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| Ingredients: |
125 ml (1/2 cup) shortening
375 ml (1 1/2 cups) white sugar
2 eggs
60 ml (2 oz) red food colouring
30 ml (2 tbsp) cocoa
5 ml (1 tsp) salt
625 ml (2 1/2 cups) cake flour
5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla
250 ml (1 cup) buttermilk
5 ml (1 tsp) baking soda
15 ml (1 tbsp) vinegar |
Frosting
75 ml (5 tbsp) flour
250 ml (1 cup) milk
250 ml (1 cup) butter
250 ml (1 cup) icing sugar
5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla
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| Cooking Instructions: |
 Cream shortening, add sugar gradually and beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
Make a paste of red food colouring, cocoa and salt. Add to shortening mixture.
Sift cake flour. Mix vanilla with buttermilk. Dissolve baking soda in vinegar and add to buttermilk.
Add flour alternately with buttermilk mixture to shortening mixture, starting and ending with flour.
Mix until smooth and pour into two or three 9-inch round pans, or one 9 x 13-inch pan, well greased. Bake in 350 F (180 C) oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until done.
Frosting: Make a paste with flour and little bit of milk. Add remainder of milk gradually, mixing until smooth. Cook on stove at medium heat until thick. Let cool. Cream butter with icing sugar and vanilla. Beat until fluffy. Add cooled flour mixture one spoon at a time to icing, beating well between additions.
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| Additional Comments: |
| Taste Tester Notes: This classic cake is visually appealing with vibrant colour set against white and rich butter frosting. The cake is not strongly flavoured, so the rich frosting complements it. Some versions use only 30 ml (2 tbsp) of red food colouring, which is all I used, and the colour is still bright. I found this made just enough frosting for a two-layer cake, so if you like thick frosting you may want to make more (1 1/2 to 2 times the recipe). You can also bake 2 layers and cut each in half horizontally before icing to create 4 layers. (Make a double batch of frosting in this case -- if there is any leftover frosting, you can always freeze it for another time.) I would not substitute for real butter in the frosting. Another option is cream cheese frosting. Always check before suggested baking time -- my two layers were ready after 30 minutes of baking. |
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