Classic Red Velvet Cake

This ruby-red cake with it's lovely cream cheese frosting has become my "signature dessert." I can't go to any family function without it. The cake is very moist with a buttery chocolate taste.

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I made this cake and it did not have much of a taste. It was also real dry. I noticed the batter was real thick.. I used self rising and omitted the salt and soda. I wonder if it would of not been so dry if I had used cooking oil instead of shortening.

This cake turned out great for me. I didn't use cake flour. I did some research and found that the equivalent of 1 cup cake flour is 1 cup all purpose flour, minus 2 tablespoons. So all together I took away 5 tablespoons from the 2 1/2 cups of flour in the recipe and the cake turned out wonderfully!

My red velvet cake calls for using only 1 tsp. of cocoa, made into a paste with the red food coloring. After everything else is mixed, add the vinegar to the baking soda, which will "fizz" then mix in. This comes out much lighter and moist. I also have a Red Velvet Icing that is lighter that my family prefers to the heavier tasting cream cheese. Make a white sauce, boiling 5 tsp. flour with 1 cup of milk & cool. Blend 1/2 cup Crisco, 1/2 cup margarine & gradually blend in 1 cup sugar and pinch of salt. Beat 10 minutes--no less. Add white sauce & 1 tsp vanilla. Fluffy & delicious! Requested for every family dinner.

I use one bottle of red food coloring and then fill the bottle with water and mix this with the cocoa. The paste is then added to the creamed mixter. The cake has the rich red color, but is so moist.

Also instead of mixing the vinegar and soda, I fold it into the batter.

Not very tasty and very dry