Red Velvet Cake

Makes one 9-inch cake

2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 teaspoons to 1 bottle red food coloring (1 ounce)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 cup milk (fat content not important)

Cream cheese frosting, below

Prepare 3 9-inch pans by greasing lightly then flouring lightly or greasing them then lining the bottoms with waxed paper. (No need to grease the paper)

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa. Set aside.

In another mixing bowl, with a hand-held mixer on low speed, or with a wooden spoon, beat the sugar and oil together until well blended.

Add eggs, one at a time, blending well between additions.

Blend in food coloring, vanilla, and vinegar. Scrape bowl down with a rubber spatula.

Alternately blend in flour and milk , using about a third of each at a time and scraping sides of bowl a couple of times. Make sure not to overbeat or use the electric mixer on high -- this will toughen the cake.

Immediately pour into prepared pans and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

On a wire rack, cool cakes in pans for 5 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and cool completely on rack.

Fill and frost as desired.

Cream Cheese Frosting

3 8-ounce package cream cheese
20 ounces  confectioners' sugar ( or more to taste)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Milk, as needed to thin to so it is able to be frosted easily.

In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until softened and smooth.

Add butter and continue to beat until softened, smooth and well incorporated with the cream cheese.

Beat in the sugar a little at a time, then the vanilla.

If frosting is too thick to spread easily, beat in cold milk a tablespoon or so at a time until of spreading consistency.