Red Velvet Cake

Red Velvet Cake
Delightful and delicious! And the color couldn’t be more Christmas appropriate!

Cake:
½ cup solid vegetable shortening
1½ cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 ounces red food coloring
2½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon white vinegar

Icing:
1 cup milk
5 tablespoons flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Grease two 8” cake pans.
3. In a large bowl, beat together shortening, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs to the mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Mix in food coloring.
6. Mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl.
7. Pour batter into prepared pans; smooth tops.
8. Bake cakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, approximately 30
minutes.
9. Transfer pans to wire racks to cool. After 20 minutes, carefully use a spatula to turn cakes out
onto rack to cool completely.
10. Slice each layer in half horizontally.
11. In top of double boiler, cook milk and flour over medium heat until thick, stirring constantly.
Let cool.
12. In a medium bowl, beat sugar, butter, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add milk mixture.
Mix until combined.
13. Cool icing completely before using. Spread icing evenly on top and sides of cake.