Red Velvet Cake
This cake comes out a beautiful dark red color, perfect for Christmas :)

2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 cups oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
2 oz red food coloring
1 Tblsp cocoa

Mix sugar and oil; add eggs, beat well, then add food coloring and beat well. In separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and cocoa. Be sure to sift at least twice. In another bowl, mix buttermilk with vinegar and vanilla. Add the buttermilk and flour mixture to the oil and sugar mixture alternately, stirring well each time. Begin with flour mixture and end with flour mixture. Grease and flour pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour.

I usually bake this in two round layer cake pans, then make a layer cake using the frosting recipe below:

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla
1 stick butter
1 cup finely chopped nuts (optional)
1 box powdered sugar

Mix together, spread on cake.

When making a layer cake, you may need to double the recipe to have enough to go between the layers as well as on the cake. I then use the excess frosting (split into two batches, one dyed green and the other dyed red) to decorate the cake.

Alternate frosting recipe:

Butter Icing for Red Velvet Cake

4 1/2 tbsp. plain flour
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup milk
1 tbsp. vanilla
1/2 lb. margarine or butter

Blend flour and milk. Cook over a low heat, *STIR CONSTANTLY TO PREVENT LUMPS*. Cook until thick, set aside and cool. Cream margarine with an electric mixer. Add in powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Add in cooled flour paste and vanilla and beat for four to five minutes more minutes. Spread on the cake after it is completely cooled.