Holy Moly: Holy Cow Cake

Happy Guy Fawkes Day! Each year, a friend of mine has people over for the traditional bonfire, beer, food, and a good old fashion effigy burning. Fireworks are involved. This year, we celebrated last night -- an evening early -- and he asked me to bring a dessert. People who know me know I'm an avid cook, but not much of a baker (or dessert maker for that matter.) So, I'll admit it -- I love The Cake Mix Doctor. My old hard cover version is batter stained and the jacket torn. Anne Byrn gives an unoriginal baker like me lots of easy cake ideas. It always looks like I worked much harder on it than I really did. I also like that the book carries a wide variety of plain and fancy cakes -- including the one I picked to take last night. Holy Moly. She calls it "Holy Cow Cake" but I called it pure, unadulterated evil in a pan -- or, as it was dubbed at our table last night: Damien Cake. How can it be bad when it's oh-so-good!

Cake:
1 pkg (18.25 oz) plain devil's food cake mix
1 1/3 cups water
1/2 cup vegatable oil
3 large eggs

Topping:
1 jar (8 oz) caramel topping
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
4 Butterfinger candy bars (2.1 oz each, crushed)
1 container (12 oz) frozen whipped topping
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese at room temp

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Set aside. In a bowl, mix cake mix, water, oil and eggs and mix. Pour well-blended batter into the pan, put the pan in the oven and bake 35-38 minutes (you know the drill, it's done when it pulls away from the side, springs back, toothpick comes out clean.) When done, put the pan on a wire rack and immediately poke holes in the cake with a straw or chopstick or handle of a wooden spoon.

Put the caramel and sweetened condensed milk in a small bowl and stir to combine. Spoon that mixture over the warm cake so it can seep down into the holes. Measure out half the crushed up candy bars and sprinkle the pieces over the cake.

Put the whipped topping and cream cheese in a bowl and mix with an electric mixer until smooth and combined. Spread the cream cheese icing over the top of the cake. Then sprinkle the remaining candy pieces over the top. Refrigerate for 20 minutes (or longer) before cutting.