Savannah s Perfectly Ravishing Red Velvet Cake

2 (1 ounce) bottles red food coloring

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

½ cup butter

1 ½ cups white sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

2 ½ cups flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

1 tablespoon white vinegar

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

½ cup butter, softened

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 ½ pounds confectioners sugar, or to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 2 9-inch cake pans.

Pour red food coloring into a small bowl, and mix with cocoa powder to make a paste. In a large bowl, beat 1/2 cup of butter, sugar, and eggs with an electric mixer until smooth and thoroughly combined; mix in the red color mixture, salt and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Gradually mix in the buttermilk, alternating with flour, until the batter is smooth. Mix the baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl, and stir into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans.

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven, and cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing cakes to finish cooling on racks.

In a bowl, mash cream cheese with 1/2 cup softened butter and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract until smooth and creamy; stir in the confectioners sugar, about half a cup at a time, until the frosting is thick and spreadable. Frost fully-cooled layers.