1/4 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted
Preheat oven to 350. Coat bottoms of 2 (8-inch) cake pans with cooking spray (do not coat sides of pans);
line bottoms with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray; dust with 1 tablespoon flour.
Combine boiling water and cocoa, stirring well with a whisk. Cool completely.
Place granulated sugar, 6 tablespoons butter, and vanilla in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium
speed until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
Lightly spoon 1-2/3 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.
Combine 1-2/3 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, stirring well with a whisk.
Add flour mixture and cocoa mixture alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Pour batter into prepared pans, sharlply tap pans once on counter to remove aid bubbles. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean (Mine baked for exactly 30 minutes and came out perfectly!) Cool in pans 10 minutes on wire rack, and remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.
To prepare frosting, melt 2 tablespoons butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar and 2 tablespoons milk, and cook 1 minute or until sugar melts. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Combine buttter mixture and 2 teaspoons vanilla in a large bowl. Gradually add powdered sugar, beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, beating until spreading consistency.
Place 1 cake layer on a plate, and spread top with half of frosting. Place caramel dip in a small zip-top plastic bag. (i dip is too thick, place bag in microwave for 20 seconds.) Snip a small hole in 1 corner of bag and drizzle half of caramel dip over frosting. (This is where I just melted the caramels with some fat free half and half and then put the melted caramel in a wilton decorating bag to pipe over the cake). Top with other cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top of cake, and drizzle with remaining caramel dip. Sprinkle with pecans.
*PLEASE NOTE: I did not write these directions- this is taken from one of my FAVORITE ( Ok, MY FAVORITE ) cooking blog that I visit daily--
check out The Life & Loves Of Grumpy's Honeybunch at
http://shelbymaelawstories.blogspot.com/
