Waldorf Astoria Red Velvet Cake & Icing ***Cake Ingredients 1/2 cup shortening 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 oz red food coloring 2 eggs 2 cups flour 2 Tbsp cocoa powder 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp vanilla extract (we used Mexican vanilla) 1 cup buttermilk 1 tsp vinegar 1 tsp baking soda ***Icing Ingredients 1 cup milk 1/2 cup flour 1 cup sugar 1/8 tsp salt 1 stick butter 2 tsp vanilla 1/2 cup shortening For cake layer: cream shortening and sugar, add coloring. Add eggs one at a time, and beat well after each. Sift salt, flour and cocoa together and add to sugar mixture. Add buttermilk and vanilla and beat well, Dissolve soda into vinegar, then fold into batter. Do not Beat! Divide batter evenly into 2 or 3 8” baking pans and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. For Icing: cook milk and flour over low heat until thick as pudding. Let cool. Beat sugar, oleo, shortening, salt and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add milk and flour mixture and beat again. This icing never gets hard. Leftovers should be refrigerated.