Red Velvet Cake -- A Classic

It seems this old-fashioned cake has made a comeback.
Everywhere I go, "Red Velvet Cake" is being featured. A dear friend of my mother's shared her recipe many years ago so my father could have his favorite cake for his birthday. This is a very traditional cake and would also work with a cream cheese frosting and fresh blueberries on the side and maybe some semi-sweet chocolate drizzled back and forth. Any way you "slice it" the color is amazing!

Red Velvet Cake

½ cup shortening
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 oz. red food coloring
2 Tbls. cocoa
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
2 ½ cups sifted cake flour
1 Tbls. vinegar
1 tsp. soda

Cream sugar, shortening and eggs. Make a paste of cocoa and food coloring and add to creamed mixture. Mix salt and vanilla with buttermilk. Add alternately with flour to creamed mixture. Mix soda and vinegar together (will bubble) and fold into batter. Do not beat. Bake in two 9-inch pans (greased and floured) for 30 minutes at 350°F.

Velvet Icing

1 cup milk
1 Tbls. corn starch
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup shortening
½ cup butter
½ tsp. lemon flavoring
½ tsp. vanilla
¼ tsp. salt

In small saucepan, combine milk with corn starch and stir until thick. Remove from heat and cool until there is no heat. Combine sugar and shortening and add remaining ingredients and then combine with corn starch mixture. Beat in mixer until right consistency.