3/4 cup vegetable shortening
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa
2 bottles (1 ounce each) red food coloring
3-1/2 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups buttermilk
1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoon vinegar
1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Cream shortening, eggs and sugar. Make a paste of the cocoa and part of the food coloring. Add this and the rest of the food coloring to the creamed mixture. Sift flour and salt and add alternately to the mixture with buttermilk. Add vinegar, soda and vanilla to the batter, mixing well.

Bake in 3 - 8 inch greased cake pans. Cool and frost between layers and on top and sides with frosting.

Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.

Frosting:

1 cup crisco butter shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon vanilla

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Cook milk and flour until thick, beating with a wire whisk. Cool milk mixture. Add vanilla to creamed mixture, then gradually add cooled milk mixture, beating constantly. Frost cake and keep refrigerated.