Something Extra: Red Velvet Cake

Happy dessert day!

When I was in college, my family used to drive down to Norman on my birthday every year to celebrate with me. This was the first year for as long as I remember that I didn't have a cake made by my mom on my birthday.

Instead, Chase helped me bake one of my two favorite cakes (the other being Chocolate Cherry Bundt cake). We didn't grease and flour the pans quite well enough, so our cake was a little uneven, but it was still just as delicious. My mouth is watering and my hands are itching to bake just thinking about it. I wish there were cake in the house right now. I might have to remedy this tomorrow ...

Happy cake cooking!

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Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients

½ cup Crisco

1

½ cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 Tbsp cocoa powder

2 cups flour

½ tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 Tbsp vinegar

1 tsp baking soda

Red food coloring

Frosting

1 cup milk

¼ cup flour

pinch salt

1 cup sugar

1 stick margarine

½ cup Crisco

1 tsp vanilla extract

wax paper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. For the cake: In a large mixing bowl, cream Crisco and sugar.

3. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in cocoa, salt and flour. Beat in buttermilk and food coloring (to your color preference).

4. In a separate bowl, mix vinegar and baking soda. Let foam, then gently stir into batter.

5. Pour the batter into two greased and floured 9" round pans or one 13x9 pan.

6. Bake for 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.

7. Remove from oven and let cool before frosting.

8. For the frosting: While the cake is cooking, place a medium saucepan over medium heat.

9. In the pan, mix together milk, flour and salt. Stir until the mixture reaches the consistency of thin mashed potatoes (4-7 minutes).

10. Remove from heat. Press wax paper down on top of mixture while it cools.

11. Once the mixture cools, combine sugar, margarine and Crisco in a separate bowl. Beat until fluffy.

12. Add the sugar mixture to the cooled milk mixture along with the vanilla. Beat to frosting consistency.

13. Frost and decorate the cooled cake. Enjoy.

Batter in the greased and floured pans.

Milk and flour mixture at thin potato consistency. When you've reached the

right consistency, it should take a couple of seconds for the mixture to fill

back in when you run a spatula across the middle of the pan.

Wax paper covering the mixture to prevent a film.

Frosted and decorated for celebration! Or just eating.

Happy cooking!