Red Velvet Cake

By KitchenGnome

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 2 ounces red food coloring
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 scant teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350º F. Prepare three (8-inch) cake pans with nonstick baking spray or by thoroughly greasing and flouring. Set aside.
Cream together vegetable shortening, sugar and eggs. Make a paste of food coloring and cocoa powder and add to the mixture. Add salt and flour with buttermilk and vanilla. Alternately add soda and vinegar; just blend, don’t beat hard.
Evenly distribute into cake pans and bake 25-30 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool cake thoroughly before frosting.