- 2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening (such as Crisco®)
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 (1 ounce) bottle red food coloring
- 1 fluid ounce water
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups milk
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups butter, softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups white sugar
- 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.