How To: Make red velvet cake

Bake a red velvet cake whenever you want to serve a dessert that's as beautiful as it is delicious.

You Will Need:

* 2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour, sifted
* 1 tsp. salt
* 2 tbsp. cocoa powder
* 2 1-ounce bottles of red food coloring
* 2 sticks of softened unsalted butter, divided
* 1 1/2 c. sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 1 c. buttermilk
* 3 tsp. vanilla extract, divided
* 1 tsp. baking soda
* 1 tsp. white vinegar
* 2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, softened
* 2 c. powdered sugar
* 3 9-inch round cake pans
* Bowls
* A whisk
* A wooden spoon
* Cooling rack
* Cake plate
* A spatula
* 15-ounce can of beets (optional)
* Electric mixer (optional)
* Pecan halves (optional)

Fact:
Tradition has it that a chef at New York City's Waldorf-Astoria hotel invented red velvet cake in the 1950s. But it is also rumored to be a southern, Civil War-era invention.