Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Cake Ingredients:
1 cup shortening
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar
1 ounce red food coloring (2 ounces for deeper red)
1 1/2 teaspoons cocoa powder

Cream Cheese Icing Ingredients:
2 lbs of confectioners powder sugar
2 sticks (1 cup) of butter, softened
2 8 oz packages of cream cheese
2 tsp. of vanilla extract

Blend together shortening and sugar in a big mixing bowl. In another bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Mix the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, baking soda, and vinegar in another bowl. Alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to the shortening and sugar mixture, mixing after each addition. In a small bowl, mix the cocoa powder and food coloring. Pour into the mixing bowl and combine...don't overbeat. Pour the batter into two cake pans coated with baking spray and cook for 25 minutes or until done at 350 degrees. While cake is cooking, mix together the cream cheese icing. First, cream together cream cheese and softened butter with a mixer. Add vanilla extract. Slowly add powdered sugar, until mixed to desired consistency. When cake is out of oven, let cool completely and then ice.