Sponge Cake
14 ounces of sugar. 12 eggs. 12 ounces of flour.
Put the eggs and sugar together in a kettle, tin pail, or deep pan, set in a vessel of ice water and beat the mixture rapidly for half an hour by the clock. Then lightly stir in the flour. If the beating be faithfully performed this sponge cake batter can be used to make lady-fingers, savoy cakes, plain unglazed sponge cakes, jelly rolls and the half dozen varieties of Italian small cakes already described.
One day one of my boys showed me such an assortment as the above all made out of a kettle of sponge cake batter 4 times the quantity of the receipt, and when they have been approved, with a sly look he said: "But I was late and only beat the eggs and sugar 20 minutes." "Your ingredients were in good condition and the atmosphere is dry and cold. There are exceptions to every rule, but you must work by the rule and not the exception. Besides there is a good deal in knowing how to beat effectively."