American Beauty

----------------------------------COLORING---------------------------------- 2 oz Food coloring, red

3 tb Cocoa, instant; Nestle`s

-----------------------------------BATTER----------------------------------- 1/2 c Shortening; Crisco

1 1/2 c Sugar, granulated

2 Eggs

1 c Buttermilk

2 1/4 c Flour, cake; sifted 3 times

1 ts Salt

1 ts Vanilla

1 tb Vinegar, white

1 ts Baking soda

-----------------------------------ICING----------------------------------- 1/4 lb Butter, unsalted

7 tb Shortening; Crisco

1 c Sugar, granulated

1/2 ts Vanilla

3 tb Flour, cake

2/3 c Buttermilk; room temperature

Mix together the red food coloring and instant cocoa; set aside. Cream together the 1/2 cup of shortening, 1-1/2 cup sugar and eggs. Add colored paste and mix well. Add 1 cup buttermilk, 2-1/4 cup cake flour and salt. Mix well, add 1 teaspoon vanilla, vinegar and baking soda. Mix well again. Bake in 350F oven 30-35 minutes. For the icing, cream together butter, remaining shortening and vanilla. Mix very well with electric beater; add remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time while mixing. Add remaining buttermilk and mix well. Notes: This recipe was handed down from my mother-in-law and I have never seen the equal of it! For Christmas, add green food coloring to the icing for a real Christmas effect. The hand written recipe did not indicate pan size, type or quantity ... but works well as a layer cake or in a springform cake pan. If you make this cake, let me know how you like it. Rick Weissgerber - an original upload to GEnie F&WRT. -----