This is similar to the original recipe that began the red velvet craze. It was developed by the Adams Extract company in Gonzales, Tex. The original recipe, popularized in the 1940s, called for butter flavoring and shortening and is usually iced with boiled milk, or ermine, frosting.

Featured in: Red Velvet Cake: A Classic, Not A Gimmick.

Learn: How to Frost a Cake