Simple Fare, Fairly Simple

This cake is the ultimate in yumminess! I can't remember where I found this recipe but everytime I make it, I think chocolate can't get any better!! Give it a try and see if you don't agree!

Praline Chocolate Turtle Cake

½ cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup chopped pecans

2 cups all purpose flour

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa (sifted)

2 cups sugar

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 cup sour cream

½ cup canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 cup hot water

1 jar hot fudge topping (I prefer Mrs. Richardson’s if I can find it)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cut two 10” circles of parchment paper and lay in the bottom and up sides of two 9” greased cake pans.

To make the cake: Heat the butter, brown sugar and sweetened condensed milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the butter melts and the sugar is dissolved. Do not boil. Divide the sugar mixture between the two prepared pans. Sprinkle ¾ cup pecans over the sugar mixture and set aside to cool. Combine the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs, sour cream, oil, vanilla, and vinegar and combine. Add the hot water slowly and combine until batter is smooth. Pour the batter into the cake pans – over sugar mixture – and bake until a wooden pick comes out clean – 35-40 minutes. Cool cakes in the pans for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pans and turn cakes out onto cooling racks. Remove parchment paper and cool completely.

To assemble the cake: Soften fudge topping in microwave until warm but not runny. Spread half of the topping over the sugar mixture side of one layer, letting it run down the sides. Place the second layer over the first – sugar mixture UP – and drizzle with remaining fudge topping, letting it run down the sides of the cake. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup pecans. Place in refrigerator to allow fudge topping to set up. This cake is best if it sits in the fridge overnight. Decadent!!