• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease 3, 8-inch cake pans and line the bottom with parchment paper. This helps the cake to not stick and is worth the extra effort.
• In a medium bowl cream the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping the sides as needed.
• Add eggs and mix until well combined.
• In a small bowl mix the red food coloring with cocoa to make a paste, you can use a fork to combine it well.
• Add the food coloring mixture to the bowl with the whipped butter and beat to combine.
• Add the salt and 1 cup of flour and mix just until combined.
• Add ½ cup buttermilk and vanilla and mix until the mixture just comes together.
• Add 1 cup flour and mix just until combined.
• Add remaining buttermilk and mix until a smooth batter forms.
• Add remaining flour and mix to combine.
• Add vinegar to the baking soda and immediately add to mixture. Mix thoroughly.
• Divide between the cake pans, smooth out the tops with a spatula, and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cakes spring back lightly when touched.
• Let the cakes cool in the pans for 5 minutes and then run a knife around the ends of the pan and flip the cakes out onto cooling racks. Let the cakes cool before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• Using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer, cream together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Slowly add powdered sugar and mix until completely combined
• Add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly.
• Add more heavy cream if it seems too thick, it should be stable but spreadable.
• Frost cake with and generous portion of frosting between each layer
• The red cake crumbs can come through the frosting easily so a crumb coat makes frosting much easier. Do this by lightly frosting the outside of the cake, letting the crumbs come through, and then chill for 10-15 minutes. Frost as you normally would after the cake as chilled and decorate with toasted pecans around the bottom of the cake if you desire.