1/2 cup butter

l l/2 cups sugar

2 eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons cocoa

2 ounces red food coloring

l teaspoon salt

2 l/2 cups flour

l teaspoon vanilla

l teaspoon baking soda

l tablespoon vinegar

l cup buttermilk

Cream butter, sugar, and eggs together. Beat well. Add cocoa, food colouring, salt, flour, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Put baking soda and vinegar into buttermilk. Stir and add to above. Beat until smooth. Bake 35 to 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven in two round 9 inch pans (greased). Remove from oven and cool on wire racks.

Icing:

5 tablespoons flour

l cup milk

l cup butter

l cup confectioners sugar

l teaspoon vanilla

Cook flour and milk together, stirring until thickened. Cool. Beat together the butter, confectioners sugar and vanilla until light and creamy. Add cooled flour and milk mixture, one tablespoon at a time, beating well.

Cut each cake layer in half. Place one layer on a cake round and frost. Continue with next layers, stacking and frosting. Frost top and sides of cake.