Waldorf Astoria Red Velvet Cake

Step 1: I fill the kitchen sink with soapy water before I even start this cake. The red food coloring can make quite a mess. Beat shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat well. Mix red food coloring and cocoa to make a paste. Make sure any lumps are stirred out of cocoa. Add cocoa mixture to sugar and egg mixture. Mix on low speed of mixer so you don't end up with red batter splatter.

Step 2: Sift together flour and salt. Add to red mixture. Beating slowly. Add the following ingredients one at a time mixing well after each addition; buttermilk, vanilla, water and soda. Hand stir in vinegar. Do not beat, just stir in the vinegar.

Step 3: You can bake this in either 8" or 9" pans depending on how high you would like the cake. I use 9" pans. Grease and flour pans. Divide batter evenly among pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes and start testing cake. Toothpick should come out clean when inserted into center. Let cake fully cool before frosting. Overnight in the refrigerator is preferable.

Step 4: To make icing. Mix flour and milk in small saucepan. Cook over low heat until thickened. Stir constantly. This mixture will get extremely thick as it cooks. That is what you're looking for. Place in small bowl, cover with waxed paper or plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.

Step 5: Cream COLD butter, sugar and vanilla until fluffy. The sugar will still be grainy at this point. Add COLD milk flour mixture. Beat at high speed until mixture starts to look like whipping cream. Sugar will loose it's grainy texture. This may take 10 minutes depending on your mixer. If all ingredients are not COLD the icing will separate. At that point it is ruined. There is nothing you can do to salvage it. Frost top and sides of cold cake. Store cake in refrigerator until about an hour before serving. The butter frosting will melt if it is kept at room temperature for long periods.

Step 6: This is an extremely rich cake. Serve small slices and offer seconds. Making this cake in warm weather is not a good idea unless you use a different icing.