Red Astoria Cake

½ cup shortening

1½ cups sugar

2 eggs

2 oz. red food coloring

2 T. cocoa

1 tsp. vanilla

1 T. vinegar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 scant tsp. salt

1 cup buttermilk

2¼ cup flour

Icing:

1 cup milk

3 T. flour

Pinch salt

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:  Cream shortening, sugar, and eggs.  Make a paste of coloring and cocoa 

and add to the creamed mixture.  Sift flour and salt together.  Alternate adding the 

flour mixture and the buttermilk to the creamed mixture.  By hand, stir in vinegar 

and soda, but don’t beat.  

Pour batter into two 8” greased and floured cake pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 

minutes.  Cool thoroughly before icing.

For icing:  Add milk and salt to flour.  Cook; stirring constantly for 5 to 7 minutes or 

until thick.  Cool thoroughly.  While cooling, cream butter and sugar for 7 minutes.  

Add cooled flour-milk paste a little at a time, beating until fluffy, 5 minutes.  Stir in 

vanilla.  

Comment:  Fun for holidays.  Can add even more food coloring to be more red.  For 

a Buckeye game, tint icing gray!

Can also substitute a cream cheese frosting.