1 c. butter
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. buttermilk
1 (1 oz.) bottle red food coloring
2 tbsp. cocoa
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 c. cake flour
1 tbsp. vinegar
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 can angel flake coconut
1 1/2 c. chopped pecans

Cream sugar and butter until fluffy. Add eggs and beat 1 minute. Add vanilla and flour alternately to buttermilk. Make a paste of coloring and cocoa. Add to mixture and blend. Add salt. Add vinegar and soda last to mix, beating about 1 minute. Makes two 9 inch layers.

First, pour about 1/2 of layer into pan, sift half of chopped nuts over layer, shaking layer for nuts to sink into batter. Finish filling pan as you would for any layer cake, then sprinkle coconut over top of this, shaking pan so coconut will sink down into layer. Bake layers at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Let sit in pans for about 5 minutes, then turn out on racks to cool.

FROSTING:

1 c. sugar
1 tbsp. vanilla
3 tbsp. flour
1 c. butter
1 c. sweet milk

Cook flour and milk in double boiler until very thick, stirring constantly. Cool. Cream sugar, butter and vanilla until fluffy. Blend cooled cooked mixture with creamed mixture. Don't beat. Put in mix at low speed, until well blended. Spread on layers.