Instructions

1. Let eggs and butter stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

2. Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease or butter and flour the inside of all three 8x1½ baking pans and set aside.

3. Combine ¾ tsp. of salt, 3 cups of all-purpose flour and 2 tsp. of unsweetened cocoa powder in a medium bowl and set aside.

4. Beat ¾ cup of butter on medium in a large bowl for 30 seconds. Add 1½ tsp. of vanilla and 2¼ cups of Splenda and beat until blended. Add and beat one egg at a time until all 3 eggs are blended. Add 1 1-oz. bottle of red food coloring into the mixture and blend on low.

5. Add flour mixture and 1½ cups of buttermilk to the egg mixture and beat on low until combined. Stir 1½ tsp. of baking soda and 1½ tsp. vinegar in a small bowl. Add baking soda mixture to batter and beat until blended.

6. Pour batter evenly into three 8 ½-inch round baking pans. Spread the batter evenly in each baking pan so that the entire bottom inside is covered. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

7. Insert a toothpick through the center of each cake layer and remove it. If the toothpick looks clean and without remnants of uncooked batter, then remove the baking pans from the oven using protective oven mitts. If the toothpick is batter-covered after removal, continue to bake the batter until it is fully cooked.

8. Set each cake layer aside until cool. Remove the first cake layer from the baking pan and set it on your cake plate. Ice the top and sides of the first cake layer and proceed to stack and ice the bottoms, sides and tops of the second and third layers. Add extra icing and decorations as you please.

9. Cover the cake with the cake cover and store until ready to serve.