michael's mocha halo cakes

MOCHA ICING Thought you might be interested in these two recipes for a birthday cake. Michael, one of my roommates, just had his big 5-0. He said he wanted a mocha cake so I hauled out a couple of fifty year old cookbooks and put together this cake. (Well, they were almost 50 years old++one was put out in '46, the other in '50.) The cake++the first I'd ever made from scratch++turned out great. It was nice and moist, if a tad on the heavy side. The recipe is actually for cupcakes, but I just made one big layer. The frosting is outstanding, a definite keeper.

Sift flour, cocoa, soda, baking powder and salt together 3 times.

Cream shortening with sugar until fluffy. Combine whole egg and egg yolks, beat well and add to creamed mixture. Combine coffee and buttermilk. Add sifted dry ingredients and liquids alternately in small amounts, beating well after each addition. Pour into greased cupcake pans and bake in moderate oven (350F) for 20 minutes.

Makes 18 medium or 12 large cupcakes.

Frost with Fluffy White Icing. Melt 1 ounce (square) chocolate with 1 teaspoon butter and put a band around each cake with teaspoon or pastry brush.

From "250 Classic Cake Recipes", edited by Ruth Berolzheimer, Culinary Arts Institute. Consolidated Book Publishers, 1950.

MOCHA ICING:

Sift sugar. Cream butter. Add sugar. Beat until smooth. Add remaining ingredients. Beat until well blended.

From "The Searchlight Recipe Book", compiled by The Household Magazine, Topeka, Kansas. Capper Publications, 1946.

Posted by Stephen Ceideberg; June 24 1993.