavoring and set aside until needed.

Cream shortening until it is soft and richly waxy. Add sugar gradually and do not spare the beating. When mixture is rich and puffy with air, add sifted dry ingredients alternately with the liquid (about 1/3 of each at a time), blending each addition thoroughly. Beat egg whites with wire whip until they pile high in peaks.

Tip: Be sure to stop beating before egg whites become dry and varnished looking. Over-beaten egg whites make an undersized cake.

Fold in these fluffy, well-beaten whites very carefully, lifting up a spoonful of the batter from the bottom of the mixture and folding it over the top... down, up, over - down, up, over, that is the fold-in motion. Do it ever so lightly until all of the egg white is completely blended into the batter.

Bake in a large tube pan. Or, in three 9-inch layer pans. Or, in two 10-inch layer pans (makes two thick layers). Pans should be greased and lined with parchment paper.

Bake in tube pan in moderate (350°F) oven for 55 to 60 minutes. In 10-inch layer pans in moderate (350°F) oven for 40 minutes. In 9-inch layer pans in moderate (350°F) oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Frost as desired.

Note: White cakes are most often made with a mixture of milk and water because milk makes a white cake, water a more tender one.

SNOW WHITE CAKE:

Use baking formula for Luxurious White Cake. Bake in three 9-inch layers as directed in baking formula. Cool and frost between the layers and over the top with Marshmallow Seven Minute Frosting, or plain Seven Minute Frosting.

PETIT FOURS:

Use baking formula for either Economy White Cake or Luxurious White Cake. Bake in shallow pans, greased and lined with parchment paper, making thin sheets of cake. Use moderate (350°F) oven for about 25 minutes. Cool. Cut into strips 1 1/2 inches wide. Cut strips into squares or diamond-shaped pieces. Frost with Petit Fours Frosting.

ALMOND ORANGE CAKES:

Use baking formula for either White Cake. To Economy White Cake, add 1/2 cup almonds, blanched and sliced. To Luxurious White Cake add 1 cup almonds, blanched and sliced. Add nuts before folding in stiffly beaten egg whites. Bake in small "Lemon Queen" pans, greased and lined with cupcake liners. Bake in moderate (325°F) oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Frost as desired.

Note: There is a special "trick" in preparing cupcake pans. Grease sides very lightly or not at all. This permits the batter to really cling to sides of pans as the cakes rise, helping give cakes greater volume. Grease bottoms well and line with cupcake liners, to remove each cake without breaking.

"Lemon Queen" pans are very small and dainty cupcake pans.

LADY BALTIMORE CAKE:

Use baking formula for Luxurious White Cake. Bake in three 9-inch layers. Put layers together with Lady Baltimore Filling and spread thin layer of the filling over top. Frost top and sides with plain Seven Minute Frosting.

LADY BALTIMORE FILLING:

Prepare Seven Minute Frosting and when of proper consistency to spread, add 1/2 cup figs, cut in strips and 1/2 cup chopped pecans (or any preferred nuts). This amount of filling is sufficient only for between and over top of three layer cakes. An additional recipe for frosting is needed for outside of cake.

MAY TIME TEA CAKES:

Use baking formula for Economy White Cake. Bake in cupcake tins. Cool. Frost with Pastel Jelly Frosting or Seven Minute Frosting, in pastel colors.