The next time you have the crowd over for a light buffet or an afternoon of cards, you needn't serve elaborate refreshments. Just have a fresh fruit or seafood salad, bread and butter sandwiches, if desired, dainty little iced cakes and a beverage. To make these cakes bake your favorite layer cake or sponge cake in cup-cake pans. Top with green, yellow and pink butter frosting, reserve a few cake for covering with your regular chocolate frosting. Decorate each attractively with colored candies, chopped nut meats, bits of can died cherries or citron so that there are no two exactly alike.



One novel use for little cakes is for baby's birthday. Insert a candle holder and candle in each cup cake, so that each small guest has his own birthday cake. Or bake a party cake in a greased pan. 10x10x2 inches, and when cool cut it in 2-inch squares. Brush off crumbs and spread tops and sides with frosting. Decorate each one with one letter of "Welcome Home!" "Birthday Congratulations!" or similar appropriate message. A pan measuring 10 x 10 inches yields twenty-five 2-inch squares, so be guided accordingly in planning the message, and figure on using frosted, undecorated cakes to,separate words.

These dainty little party cakes will earn for their hostess paeans of praise.

Delicate Cup Cakes

2 cups silted cake flour

2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter or other shortening

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, unbeaten

2/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Sift flour once, measure, add baking powder and salt, and sift together three times. Cream butter thoroughly, add sugar gradually, and cream together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each. Add flour, alternately with milk, a small amount at a time, beating after each addition until smooth. Add vanilla. Bake in greased large cup-cake pans in moderate oven (375 degrees F.) 20 minutes, or until done. Spread with Ornamental Butter Frosting or your best chocolate frosting. Decorate with chopped nuts, colored candies or tinted coconut. Makes 18 cup cakes.

Ornamental Butter Frosting

4 tablespoons butter

5 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

2 egg whites, unbeaten

2 tablespoons cream (about)

1.5 a teaspoons vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

Cream butter; add part of sugar gradually, blending after each addition. Add remaining sugar, alternately with egg whites, then with cream, until of right consistency to spread. Best after each addition until smooth. Add vanilla and salt. May be tinted green or pink if desired. Or divide in thirds, tinting one third green, one yellow, and one pink. Spread frosting smoothly on top and sides of cake. With remaining frosting make borders, festoons, and rosettes for decoration with pastry tube. Fill tube only V2 full.

Little Baltimore Cakes

1 cup sifted cake flour

1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon grilled orange rind

4 tablespoons butter or other shortening

1/2 cup sugar

4 egg yolks, well beaten

1/4 cup milk

To measured, sifted flour add baking powder and salt; sift together three times. Add orange rind to butter and cream thoroughly. Add sugar gradually and cream together until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks and beat well. Add flour, alternately with milk, a small amount at a time. Beat after each addition until smooth. Bake in deep, well-greased cup cake pans in moderate oven (375 degrees F.) 25 minutes. Cool. Cut each cake cross wide in three even slices. Put slices together again with Macaroon Filling. Cover tops and sides with Macaroon Frosting. Sprinkle with unblanched pistachios, chopped. Makes 15 cakes.

Macaroon Frosting And Filling

2 egg whites, unbeaten

1.5 cups sugar

2 teaspoons light corn syrup

4.5 tablespoons water

1/4 teaspoon almond extract Rose coloring

6 macaroons, dried, rolled, and sifted

Combine egg whites,, sugar, corn syrup and water in top of double boiler, beating with rotary egg beater until thoroughly mixed. Place over rapidly boiling water. Beat constantly with rotary egg beater, and cook 7 minutes, or until frosting will stand in peaks. Remove from boiling water, add almond extract and rose coloring to make a delicate tint. Beat until nearly thick enough to spread. For filling, add enough frosting to macaroon crumbs to make a filling.