Red Velvet Cake - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 T. cocoa
2 oz. red food coloring
1/2 c. shortening
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 1/2 c. self-rising flour
1 c. buttermilk
1 t. vinegar

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350\u00b0. In a small bowl, combine cocoa and food coloring to make a paste. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream shortening, sugar and vanilla with a mixer. Add eggs and beat to blend. Add cocoa paste to mixture; beat well. Sift flour into a medium mixing bowl. Add flour alternately with buttermilk to the mixture. Beat well. Mix in vinegar. Pour batter into two 9-inch pans and bake at 350\u00b0 for 35 to 40 minutes. Cool, split and frost. To split: Use thread or dental floss. Use a sawing motion to split each layer so there are 4 layers.