Red Velvet Cake

Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients

1 cup vegetable shortening

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon cocoa powder

2 tablespoons  red food coloring

2 1/2 cups cake flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vinegar

Frosting:          

250g cream cheese

60g butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup (150g) icing sugar mixture

Directions

Preheat oven to 175 degrees .

In the bowl of a mixer, cream together the shortening, eggs and sugar. In a separate small bowl, mix together the cocoa and food coloring. Add the paste to the shortening mixture. Sift the flour and salt together in another bowl. Add to the batter alternately with the buttermilk in 3 additions. Add the vanilla extract. In a small cup combine the baking soda and vinegar and fold into batter. Pour the batter into 2 greased 9-inch cake pans. Bake for 30 minutes or until an inserted cake tester comes out clean. Let cool on a cooling rack. Invert the cakes from the pans.

To make the cream cheese frosting, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Add the icing sugar, and vanilla and beat until well combined.

Frost the top of the first layer with frosting and set the second layer on top. Frost the entire cake with remaining frosting.