Mom's Signature Red Velvet Cake Recipe

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 2 9-inch cake pans. In a bowl sift cake flour with baking soda.

Mash the vegetable shortening with 1 1/2 cup of sugar in a large bowl until thoroughly combined and stir in the eggs one at a time. Pour the red food coloring into a small bowl and fill the empty food coloring container with water; add the water to the food coloring. Stir in cocoa powder to make a paste and mix the paste into the shortening mixture.

Stir the buttermilk salt vanilla extract and apple cider vinegar in a bowl and mix into the colored shortening mixture alternating with the flour mixture until well combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pans.

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean 30 to 35 minutes. Allow the cakes to cool completely.

To make frosting whisk together the milk and all-purpose flour in a saucepan until the mixture is free of lumps and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cook whisking constantly until the mixture is thick about 1 minute. Pour the thickened sauce into a mixing bowl and chill until completely cooled at least 30 minutes. When cold place the butter into the mixture and beat with an electric mixer to combine; add the vanilla extract and 2 cups of sugar to the bowl and beat with the mixer set on Medium speed until the frosting is light and fluffy about 3 minutes.