Cakes Tea breads and Biscuits

The temperature of the ingredients is important when you mix these cakes. Fat which is too cold will not cream easily; this particularly applies to butter. Cold eggs will quickly curdle a creamed butter and sugar mixture and the cake will lose in lightness and texture. To avoid this always bring the fat and eggs out of the refrigerator or cold larder some time in advance. While weighing out or preparing other ingredients, fill the mixing bowl you are going to use with warm water and place the eggs in it to warm them. By the time everything else is ready, the eggs will be the right temperature for cracking and the bowl pleasantly warm when the fat and sugar are put into it for creaming. Any additional ingredients such as fruit and nuts should be prepared ready for use. Fruit should be cleaned, and glacé fruits such as cherries rinsed in warm water to remove the outer syrupy coating, then halved and patted dry. Always mix any added fruit with a little of the flour taken from the measured ingredients.