The one below has no cocoa & includes buttermilk.

Here is a link that might be useful: Red Velvet Cake

Sorry I didn't see you post earlier. Hope this helps you out. Sally

Red Velvet Cake
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons cocoa
4 tablespoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
2 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
Grease two 8 inch round pans
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream shortening and 1 1/2 cups sugar well. Add eggs and beat well.
Make a paste of cocoa and red food coloring. Add to creamed mixture.
Mix salt, 1-teaspoon vanilla and buttermilk together.
Add alternately the flour with the milk mixture to the creamed mixture.
Mix soda and vinegar; Fold into cake batter, don't beat or stir now.
Bake for 35-40 minutes.
Icing
5 tablespoons all purpose flour
1-cup milk
1 cup white sugar
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cook 5 tablespoons flour and milk over low heat until thick, stirring constantly. Let cool thoroughly! While cooling, cream 1 cup sugar, 1-cup butter and 1-teaspoon vanilla. Beat this well until light and fluffy. Add to flour mixture and beat until spreading consistency. Ice cooled cake.

Red Velvet cake is really good with a 7 minute frosting. That gooey vanilla frosting is great with the rich chocolate cake.

My mother used to use the recipe you are talking about. I have been trying to find it for years. The link from ginger_st_thomas seems to be one I would like to try, but my mom always used a 7 minute frosting instead of cream cheese. Does anyone have a link to a good one? She made it every year for my birthday and is gone now, so I would like to replicate it. Her copy of the recipe is lost.

I have a red cake recipe that I have been making for 35 plus years. It DOES have cocoa in it. I don't know of a red cake that doesn't contain a bit of cocoa in the recipe. I also use a cooked icing on my cake. If you would like the recipe, I will post it. :)