Moo's Choco-Chip Coffee Cake

Batter
1/4 lb. butter, room temperature
1 8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup milk
1 cup chocolate chips

Pecan Topping
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a spring-form pan. Mix up the topping in a small bowl. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and cream cheese then gradually add the sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Add vanilla, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix well. Stir in cold milk and chocolate chips. Mixture will be very thick. Pour into prepared pan, sprinkle pecan mixture on top. Bake 50-55 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before removing the pan's outside ring.

Lucy's German Coffee Cake

Lucy Mosier's husband was a patient of Daddy's many years ago. Lucy gave this recipe to Moo, and it became of our three favorite holiday coffee cakes and a family tradition. We usually had one of the three on Thanksgiving (while watching the Macy's parade on television), Christmas morning (while opening gifts), or New Year's Day (while watching the Rose Parade).

Batter
1 stick butter (1/4 lb.)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. baking soda

Topping
6 T nuts (walnuts or pecans), chopped
6 T sugar (this is just shy of a 1/2 cup(
2 tsp. cinnamon

Cream butter, add sugar slowly. Cream well. Add eggs. Sift and measure flour. Resift with baking powder. Add to butter mixture alternately with sour cream. Blend in remaining ingredients (vanilla, almond extract and baking soda). In a separate bowl mix up the topping ingredients. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pour 1/3 of the batter into an ungreased 9" tube pan. Sprinkle on 1/3 of the topping. Continue process for two more layers, ending with the last of the topping. Using a knife marbleize to swirl the topping through the batter a little more. Bake at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Allow to cool. Serve.

Buehrig German Chocolate Cake

This recipe has been in our family for as long as I can remember. It was my father's favorite cake and he often requested this on his birthday.

Cake batter
2 cups sugar
1 cup shortening
1 cup buttermilk
2 1/2 cups cake flour
4 eggs, separated
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1 pkg. German chocolate
1/2 cup hot water

Filling and Frosting
3 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 cup flake coconut
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 pint whipping cream
1/4 - 1/2 cup butter

Dissolve chocolate in the hot water over low heat. Set aside. Dissolve baking soda in 1/4 cup of buttermilk. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat shortening, sugar, and egg yolks. Add flour, buttermilk with soda and the remaining buttermilk. Add the melted chocolate. Beat well. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff, then fold into the batter. Pour batter into 3 or 4 layer pans and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until done.

Set aside on rack to cool while you make the filling. Cook all ingredients together over low heat or a double boiler until it thickens enough to adhere to the side of the cake. Stir occasionally. Don't let it burn. Set aside to cool.

Remove cooled cake layers from pans. Put one layer on serving plate and cover top with filling. Add next layer. Again add filling. Continue until cake is assembled. Then use the rest of the filling to frost the top and sides of the cake.

Moo's Pina Colada Cake

1 pkg. yellow cake mix**
1 pkg. Instant vanilla pudding and pie mix
1 1/3 cup water
4 eggs
1/4 cup oil
2 cups angel flake coconut
1/4 cup white rum
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1-1 1/2 jars pineapple preserves

Frosting
1 cup butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 egg yolks
1/3 cup rum

Mix cake mix, pudding, water, eggs oil and coconut. Beat batter, pour into two layer pans and bake according to directions on the cake box.

**Note if the cake mix has pudding mix already in it, just make the cake as directed on the package. Just add the coconut.

When the cake is cool, slice the two layers to make 4 layers. Put the first layer on the cake plate and give it a liberal sprinkling of the pineapple juice/rum mix. Then spread a layer of pineapple preserves. Add another cake layer and repeat process. Do the same with the third layer and top with the fourth.

Make frosting by creaming (beating) butter until light and smooth. Slowly beat in a can of condensed milk and 2 egg yolks. Add rum slowly so that it doesn't curdle. Beat constantly. When thick enough to spread, frost the cake.

Moo's Lemon Curd Cake

Moo made her cakes from scratch...except when she made a dessert where the cake was secondary to the other flavors. In this case, she started with a Betty Crocker or Hines white cake mix. You can always make your cake from scratch...I'm sure it will be a real palate pleaser.

Filling
2 cups sugar
1/4 pound butter
4 eggs
4 lemons
4 tsp. lemon rind, grated

Frosting
2 egg whites
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/3 cup water
1 tsp. vanilla

Cook cake in two layer pans. When cool, slice each layer in half for a total of four thin layers. Prepare the lemon curd filling: Melt butter in top of double boiler. Beat eggs thoroughly and add sugar plus lemon juice and rind. Heat over hot water just below the boiling point until it thickens. Prepare the frosting: Put ingredients (except vanilla) in the top of double boiler over boiling water and beat with rotary beaters until mixture stands in stiff peaks. Scrape bottom and sides occasionally. Fold in vanilla. Put lemon on each layer except the top one. Then frost.