Sour Cream Cocoa Cake

1/2 cup cocoa

3/4 cup boiling water

1/2 cup shortening

2 cups sugar

2 cups sifted cake flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 egg whites

Mix cocoa in boiling water and stir until smooth. Cool. Cream shortening and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add cocoa mixture to creamed mixture. Sift flour, salt and soda together. Add dry ingredients alternately with cream to first mixture. Beat until smooth after each addition. Add vanilla. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour into pans lined with waxed paper and bake in a moderate oven (350°F.) 30 minutes. Makes 2 (9-inch) layers. Spread Mocha Frosting (page 482) between layers and on top.

Coffee Cake

2 tablespoons shortening 1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

3/4 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Cream the shortening and sugar, add the beaten egg yolk and the sifted dry ingredients alternately with the milk. Add vanilla. Fold in the stiffly beaten egg white. Spread one half of the mixture in a deep greased piepan.

Filling -

1/2 cup brown sugar 2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 cup chopped walnuts

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons melted fat

Mix all the ingredients thoroughly and spread one half over the batter in the pan. Add the rest of the cake batter and spread the remainder of the filling over the top. Bake in a moderate oven (350°-375°F.) 45-60 minutes.

Sour Milk Chocolate Cake

1/2 cup shortening 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 3 eggs, separated

2 ounces (2 squares) chocolate, melted] 2 cups sifted cake flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sour milk

Cream shortening, add sugar gradually, creaming until fluffy, add vanilla and beaten egg yolks, then chocolate. Sift dry ingredients together 3 times and add alternately with milk. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Turn into 2 greased (9-inch) pans and bake in a 3 50°F. oven 2 5 minutes.

Ginger Coconut Cakes

2/3 cup molasses

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter or other shortening 1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups sifted cake flour

1 cup sour milk

2 eggs, beaten

Heat first 5 ingredients to boiling, stirring constantly. Cool to lukewarm. Sift soda and flour together and add alternately with milk and eggs, beating thoroughly. Pour into greased muffin pans. Bake in a 350°F. oven 15 minutes. Makes 16 cakes. Cover with boiled frosting and coconut.

Nut Cake

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, separated

1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chopped nut meats

Cream shortening and sugar, add egg yolks and beat well. Sift flour and baking powder and add alternately with milk and vanilla. Add nuts and fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Bake in a greased loaf pan in a 350°F. oven 50 minutes.