Red Velvet Cake

Grandma Cutchen's Recipe

2 1/4 c sugar
3 c flour
2 1/2 c buttermilk
1 T vinegar
3 T cocoa
1 t salt
1 1/2 t baking soda
2 t vanilla
2 oz. red food coloring
1 c margarine
1/2 c cooking oil
4 - 5 eggs

Frosting:
2 lbs powdered sugar
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 c chopped pecans
1/2 c margarine
Small amount of milk if needed for the desired consistency

Cream butter with oil and sugar in large bowl.
Mix soda, salt and flour in small bowl. Add to creamed mixture.
Alternate adding cocoa and eggs, mixing between each addition. Add vanilla.
Mix a small amount of the milk with the vinegar and add also to the mixture. (Adding the vinegar this way keeps the vinegar from "cooking" the eggs.) Add food coloring.
Cook in 4 9" round cake pans. (I cooked ours in 3 but oh well!) at 300-325 degrees for 25 - 40 minutes. The cake is ready when it barely begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Cream frosting ingredients together until smooth and spread over cake after cooled.