Grandma’s Old Fashioned Red Velvet Cake

Red Velvet Cake is making a comeback. This was the recipe that my Grandma and my Mom used to make. It was always a favorite recipe of ours. These directions are a bit odd, but I am posting just as the original recipe reads.

Cake Ingredients

• 1 cup shortening (they always used Crisco)
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 ounces of red food coloring
• 2 Tablespoons cocoa
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour (for cake flour, 2 cups flour + 1 Tablespoon cornstarch)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon soda
• 1 Tablepoon hot water
• 1 Tablespoon vinegar

Directions
Cream shortening, sugar, and eggs. Make a paste of food coloring and cocoa. Add buttermilk & salt alternately with flour. Add vanilla. Dissolve soda in hot water, mix with vinegar, holding over bowl as it foams. Quickly add mixture to batter. Pour into 3 greased and floured 9 inch round pans. Bake @ 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Frosting Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup butter

Directions
Cook flour and milk until very thick, stirring constantly. Chill in refrigerator. Thoroughly cream sugar, vanilla, and butter until fluffy. Blend into chilled flour mixture. Beat until frosting is spreading consistency.
Store covered in refrigerator.