Kathryn's Mudcreek Turtle Cake

Phil's winning cake, from last summer's EQ dessert cook off.

CAKE INGREDIENTS
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
1/2 cup Crisco
2 1/2 Tablespoons Cocoa (I think I just put in 3 T)
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS
Mix sugar and flour in large bowl by hand.  In saucepan (I do this in the microwave, but I'm sending you the recipe as I got it!) mix butter, water, Crisco and cocoa.  Bring to a boil. Pour over dry ingredients.  Mix remaining ingredients together then add to batter.  Blend thouroughly and pour 1/2 of batter into greased 9x13 pan.  Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. (This is the important step.  If the cake is too done, you've got crust instead of cake; but if its not done enough, the carmel will just blend in instead of making a layer like you want.  So be sure the bottom layer looks done).

TOPPING INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup evaporated milk
14 oz bag caramels
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
While cake bakes, melt caramels with milk and butter (The microwave is also the only way to do this).  Blend mixture well and pour over cake.  Sprinkle caramel layer with the chocolate chips and 3/4 cup pecans.  Cover with remaining cake batter and top with the remaining 1/4 cup nuts.  Continue baking for 20-25 minutes or until cake tests done.

It's great just as it is.  But you could garnish with a little dollop of whip cream and a chocolate curl if you want to look fancy.  Of course, then you have to figure out how to curl chocolate (shave a block of baking chocolate with a peeler, maybe)

-Kathryn Blackburn