The orange-cake preview uses the plain-cake base already among the 20 selected recipes. Both are counted as separate book recipes; no hidden extra base recipe is needed.
Ingredients from the selected recipe
- 4 tablespoons shortening
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs, separated
- ½ cup milk
- 1½ cups flour
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons grated orange peel
Method
This uses the Plain Cake sample, also counted among the 20 previews.
- Cream the shortening, add sugar, and beat until light and creamy.
- Add beaten egg yolks.
- Sift flour and baking powder together, then add alternately with the milk.
- Add salt and vanilla. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites.
- Gently add 2 tablespoons grated orange peel to the Plain Cake batter.
- Bake as a loaf at 350°F, or in layers at 375°F, until the cake shrinks from the pan.
Modern reading and kitchen notes
Wash the orange before grating and avoid including excessive white pith. The source says orange peel, not orange juice; adding juice would change the liquid balance. As with the base, pan size, yield, and baking duration are unspecified, and this edition has not been kitchen-tested.
Before you begin
Read the complete method and prepare suitable equipment before mixing. Keep any adaptation separate from the source instructions. Missing yields, pan sizes, or times are not silently filled with invented values. Use current food-safety guidance rather than assuming every historical kitchen habit is appropriate today.
Source and safety references
The edition names Nell B. Nichols’s The Farm Cook and Rule Book (1923). Its source and restoration notes are included in the complete book. This preview does not provide the paid PDF or any additional book recipes.
FDA: Handling Flour Safely · FoodSafety.gov: Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures · USDA: Leftovers and Food Safety