What is it?
In the 1950s, the Langner Manufacturing Company introduced its “Hostess” kitchenware line, a dizzying array of cooking and serving gadgets that I can only describe as delightfully kitschy. (Think: a butter curler, a cheese knife, and a “frozen food saw,” all with matching tortoiseshell Bakelite handles.) Several antique Hostess pieces are available on sites such as Etsy and eBay, but my eye was drawn to the Hostess “Cake Caddy,” a 5-inch, stainless-steel wedge cutter, intended to both cut and serve perfect, uniform slices of cake.
To assess the Cake Caddy’s abilities, I baked one double-layer frosted cake and one single-layer olive oil cake. I grabbed one of the caddy’s handles in each hand, shaped the wedge to my desired size, and pressed the tool firmly through each cake. Once through, I squeezed the handles lightly to “grab” the slice, pulled it out of the cake, and deposited the slice onto a plate. The thin tool aced the test in both cakes, making precise cuts, transporting the slices cleanly and safely, and doing it all with a finesse that would certainly wow a room of dinner party guests. –S.D.
To Sub Natural Peanut Butter in Baking, Stir Well
Finely textured, homogeneous conventional peanut butter, such as Skippy Creamy Peanut Butter, is our first choice for baking because it’s so easy to use:
