Ingredients

Vegetable oil for the pans
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tablespoons red food coloring (1 ounce)
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows
Crushed pecans, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
F. Lightly oil and flour 3 (9 by 1 1/2-inch round) cake pans.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In
another large bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and
vanilla.

Using a standing mixer, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just
combined and a smooth batter is formed.

Divide the cake batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. Place the pans in the oven
evenly spaced apart. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through the cooking, until the cake
pulls away from the side of the pans, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes
comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Remove the cakes from the oven and run a knife around the edges to loosen them from the
sides of the pans. One at a time, invert the cakes onto a plate and then re-invert them
onto a cooling rack, rounded-sides up. Let cool completely.

Frost the cake. Place 1 layer, rounded-side down, in the middle of a rotating cake stand.
Using a palette knife or offset spatula spread some of the cream cheese frosting over the
top of the cake. (Spread enough frosting to make a 1/4 to 1/2-inch layer.) Carefully set
another layer on top, rounded-side down, and repeat. Top with the remaining layer and
cover the entire cake with the remaining frosting. Sprinkle the top with the
pecans.

Ingredients

Cream Cheese
Frosting:

Directions

1 pound cream cheese, softened
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup), softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand-held electric mixer
in a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, and butter on low speed until incorporated.
Increase the speed to high, and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. (Occasionally
turn the mixer off, and scrape the down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.)

Reduce the speed of the mixer to low. Add the vanilla, raise the speed to high and mix
briefly until fluffy (scrape down the bowl occasionally). Store in the refrigerator until
somewhat stiff, before using. May be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Yield: enough to frost a 3 layer (9-inch) cake