Without Further Ado

I give you: the great Red Velvet Cupcake Adventure, begun with the aid of my Grammy's beloved, tried and true, pride-of-the-family Red Velvet cake recipe.

For the cake:

-- ½ cup crisco

-- 1½ cups sugar

-- 2 eggs

-- 1 cup buttermilk

-- 1 Tbsp. white vinegar

-- 1 tsp. vanilla

-- 2¼ cups flour

-- 2 tsp. cocoa

-- 1 tsp. baking soda

-- ¼ tsp. salt

-- ¼ cup red food coloring (2 1oz. bottles)

1. Cream crisco, sugar, and eggs.

2. Beat well and add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk.

3. Beat well then add vanilla, vinegar, and food coloring.

4. Beat well and pour into 2 greased and floured 9" round cake pans. {Or, as in my case, 12 greased extra-large cupcake or mini-cake papers.}

5. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes. Cool completely before icing.

For the icing:

1. Cook the following over a low heat burner until thick:

-- ½ cup milk and

-- 3 Tbsp. flour.

2. Let cool.

3. Whip the following until creamy (whip WELL):
-- 1 cup sugar

-- 1 stick margarine or butter

-- ½ cup crisco

-- 1½ tsp. white vinegar

4. Add the cooled cooked mixture to the whipped mixture and beat until very fluffy {i.e., for a very long time}.

5. Add 2½ tsp. vanilla and beat well again.

6. Ice the cooled cake and enjoy!

Red cake, as it's affectionately called in my family, is my very favorite Grammy dessert. It would even edge out her marvelous chocolate cream pie if I had to make a choice. It's what I've always requested ever since I was little for my birthday celebration, but usually, I only take home what's left after everyone else gets a piece too -- a quarter of a cake or so. But this time, Nate and I had 12 whole mini-cakes, essentially an entire red velvet cake, to ourselves. And one week later, I have 3 extra pounds to show for it. But boy was it worth it. You can diet anytime, but red cake makes any day a very special day.