Fortune Cake

A rich white-cake batter — essentially a pound cake leavened by beaten whites alone — into which four fortune-telling charms are hidden before baking. The printed text stops at the charms, so pan, temperature and time are left to the cook.

• The charms are the hazardLoose metal tokens in a cake are a choking and dental risk, and the recipient never sees them coming. If you want the tradition, wrap each charm tightly in foil or parchment and press it into a slice after baking, telling everyone at the table that they are there. Modern coins and old thimbles are also not food-safe metal.
• Baking, since the recipe gives noneTreat it as a heavy butter cake: a greased and floured 9-inch tube pan or two loaf pans, 325 to 350F, roughly 55 to 70 minutes for the tube pan and 45 to 55 for loaves, until a skewer in the centre comes out clean.
• Folding, not mixing"Mix the batter well" cannot apply after the whites go in. Beat the butter and sugar thoroughly, work in the flour, then fold the stiff whites in three additions with a spatula. The whites are the only real lift here and deflating them gives a dense, greasy crumb.
• The soda has almost nothing to work onA quarter teaspoon of soda with only half a lemon's juice for acid is a token amount. If you want a more reliable rise, about three-quarters of a teaspoon of baking powder can stand in for the soda, though it may alter the flavour slightly.
• Candied citronCitron is the thick candied peel of Citrus medica, still sold at Christmas but no longer a pantry staple. Chop it fine and toss it with a spoonful of the measured flour so it does not sink; candied orange peel is the nearest substitute.
• AlmondsBlanched means skinned — pour boiling water over whole almonds, stand two minutes, and slip the skins off. Chop them coarsely rather than leaving them whole, or they tear the fragile crumb when you slice it.
• Egg economySeven whites leaves seven yolks. Use them the same day for custard, mayonnaise or lemon curd; whites keep in the refrigerator far better than yolks do.
• YieldAbout a 2 lb cake, 12 to 16 slices. It cuts best the day after baking, once the butter has firmed.