Mom's Red Velvet Cake and Frosting

While cleaning out my den today, I ran across something my mother wrote for me years ago – her recipe for Red Velvet Cake.  We lost Mom in 2008 to melanoma, but it feels like a little part of her lives on in this recipe.  I hope you find it useful and tasty.

Cake Ingredients
1/2 cup shortening (Crisco)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
2 ounces of red food coloring
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda

Cake Directions:

1. Turn the oven on to pre-heat to 350 degrees F.
2. Cream the shortening, sugar, and vanilla using a mixer.
3. Add the eggs and continue beating with the mixer.
4. Add the cocoa and the food coloring, continue beating.
5. Add the flour and salt, alternating with buttermilk
6. Mix the soda and vinegar, pour into batter, and stir with a spoon
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
8. Start making the frosting while the cake bakes, if you like.

Frosting Ingredients
5 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla

Frosting Directions:

1. Cook the flour and milk until thick.  Allow the flour to heap above the spoon slightly. The thickness of the cooked mixture should be like a thick paste.  It can get lumpy if you don't stir constantly (a wire whisk can be helpful here).  Let it cool COMPLETELY, stirring several times as it cools.
2. Cream the sugar, butter, and vanilla.  It should look almost like whipped cream. Don't stop until it is really light in color. Add the flour/milk mixture a little at a time while beating it with a mixer.  Beat it until the ingredients are well combined.
3. Spread the frosting on the fully cooled cake (if the cake is warm, the frosting will melt).