3 oz. red food coloring
4 1/2 tbsp. sweet-milk instant cocoa
3/4 c. butter
2 1/4 c. sifted granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 c. buttermilk
3 1/4 c. plus 2 tbsp. sifted cake flour
1 tsp. (scant) salt
1 1/2 tbsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tbsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tbsp. vinegar

You will also need 4 lined, greased and floured 9-inch cake pans.

Mix red coloring and cocoa together with fork and set aside. Cream butter, sugar and eggs. Combine cocoa and creamed mixture. Beat. Add buttermilk alternately with flour, salt and soda, beating after each addition. Fold in vanilla and vinegar. Pour batter into pans.

Bake 35 minutes at 350°F or until cake springs back at touch of finger.

Icing:

1 box 4x powdered sugar
8 oz. cream cheese (room temperature)
1 stick butter (room temperature)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. chopped pecans

Cream butter and cream cheese. Add in sugar, vanilla and pecans. Mix thoroughly and ice all layers, sides and top.