Red Velvet Cake with Coconut Frosting

Jeff D's Mom (Mrs. D.)

Red Cake
1/2 cup shortening or butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 oz red food coloring (usually two bottles)
2 Tbs cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven 350 F
Cream shortening (butter), sugar, eggs. In a separate bowl,
make a paste of food color and cocoa, then add to creamed mixture. Add salt, buttermilk, flour and vanilla. Dissolve soda in vinegar and fold into batter. Pour into two round cake layer pans. DO NOT DROP PANS ON COUNTER TO REMOVE AIR. Bake at 350 for 25 - 30 minutes. Allow to cool then frost.

Frosting
5 Tbs flour
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
coconut


In sauce pan over medium heat, dissolve flour into milk, stirring constantly until thick. Cool. With mixer, beat together sugar, butter and vanilla. Continue to beat 15 minutes (yes, 15!) Fold in milk mixture and more sugar if not thick enough. Frost middle and top layers of cake, frosting will not stick to sides very well. Sprinkle with coconut.

Often very good with vanilla ice cream.