Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put vinegar and soda in a cup; set aside. Cream Crisco, sugar and eggs with a mixer. Make a paste of food coloring and cocoa and add it to the creamed mixture. Put salt and flour in sifter. Add flour to mixture a little at a time. As you add the flour, add buttermilk along with it. Add vanilla; beat well. Lastly fold in soda and vinegar. Beat 2 minutes. Measure out the batter into 3 bowls, so you can get the same amount in each layer. Use 8x8x2 inch square pans, 3 layers. Grease and flour each pan before you fill it with batter. Cook 1 layer at a time. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until toothpick come out clean. After the layers are cooled, trim edges. Don't frost sides. Be sure you don't mash the layers as you frost and stack them. The white frosting is thick between the layers.

Frosting for Red Velvet Cake: Have butter at room temperature. Cook flour and milk until thick, the consistency of oatmeal. Let the cool. After this mixture cools, strain it and set aside. Put butter and vanilla in a bowl; beat. Add sugar a little at a time;beating with an electric mixer a long time after each addition of sugar. Fold in the flour mixture. Don't beat. Frost the tops only of the 3 layers.