Red Velvet Cake and Icing
Source: Maxine Stephens
Servings: 8

3 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 ounce red food coloring
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup Crisco
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups cake flour, sifted
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vinegar
shortening and flour

ICING
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup Crisco
1/2 cup margarine, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans

Combine cocoa and food coloring into a paste; set aside. Cream together sugar and Crisco. Add eggs one at a time to sugar and beat well. Add red paste to sugar mixture and beat well. Mix vanilla into sugar mixture. In separate bowl, combine sifted cake flour and salt; add gradually to sugar mixture. Add buttermilk to batter. In small bowl or ramekin, combine baking soda and vinegar; while foaming, pour into batter.

Pour batter into prepared pans; bake 35 minutes. Let cool in pan 10 minutes on wire rack; then remove from pan and let cool completely on wire rack before icing.

ICING: Cook flour and milk until thick and cool. Cream sugar, Crisco, and margarine together; add to flour/milk paste. Add vanilla and beat thoroughly. Frost cake; shave or grate chocolate on top of iced cake, and keep cake refrigerated until served.