Red Velvet Cake

Ten years ago I would say cooking was not my cup of tea. Ten years later half of my web bookmarks are recipes.

Ingredients:

12 tablespoons butter, 1 1/2 sticks
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons red gel food coloring plus 2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 cup buttermilk - HELP! What is this thing?
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda

Cooked Frosting
1 cup milk
1/3 all-purpose flour
1 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
milk or cream

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°. Generously grease and flour 3 8-inch round layer cake pans or 2 9-inch cake pans.

Cake: Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat 1 minute longer. Beat in vanilla until blended. Combine cocoa, food coloring, and 2 tablespoons water; beat into the egg creamed mixture. Combine flour and salt. Alternate adding flour and buttermilk mixtures to the batter, beating on low to medium speed. Combine soda and vinegar in cup and add to cake batter. Spoon batter evenly into the 3 cake pans; bake at 350° for 22 to 28 minutes. Cool on cake racks. Remove from pans and frost tops and sides.

Frosting: In a saucepan, whisk together the 1/3 cup flour and milk and cook, stirring, until thickened; cool in the refrigerator. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla with mixer. Add flour and milk mixture a little at a time (make ahead of cake so that it has plenty of time to cool). Beat well, adding milk or cream as needed. Frost layers, sides, and top of cake.

from About.com