Grandma's Red Velvet Cake

Do not substitute ingredients or take short cuts because you will get a yucky cake.

2 2/3 c. self-rising flour
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 stick butter (real butter)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp distilled white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 c. buttermilk (no substitutees -only real buttermilk)
4 bottles red food coloring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour three 9 inch round pans or line them with waxed or parchment paper. (I often will divide the batter and make 5 - 8 very thin layers. It makes the cake more decadent to me.)

Cream butter and sugar. Add oil and eggs one at a time mixing well after each egg.

Mix together vinegar, buttermilk and then all 4 bottles of the food coloring. Yes, you do need all 4. You want this to be a rich deep Christmas red cake not pinkish or weak red.

Sift together the flour and baking soda.

Alternately add the three mixtures a little at the time until all three are combined.

Stir in the vanilla and mix well.

Pour into the cake pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean - 20 - 25 minutes maybe more depending on your oven.

Let the layers completely cool before you try to frost them.

Cream Cheese Icing
1 package of cream cheese (philiadelphia brand is best) softened at room temp.
1 stick of butter softened at room temp.
1 box confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 - 1 c. finely chopped pecans

Mix the cream cheese and butter together until it is well combined. Add the confectioners sugar a little at a time to combine it well. Add the vanilla and mix well. Add the chopped nuts and mix until it is creamy as if whipped.

Frost each layer. If you make the several thinner layers you will most likely need to make 2 batches of icing -which I do anyway because I like thick coats of icing.

This cake is fine on the countertop for a day or two. After that time refrigerate. It never lasts long enough around our house to need refrigerating.

Let me remind you to not substitute ingredients. When you see red food coloring in your grocery store go ahead and start collecting it. It will begin to disappear fast at the holidays and the day you decide to make the cake is the day you won't find the first bottle left on the store shelf.