#197 - Red Velvet Cake

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
2 TBSP Hershey's cocoa
2 oz. red food coloring
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 TBSP vinegar
Icing: 5 TBSP flour, 1 cup milk, 1 cup butter, 1 cup white sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla.

In a mixer, combine sugar, eggs and butter. In a small dish, make a paste with the cocoa and the food coloring. Add this to the mixer and blend. Add salt, vanilla, and buttermilk and beat. Slowly add flour and beat until smooth. In a measuring cup, mix baking soda and vinegar. Remove cake batter bowl from mixer and using a spoon, fold in the vinegar/baking soda mixture. Pour batter into a 9 x 13 x 2 greased cake pan OR if you want to make it a layer cake, pour into 2 greased layer cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Test with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool cake completely before icing. Icing: in a medium saucepan, mix flour and slowly add milk over low heat. Once it is mixed, cook until it thickens. Remove saucepan from stove and let it cool. In a mixer, combine butter, white sugar, and vanilla. Add the cooked flour/milk and beat well. Beat until fluffy. Ice your cake(s).