Red Velvet Cake

This delicious cake has the most amazing texture. It really is like velvet! Not readily available in Australia, so I made one myself. A lot of fluffing about ~ took almost an hour to get organised and into the oven ... but oh so worth it!!! The recipe is below ...

RED VELVET CAKE RECIPE

1/2 cup vegetable shortening (softened to room temp)
1.5 cups caster sugar
2 eggs
1 teasp vanilla extract
2.5 cups plain flour
1 tsp salt
2 tablesp cocoa
1 cup buttermilk
1 teasp baking soda, sprinkled over 1 tablesp white vinegar
1/4 cup red food colouring

Cream butter & sugar together
Add eggs (one at a time, beat well) & vanilla
Sift flour, salt & cocoa together
Add alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition.
Stir in baking soda & vinegar...be careful! It foams! Blend in food colour.

Bake @ 350F in two greased & lightly floured sponge tins for 30 minutes.

CREAM CHEESE FILLING

2 X 250g blocks Philly cream cheese
icing sugar & vanilla ... to taste
allow cheese to reach room temp, add sugar & vanilla
beat 'til smooth with a little buttermilk to make it easy to spread
sandwich cakes together with thick layer of cream cheese mixture
spread cream cheese over tops & sides
allow to stand for a couple of hours so cake absorbs some of the cream cheese