RED VELVET CAKE

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups cooking oil
2 eggs
1 bottle red food coloring
1 teaspoon cocoa
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soda
1 cup buttermilk

ICING:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese,
softened to room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened to room temperature
1 (1-pound) box powdered sugar
1 cup chopped nuts

Preparation

In a mixing bowl, cream together sugar, oil and eggs. In a separate bowl stir together food coloring, cocoa and vanilla. Add to sugar mixture and combine.
Sift together flour, salt and soda. Add sifted ingredients alternately with buttermilk to sugar mixture. Mix well. Pour batter in 5 round cake pans coated with non-stick baking spray and flour. Bake layers at 325 degrees just until cake loosens from the sides of pans. Do not overbake.
Icing: Mix all icing ingredients well. Spread between layers and over top and sides of cake.