A woman born at the turn of the century recalls, “We baked a lot of sponge cakes.” The favored cake came from Germany and continued as a specialty here. Eggs were usually plentiful and could be put to good use in this batter. The cake was also adaptable—the cook could add her choice of flavoring before baking, or she could leave it out and serve the cake with fresh strawberries (or whatever fruit was easily at hand).