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.