LESSON 10

Fillings and Frostings

The long period of shortages in such things as sugar, butter and luxury trimmings,
taught us by their very absence to appreciate as never before, what good fillings
and frostings could do for our cakes. Special fillings, requiring much less of the scarce
commodities than most frostings, endeared themselves to the cake-maker, and will
probably retain much of their increased popularity, even when it means making
up an extra mixture.

Fillings and frostings increase the agreeable moistness of a cake to a marked
degree, besides introducing very pleasing combinations of color, flavor and consistency.

Layer cakes—deeper 8- and 9-inch squares—little cup cakes and finger cakes
and even cookies—all take very kindly to carrying a frosting. (The more delicate
members of the sponge cake family—particularly the true sponge and the true angel
cakes—are to my mind usually better without a frosting.)

Cakes baked as layers, or the thicker squares which, when cold, can be carefully
cut into two or three layers, are delightful when given an interesting filling suitable
to the character of the cake... a light type of cake should be given a delicate filling,
perhaps one of cream type, whilst a sturdier cake can carry a sturdier filling, such
as a cooked date or raisin mixture, or a layer of the frosting.

CANDY THERMOMETER A FROSTING HELP.

Many frostings depend for their success on being cooked to exactly the right |

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point. Whilst. various guides can be given, such as “‘soft-ball stage’’, ‘‘threading
stage,’” etc., the only accurate way to judge the cooking of syrups for frostings
and candies, is to use a thermometer.

A candy thermometer registering, usually, up to 300°F., is made to clip on the
rim of a saucepan. (If you have not a candy thermometer, but have a deep-frying
thermometer which registers the required temperature, it may be used instead—
it is just a little harder to read at the lower markings.) It shows the exact degree
of temperature reached by the syrup at all times, and as most recipes give the
cooking-point in degrees F., you can tell exactly when to remove the syrup from
the heat. (Such thermometers—like the other types so useful as aids to consistently
successful cookery—make much-appreciated gifts.)

There are a number of types of both fillings and frostings (the latter often acting
as filling, as well as topping)—-and many kinds of each type:

FILLINGS

(1) CREAM FILLINGS—Liquid is usually milk, cream or fruit juice. Thickening
agent, flour or corn starch, with or without egg.

Made with a little less flour, most of the cream cake-fillings can be used very
nicely to fill cream puff or éclair shells and small tart shells.

(2) DRIED-FRUIT FILLINGS—Sweetened cooked dried-fruits (e.g. fig, date, raisin,
prune, apricot). Also useful for filling tarts or for putting cookies together in pairs.

71 LESSON 10

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