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Red Velvet Cake (Waldorf Astoria)

Source of Recipe

My mom from an ollllllldddddddd recipe


Recipe Introduction

My mom has been making this cake (also known as Red Velvet Cake) since the 60's. It's my sister's ONLY birthday cake, there IS NO SUBSTITUTE! The icing recipe is absolutely critical for this recipe. It's become trendy to use a cream cheese icing - BAH! Heresy! THIS is the quintessential Waldorf Astoria/Red Velvet cake icing recipe.

List of Ingredients

1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 oz red food coloring (orig recipe calls for 2 oz)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
2 cups flour
1 Tblsp cocoa
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda
1 TBSP vinegar

FROSTING:
1 cup milk
1/4 cup Wondra flour
1 cup sugar
1 cup Crisco (shortening)
1 teaspoon vanilla


Recipe

Cream shortening and sugar. Add food coloring, eggs, and vanilla. Sift flour, cocoa and salt together. Add to creamed sugar mixture with buttermilk and mix together. Mix vinegar and soda, fold into batter. Pour into 2 9" greased and floured pans; bake at 350F for 30 mins. Cool and frost.

Frosting:
Mix flour and milk. Cook and stir until thick; let cool. (VERY important to let it cool COMPLETELY.) Beat sugar and Crisco at high speed until fluffy; add to cooled mixture. Beat again until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and incorporate thoroughly.