Waldorf Astoria Red Velvet Cake

Photo Courtesy of: Cookin-Jo

What You Need for the Cake:

• 1/2 Cup Shortening
• 1 1/2 Cups Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 2 oz Red Food Coloring (or enough to make it as dark as you want)
• 2 Tablespoon cocoa
• 1 Cup Buttermilk
• 2 1/4 Cups Flour
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Vinegar

How to Make the Cake

Preheat your oven to 350° F.  Line your cake pans with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.  This prevents the cakes from sticking to the pan and makes them easier to stack.

Cream shortening, sugar and eggs until well blended.  Add your cocoa powder and mix well.  Add 2-4 drops of red food coloring (or until it is your desired amount of red).  In a separate bowl, combine your flour and salt and mix well.  Begin adding the buttermilk and flour mixture alternating between the two (pour a little buttermilk then pour a little of the flour mixture until both are gone).  Add the vanilla and mix well.  In another separate bowl, combine your baking soda and vinegar (the baking soda will bubble when the vinegar is added).  Add the baking soda/vinegar mix to the mixer bowl and stir by hand.  If you use your mixer, the cake mix will get too fluffy before baking.  

Pour cake batter immediately and bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Let cakes cool for 5 minutes before removing them from the pans.  *Remember to take the parchment paper off the cake once it is removed from the pan* 

What You Need for the Frosting

• 3 Tablespoons Flour
• 1 Cup Milk
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 Cup Butter (slightly melted)

How to Make the Frosting

In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar, vanilla and butter and mix until fluffy.  In a sauce pan, bring the milk to a slow boil.  Once the milk has began to boil, add the 3 Tablespoons flour and stir constantly until there are no lumps (it creates a paste).  Add the milk mixture to the other ingredients and whip for 1-2 minutes allowing the frosting to get very fluffy.  

**This frosting has a gritty taste to it because the sugar does not dissipate into the mix**

Once the two cake layers have cooled completely, frost your cake and enjoy!