Red Velvet Cake

www.ourbananamoments.com

• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 tablespoon of vinegar
• ½ cup of shortening
• 1-½ cups of sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1-cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 2 ounces of red food coloring
• Cream Cheese Frosting

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Dissolve baking soda in vinegar; set aside.  Cream shortening by slowly adding sugar and beating well with an electric mixer.  Add eggs to mixture one at a time and beat mixture after adding each egg.  After all of the eggs are beaten into the mixture, beat in the baking soda and vinegar mixture.

Sift together flour, cocoa, and salt.  Combine buttermilk, vanilla, and food coloring.  Next, add the dry mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Pour batter into 2 greased and floured 9-inch round cape pans.  Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until done.  Cool both pans for 10 minutes.  Remove cakes from pans and allow continuing to cool on wire racks.  Spread cream cheese frosting between layers, on top and sides of the cake.  Sprinkle with coconut and serve!

Substitutions for ingredients such as sugar, works well with this recipe.  Ultimately this is a fun cake to make and even more fun to share.  Not recommended for those who fall faint at the though of gaining an ounce or two of weight.