Red Velvet Cake

Modified from Paula Deen (cake and frosting)

Cake:

2 cups sugar

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature

2 eggs

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 ounces red food coloring [this is a LOT and I think I could do without such a red cake...it is two bottles as you can normally get them only as 1 oz bottles]

2 1/2 cups flour [she used cake flour, I just used all purpose flour as my grocery store doesn't sell cake flour]

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk [remember you can make these - 1 tbsp of lemon juice plus the rest of cup as regular milk]

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon vinegar

Frosting:

1 pound cream cheese, softened

2 sticks butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

Chopped pecans and fresh raspberries or strawberries, for garnish [I didn't use any of this]

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter, beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition. Mix cocoa and food coloring together and then add to sugar mixture; mix well. Sift together flour and salt. Add flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Blend in vanilla. In a small bowl, combine baking soda and vinegar and add to mixture. Pour batter into 3 (8-inch) round greased and floured pans [do make sure to grease/flour good or it won't come out..I also only had two matching so I had to improvise the third...not sure you really need three layers, but if you do only two, the cooking time will change]. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from heat and cool completely before frosting.

Once the cake is cooled, make the frosting. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.