Milky Way Cake!

There is only one thing I can say about this cake...have mercy!  Also, forgive me if you are watching your calories!  This is one of the most decadent and wonderfully rich chocolate cakes I have ever made, but it's something you have to try, at least once.  I actually cut some of the sugar back in the original recipe.

The frosting really is a lot like the nougat filling in a Milky Way Bar and it's a great chocolate frosting to use for other cakes and even cupcakes.   Here is what you need for this cake and don't blame me, it's an old recipe I got years ago from someone else: 

7 Milky Way Candy Bars (regular size, 1.84 oz.)

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1  1/4 cup buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla

2  1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans)

Frosting

2 cups sugar

1 cup evaporated milk

1 stick butter

1  (6 oz.( pkg. chocolate chips

1 (7 oz.) jar marshmallow cream

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Cream 1 stick of butter and the sugar and set aside.   

Melt 1 stick butter with the 7 Milky Way Candy Bars either in the microwave or in a double boiler.  I just microwaved them for a total of 2 minutes, stirring at 1 minute intervals. 

Stir the candy bars and the butter together until smooth.

Add the eggs one at a time to the sugar and butter mixture.  Add baking soda, salt, buttermilk and vanilla,  then add candy bar mixture.  Add flour a little at a time.  Beat just until all is incorporated.  Fold in nuts.

Pour into a well greased 9"x13" pan. Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 55 to 60 minutes or until pick inserted in center comes out clean. 

You can also bake this in 3 nine inch cake pans and stack the cake.  Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.  This cake is harder to frost as a stack cake though, because of the consistency of the frosting.

Remove from oven and allow to cool.  While the cake is cooling, prepare the frosting.

In a heavy saucepan cook the sugar and evaporated milk until soft ball stage.  This requires boiling it for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly so it doesn't stick or burn.  On a candy thermometer, soft ball stage is 235 to 245 degrees or you can drop a little in cold water and it will form a soft ball.

Once it reaches that stage, turn off the heat and add 1 stick butter, chocolate chips, and marshmallow cream.  Beat until smooth.   Remove from the heat and allow to cool before frosting cake.  While it's warm, it's too runny and will thicken and set as it cools, much like candy does. 

Spread the cool frosting over the cake.  It spreads really well once it cools.

  If you do a stacked cake, the frosting needs to be even cooler and more set so that it doesn't run off of the cake.