Red Velvet Cake

BEFORE BAKING:

Start making the frosting. In a saucepan, mix 1/3 cup flour with 2 cups milk. Heat, stirring frequently with a whisk, until the mixture begins to come to a light boil and becomes thickened. Cook a few minutes longer until quite thick. Remove from heat - put a sheet of waxed paper directly on top of the mixture to prevent a crust from forming. Cool completely, at least an hour. Set aside.

For the cake:

Grease & flour 2- 9" cake pans. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together with a mixer:

1/2 cup (one stick - NOT tub soft spread!) margarine

1-1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix on medium speed, scraping down sides of bowl often.

Make a paste with 2 heaping Tblsp. of Cocoa powder and an entire 1 oz. bottle of red food coloring. Add to the batter.

Alternately add (on a low mixer speed):

2-1/4 cups of CAKE flour

and

1 cup buttermilk

Mix slowly, scraping sides of bowl regularly.

Mix together 1 tsp. of baking soda with 1 tsp. white vinegar (it will fizz) and then slowly stream it into the cake batter, mixing thoroughly.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pans equally - put in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until done - test center with toothpick.

Remove from oven and cool on a rack for 15 minutes before removing from the pans. Cool COMPLETELY. When the cake's completely cool, carefully split each layer in half, making 4 layers.

To make the frosting:

Cream together (with mixer) on a medium speed:

1-2/3 cups sugar

1-1/2 cups softened butter

1 tsp. vanilla

Raise the speed of the mixer to medium high and beat until light and fluffy.

Add the cooked/cooled milk-flour mixture to the butter-sugar-vanilla and beat on a higher speed (scraping down the sides of the bowl often) for 4-6 minutes, or until it's the consistency of whipped cream.

Assemble the cake by spooning frosting between each of the 3 layers - (make sure you leave a larger amount for the finish, for frosting the top and sides) --- then put the last (top) layer on the cake and frost the top and sides of cake. Chill for a couple hours before cutting.