Blueberry Cake

A plain New England blueberry tea cake, thin enough to cut in squares and eat hot. The recipe assumes a cook who knows what a cake batter should look like, and leaves out a few things a modern reader will want spelled out.

• Flour the berries, and mean itTossing the blueberries in a spoonful of the measured flour keeps them suspended rather than sinking to the bottom in a purple stripe. Drain and dry washed berries first, or the flour turns to paste and the coating does nothing.
• Moderate ovenAround 350F, though the term covered roughly 350 to 375F. At 25 to 30 minutes in a shallow pan the cake should be just set and springing back at the centre.
• "Very shallow pan"A 9-by-13-inch pan gives a thin layer, well under an inch, which is what the timing suggests. An 8-inch square pan will work but will need closer to 35 minutes and the berries will be more crowded.
• ShorteningIn the usage of the period this means any solid fat: lard, a hydrogenated vegetable shortening, or butter. Butter gives the best flavour here; 3 tablespoons is a lean amount, so the cake is firm rather than rich.
• No salt is listedAdd 1/4 teaspoon with the flour if using unsalted fat, or the sweetness sits flat.
• "Or enough to make a batter"Aim for a thick drop batter that mounds on the spoon, not a pourable one. Blueberries release liquid, so err on the stiffer side; 1 3/4 cups is usually right with 3/4 cup milk.
• Royal Baking PowderA cream of tartar (tartrate) powder, and this book exists to sell it. Any modern double-acting baking powder substitutes one for one at 2 teaspoons.
• Yield and servingAbout nine to twelve squares from a 9-by-13 pan. It is meant for breakfast or tea, eaten warm; it stales quickly and is best the day it is baked.