Red Velvet Cake

My mom had been hinting that she was craving red velvet cake for the past few weeks so what better type of cake to make for her birthday then the one that she has been craving. The problem with this was the fact that she has the recipe and I didn't want her to know that I was going to make her the cake... I then searched the wonderful internet and found Paula Deen's recipe for red velvet cake - who better to teach me how to make a red velvet cake?? Since I am not a big fan of red velvet, it always seems really dry to me, I figured if anyone would have a recipe that was moist, it would be Miss Paula... She didn't let me (or my mom) down! :)

Red Velvet Cake
(recipe found at www.foodnetwork.com)

Cake:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cocoa
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups canola oil
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 (1 ounce) bottle red food coloring
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup buttermilk

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
1 (8 ounces) cream cheese
1 box confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped lightly toasted pecans, optional

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour 3 (9 inch) round layer cake pans. Sift flour, baking soda and cocoa together. Beat sugar and eggs together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl mix together oil, vinegar, food coloring and vanilla. Add to the bowl of eggs and sugar and beat until combined. Add flour mixture and the buttermilk to the wet mixture by alternating the buttermilk and dry ingredients. Always start with the flour and end with the flour. Pour batter into pans. Tap them on the table to level out the batter and release air bubbles. Bake for 25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted near the middle comes out clean but be careful not to over bake or you'll end up with a dry cake. Let layers cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before turning out of pan. Cool completely before frosting.

Let butter and cream cheese soften to room temperature. Cream well. Add sugar and beat until mixed but not so much that the frosting becomes "loose". Add vanilla and nuts. Spread between layers and on top and sides of cake.