RED VELVET CAKE

No one knows for sure how this cake came about but many people agree with me that it is one great cake. When my boys tried it, they loved it and it has been a favorite ever since. I have made this for a grooms cake at many weddings even before the movie "Steel Magnolias." Mine were always heart shaped. Alot of recipes call for cocoa but I omit it just because I don't care for it in my cake. However, I have used beet juice along with red food coloring to make a deeper red color.

Red Velvet Cake

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
2 1-ounce bottles red food coloring             (2 tsp of beet juice) optional
1 cup butter softened  (or cooking oil)
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 2 9-inch round cake pans generously and line with waxed paper. Grease the paper and flour the pans. I like to use a 13 x 9 x 2 inch casserole pan. Beat the eggs well with the butter(oil) and sugar. Add the food coloring to this mixture and cream until smooth. Alternate the flour with the milk beginning and ending with the flour. In a small bowl mix the baking soda with the vinegar. Use a wooden spoon and add this to the batter and fold gently by hand. Pour into prepared pans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes and cool on wire racks.

Frosting.
mix 1 bar of softened cream cheese  with 1 stick of softened butter. Add one box of confection sugar and mix until desired consistently. Add 1 tsp of vanilla extract and mix well. Spread on cooled cake. Decorate with walnuts