Red Velvet Cake

• Vegetable Oil for the pans
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
  
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons red food coloring (1 ounce)
• 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil and flour 3 (9 by 1 1/2-inch round) cake pans.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In another large bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla.

Using a standing mixer, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and a smooth batter is formed.

Divide the cake batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. Place the pans in the oven evenly spaced apart. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through the cooking, until the cake pulls away from the side of the pans, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Remove the cakes from the oven and run a knife around the edges to loosen them from the sides of the pans. One at a time, invert the cakes onto a plate and then re-invert them onto a cooling rack, rounded-sides up. Let cool completely.

Icing:

5 Tbsp flour
1 cup milk
1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla

Cook flour & milk until thick, whisking constantly. Take off heat & lay plastic wrap over the surface to prevent a skin from forming; cool in refrigerator. Cream together sugar & butter/margarine. Add cooled flour mixture & vanilla & beat with electric mixer until fluffy (about 10 minutes).

Los Angelas Prize Winning German Chocolate Cake

This is my Grandmothers recipe. This frosting recipe won at the Los Angeles Fair. It is so good that you can use the box German Chocolate Cake Mix for the cake and then use the recipe for the frosting. I cannot wait until Beau's and my dad's birthday to eat this delicious cake.

1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter
4 egg yolk, slightly beaten
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
7 oz. flaked coconut
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Mix milk, sugar, butter, egg yolks, and vanilla in a large sauce pan. Cook and stir on medium heat for about 12 minutes or until thickened and golden brown. Remove from heat and stir in coconut and pecans. Cool to room temerature and of spreading consistency.

By the way...it is Beau's birthday. He gets two cakes because his mom is throwing him a large party. Stay tuned for the Key Lime Pie recipe...

Mom's Cinnamon Rolls and Powdered Sugar Frosting

These are seriously the best cinnamon rolls...they are delicious! My mom makes them for EVERY General Conference. Or when we have guests....they are AMAZING!! This recipe makes 36 cinnamon rolls.

4 cups lukewarm water
4 T yeast
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup sugar
4 tsp salt
8 eggs
3 T respondo (dough conditioner)
15 cups flour (give or take)

Mix 8 cups flour with all ingredients, then add remaining flour. Mix well then roll out on jelly roll pan, spread w/ cube of melted butter, layer generously with brown sugar, then dust with Cinnamon.
Bake at 350 degrees 15-20 minutes or until lightly brown

Powdered Sugar Frosting

1 1/2 bags powdered sugar. (1 bag = 1 pound)
2 tsp
cube of butter
milk until consistency you want

mix until desired consitency

*My mom doesn't have an exact recipe for the frosting. You just eyeball it.