Four Layer Red Velvet

The elusive red velvet cake! My parents 25th anniversary was coming up, and so I thought that I would make them a cake. I asked my parents what flavour they wanted and then began the ping pong game. I asked my mom first, and she said to ask my dad. I then asked my dad, and, what a surprise, he told me to ask my mom. After running back and forth between the two of them, I finally got a flavour, and a type of icing. They decided on red velvet cake, with buttercream icing instead of cream cheese icing. I used the cake recipe that I had found on the AllRecipe website, and found a matching icing. It was the first icing that I made that had flour in it, which confused me to no end. I had to go back online and check to make sure that the words didn't get jumbled or the recipes didn't get mixed up. But anyways, the cake was very moist, and I had enough icing for a four layer cake! In my opinion, it was a bit too much icing, and next time I would probably put a thinner layer on, but to each his own.

Here's the recipe!

• 2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• Red food colouring (The original recipe calls for 2 ounces, but I think that is too much)
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 shortening (or 1 margarine square if you don't have shortening)
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. white vinegar

Preparation:

1. Grease two 9 inch pans, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Combine the buttermilk, salt and vanilla. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, cream the shortening (or margarine) and 1 1/2 cups of sugar until it is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the cocoa and red food colouring.
3. Beat the buttermilk mixture alternately with the flour, mixing until incorporated. Stir together baking soda and vinegar, then gently stir into the cake batter.
4. Pour batter into the two pans, and bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean.
5. Allow to cool before frosting.

Note-- The original recipe says to mix the cocoa and red food colouring together before even starting the cake mixture, but this is not necessary.

Icing

• 1 cup milk
• 5 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. In a saucepan over low heat, combine the milk and 5 tablespoons of flour. Stir constantly, until the mixture thickens. Set aside to cool completely.
2. Cream together the butter, 1 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla until it is light and fluffy,then stir in the cooled milk mixture.
3. Beat until the icing reaches spreading consistency.