Variations on a Theme of Puddings and Cakes..

I have a little for you today on one of my favourite recipe themes – the ‘one mix – many dishes’ concept. I have touched on it in a couple of previous stories - Puddingsby the Wholesale, and Many from One (four varieties of bread from one potato sponge), but today I have a few more old ideas for those of you whose interest is at what I call the ‘cooking end’ of food history.

Recipes for many end products from one mix fall into two categories. One is simply a basic recipe with variation for individual occasions, such as the puddings linked above). The other is for quantity-with-variety cooking – a large amount of a basic mix is made, and divided, adapted, and cooked in one session, such as in the potato-leaven recipes.

Here are a goodly number of ideas for puddings and cakes from the ‘Truth’ and ‘Daily Mirror’ Cookery Book (Brisbane, 1943.)

Six-in-One Pudding.

Two oz. butter, 2 oz. sugar, 1 egg, ½ teacup milk, 4 oz. flour, 1 small teaspoon baking powder. Cream butter and sugar, add egg, then milk; lastly, flour and powder. Pour into greased basin and steam 2 hours.

DATE PUDDING: Add 4 oz. chopped dates and a little nutmeg.

RAISIN PUDDING: Add 4 oz. cleaned raisins.

APPLE PUDDING: Place cooked apples in bottom of bowl, then pour in batter.

COLLEGE PUDDING: Place jam in bottom of basin before adding batter.

BLACK CAP PUDDING: Place currants in bottom of basin before adding batter.

LEMON PUDDING: Add grated lemon rind and chopped candied peel to mixture, and serve pudding with lemon sauce.

Six sponges from One Recipe.

Foundation Recipe.

Four oz. sugar, 4 eggs, 4 oz. butter, flavoring, 1 small teaspoon of baking powder. Sieve the flour well; beat butter and sugar together; add well-beaten eggs and flavoring (such as vanilla), and gently mix in the flour and baking powder. The baking tins to be used must be greased and sprinkled with flour, and the oven must be at a moderate heat by the time the mixture is ready. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, being careful to close the oven door gently, otherwise the sponge may fail.

Sponge Roll.

For sponge roll bake the mixture in oblong tin. Sprinkle a sheet of greaseproof paper with castor sugar; have ready some warmed raspberry jam, and directly the sponge is taken from the oven turn it onto prepared paper. Spread with the jam and roll at once.

Sponge Sandwich.

For a sandwich, the mixture may be put into 2 sandwich tins. When baked, turn onto sugared paper, and leave until cool before putting the filling between. Bananas, cut thinly, and spread with whipped cream and sugar, make a nice change from jam.

American Tea Cakes.

For American tea cakes, the mixture is put into small patty pans, and when baked the cakes are left to cool on a sieve. Cover with chocolate icing.

Sponge Slices.

For sponge slices, the mixture is put into an oblong baking tin. After cooling, it is iced, and when it is set, cut into shapes with a cutter.

Walnut Cake.

The mixture is baked into sandwich tins, iced when cool and decorated with shelled walnuts. Add chopped walnuts to the filling.

Coffee Cake.

Add to the sponge mixture 2 teaspoons coffee essence, and when cool, ice and fill with coffee icing, and enough icing sugar to thicken.

And another set from an Australian newspaper, the Barrier Miner (Broken Hill, NSW), of 8 February, 1936.

Delicious Variety from One Mixture.

The most necessary adjunct to the afternoon tea menu – small cakes - provided an interesting subject for last week's recipe competition, and revealed a variety of recipes which will serve the Bro ken Hill housewife better than any cookery book. Mrs. C. James, of 223 Cornish street, was placed first for a delightful recipe for a variety of afternoon tea cakes

Delicious Variety Afternoon Cakes

Ingredients: 4oz. butter, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 2 large cups flour, ¾ cup milk, 2 level teaspoons cream of tartar, 2 level teaspoons soda.

Method: Beat butter and sugar to cream, then beat in eggs one at a time. Sift flour and rising together, then add and stir in the milk gently. Bake in containers for 20 minutes. This mixture makes 4 doz. cakes. Ice 1 doz. with chocolate and roll in cocoanut, split sides and insert whipped cream, these are called "Snowballs." Take another dozen and cut a piece from the top of each cake and place in a little red jelly and a little cream; replace tops and sift with icing sugar. These are called "Jelly Creams." Roll another dozen in red jelly, and then cocoanut, split sides and insert mock cream, which are called "Peaches." Ice tops of remaining cakes and sprinkle with cocoanut or tiny confetti sweets.