Mom's Red Velvet Cake

Since Valentine's Day is around the corner, I thought I would repost my mom's amazing Red Velvet Cake. My aunt makes this every Christmas, but it's just not the same. I know that most red velvet recipes call for cream cheese icing. This one has a buttercream icing. It is divine!

1 large bottle of red food coloring (1 oz)
water (refill the food coloring bottle with water)
3 tsp cocoa
1/2 cup Crisco
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine food coloring, water and cocoa in a small bowl. Set aside. Combine Crisco, sugar, eggs, vanilla, buttermilk, flour and salt in large bowl. Add color mixture and mix. Add vinegar and baking soda. Blend together. Bake in 2 9" cake pans that have been greased and floured at 325 degrees for 35 minutes.

Buttercream Icing

1/4 lb butter
8 tbsp Crisco
2 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp flour
2 cups powdered sugar

Beat ingredients until creamy and white. I double the icing recipe to make sure I have plenty. One recipe is just not quite enough.