I'M BACK WITH RED VELVET CAKE.......THE REAL RECIPE!

Most of you know that I have been gone for a couple of months.  I lost my son, Jode, to cancer on Oct 25th.  This has been such a difficult time for me but so many of you have asked for Cooking For Bob to continue so here we go again.  Cooking has always been my therapy. When I have had problems and things are not going right in my life.......I have always grabbed a recipe book.  It seems the harder the recipe, the stranger the ingredients and the more steps that are required, the more I like it.  Bob would say to me, "Lets go out to eat.  I don't want you to cook today."  He didn't understand that cooking was my release and my therapy. I have stood over many a recipe book with tears streaming down my face but it works.  So, I am beginning with one of Jodes favorite cakes, red velvet.  I even made this for his wedding a long time ago.

Now, I know that most of you have eaten and/or made red velvet cake.  Most all recipes call for a cream cheese frosting BUT.........I have the original recipe dated 1967.........its the frosting that makes it and its NOT cream cheese. The cake first:
Cream tog 1 stick of softened butter with 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1 tsp vanilla.  Beat til light and thickened slightly.  Add 2 eggs, one at a time. In a tiny bowl put 2 oz red food coloring and 2 Tblsp of cocoa. (I now only use one bottle of red food coloring with a tiny water) This makes a paste, now add this to the egg mixture.  Sift 2 1/2 cups flour with 1 tsp salt. Add the flour mixture alternately with 1 cup buttermilk to the egg mixture. In another tiny bowl mix 1 tsp vinegar with 1 tsp soda and add to the mixture.  Pour into two greased and floured 9" cake pans.  Bake for 30 min. at 350 degrees. (Remember that if you don't have buttermilk on hand......just add a tsp vinegar to a cup of milk).
NOW, here is the original frosting.........if you have not tried this........please do!  Its so much better.
Cook tog until thick 5 Tblsp of flour with 1 cup milk.  Let this cool......must be really thick....don't let it burn.  Cream 1 cup sugar with 1cup softened real butter (2 sticks) Now mix in the cooled milk/flour mixture one tablespoon at a time.into the sugar and butter mixture......beating well......this is like a buttery whip cream. 
This is a special memory for me........if you make it.........think of Jode.  Thanks.