Ingredients

serves 16

　　

Cake

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature

　　1/2 cup vegetable shortening

　　3 cups granulated sugar

　　7 eggs

　　One 1-ounce bottle red food coloring

　　2 teaspoons vanilla extract

　　3 cups cake flour

　　1/4 teaspoon salt

　　1 cup milk

　　

Frosting

Two 3-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature

　　1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature

　　1 teaspoon vanilla extract

　　One 1-pound package confectioners’ sugar, sifted

　　1-2 tablespoons milk, if needed

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan. For the cake, in a mixing bowl, combine the butter, shortening, and sugar, and cream until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the food coloring and vanilla. Stir together the flour and salt; add this to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk, beating well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a rack to cool completely.

　　

Step 2

While the cake cools, make the frosting: Combine the cream cheese and butter and blend until smooth. Stir in the vanilla, mixing well. Gradually add the sugar, beating until creamy. If necessary, add a little milk to achieve a spreading consistency.

　　

Step 3

Frost the cake.

　　The Lady & Sons, Too! by Paula Deen. © 2001 by Paula H. Deen. Published by Random House. All Rights Reserved.Paula H. Deen was born and raised in Albany, Georgia. She later moved to Savannah, where she and her two sons, Bobby and Jamie, started the Bag Lady catering company. The business took off and evolved into The Lady & Sons Restaurant, which is located in Savannah’s historic district and specializes in Southern cooking. Paula is the host of Food Network’s Paula’s Home Cooking and is a regular guest on QVC, where her cookbooks are one of the newtowrk’s biggest sellers.