Chocolate Praline Layer Cake

Back in October or November I did these little cup cakes to give away to some friends and neighbors, which were actually adapted from this recipe from my Aunt Janis I found in a family cookbook. I mentioned that one day I would post the recipe as a layer cake, and so here it is.

I signed up to take a dessert to our church's enrichment night the other night, and I poured over cookbooks thinking about trying something new. I actually really wanted to do something from my new Paris Sweets cookbook but I didn't want to gamble taking something completely new that I have never made before to an event where people have actually told me they watch me to see what I bring. I can't just anonymously take a dish and see how it goes. Test it out on the unsuspecting folk. And if I knew it was going to be a total flop before I even get there, I wouldn't have time to make something else. So I settled with a tried and true favorite.

I have to admit the cake made quite a stir when I walked into the room. It was rather embarrassing. And not because my chocolate curls look all tight and wonky. (I know there's a trick to making beautiful curls, but I didn't have time to figure it out.) And I got all sorts of comments like "I know what I'm having first!" and "Wow! that must have been really hard to make!" But it totally isn't. It's pretty easy really.

Chocolate Praline Layer Cake

For Cake:
1 box Devil's Food cake mix
Follow directions on box, then add-
1 pkg instant pudding
1 cup chocolate chips

For Praline Sauce:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup chopped pecans

For Topping:
1 3/4 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla
any other garnishes you prefer- chocolate curls, whole pecans, etc.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan combine butter, 1/4 cup whipping cream, and brown sugar. Cook over low heat until butter melts. Divide between two 9" round cake pans. Sprinkle with chopped pecans. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine cake mix, water, oil, eggs and chocolate pudding mix. Beat on low speed with an electric mixer for one minute. Add chocolate chips and stir by hand to combine. Divide batter evenly between cake pans. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Remove immediately from pans. Cool completely.

For topping, beat 1 3/4 cups whipping cream and blend in powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until stiff peaks form. Place one layer of cake praline side up on cake plate, spread top only with half of whipped cream. Top with second layer and spread remaining whipped cream on top. If desired, garnish top of cake with whole pecans and chocolate curls.

Notes- here's a couple good chocolate curling tutorials I found AFTER I attempted those ridiculous curls on the top of the cake-

http://joepastry.web.aplus.net/index.php?cat=35

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/how-tomake-chocolate-curls/