Preheat oven to 350° Use 2 TB butter to grease two 9” cake pans. Use 1 TB cocoa to dust cake pans. Set pans in the refrigerator. Using a mixer or whisk combine butter and sugar. Incorporate eggs and vanilla. Stop mixing batter and stir in remaining cocoa and food coloring. Slowly stir in flour and resume mixing. Slowly add remaining ingredients. Continue mixing until batter is smooth. Remove pans from refrigerator. Divide batter between the 2 pans. Bake in center of oven for 30 minutes. Insert toothpick into the center of the cake to test for doneness. If the toothpick comes out clean remove cake from oven. If cake sticks to toothpick return to oven and bake for another 5 minutes before testing. Cool cakes for 15 minutes before flipping. Cool for another 45 minutes before frosting.
To frost the cake. Remove cake 1 at a time from the pan. Place flat side up on a platter. Spread 1 C. frosting onto of the cake. Add second cake flat side down on top. Finish frosting and decorating.