For years Mom made me a red velvet cake each year for my birthday. She made it using the original recipe supposedly from the Waldorf Astoria Hotel that included a butter cream icing instead of the now-traditional cream cheese icing.

This is my attempt to duplicate her work using her recipe.

According to Mom, a lady had enjoyed a piece of the cake while visiting in New York City and she wrote to the hotel upon her arrival back home to ask for the recipe. They sent her a copy along with an enormous bill. She paid the bill and for spite she distributed the recipe far and wide. According to Snopes ( http://www.snopes.com/business/consumer/cookie.asp ) it never happened.

MOM'S RED VELVET CAKE

1/2 c Shortening
1 1/2 c Sugar
2 oz Red food coloring
2 tb (heaping) Cocoa
1 c Buttermilk
2 1/2 c Cake flour
1 t Vanilla
1 t Salt
1 t Baking soda
1 t Vinegar
2 Eggs

Cream shortening, sugar and eggs. Make a paste of food coloring and cocoa. Add to creamed mixture. Add buttermilk alternating with flour and salt. Add vanilla. Add soda to vinegar (foams!!!), Blend in. Pour into 3 or 4 greased and floured 8-inch cake pans. Bake at 350° F for 24-30 minutes. Split layers, fill and frost with the following frosting.

FROSTING: (Everybody uses cream cheese frostings but this is the original recipe.)

6 tb Flour
2 1/4 c Milk
2 1/4 c Sugar
1 1/2 t Vanilla
1 1/2 c Butter, Must be Butter (3 Sticks)

Whisk milk and flour to avoid lumps. Cook flour and milk until very thick, stirring constantly.

COOL!!

Cream sugar, butter and vanilla until very fluffy. Add cooked mixture slowly ( 1 Tbsp at a time). Beat at high speed until very fluffy. Looks and tastes like whipped cream.

Good Eats

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