Vanilla Cake with Caramel Frosting and Chocolates

Today is Ground Hog's Day.  I learned more than I need to know about Ground Hog's Day last Saturday when I went with some friends to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

I am from a small town in the middle of nowhere, and I recognize and appreciate other remote towns.  We drove almost four hours to get there.  I heard the population is about 7,000.

There were statues and novelty shops all dedicated to Punxsutawney Phil.  We ate at a restaurant named Punxy Phil's Family Restaurant.

This little town came up with this little gimmick that is the lifeblood of its tourism industry.  It's pretty impressive.  It wasn't intentional, but they deserve kudos nonetheless.  

I have categorized this recipe as Valentine's Day related because there are chopped up Russell Stover chocolates inside and on top of the cake.  It's a stretch, but it works.

The vanilla cake and caramel frosting recipes both came from allrecipes.  I made everything as directed, except I added a layer of chopped chocolate candies in the middle of the cake.  It's a great cake recipe because not only is it tasty, but most people have all the ingredients in their pantry.  

The ingredients  for the vanilla cake are 1 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup butter, 2 eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 cup milk.

The ingredients for the caramel frosting are 2 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons milk, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 1 cup confectioners' sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.

I started with the cake.  I creamed the sugar and softened butter together.

I added the eggs one at a time.  I mixed throughly after each addition.

I stirred in the vanilla.

I added the flour and baking powder to the creamed mixture.  I stirred until there were no streaks of flour.

I added the milk and stirred until the batter was creamy.

I added half the batter to a greased 9 inch round cake pan.

I chopped up 10 to 12 assorted chocolates.

I sprinkled them evenly over of the batter.

I covered the chopped chocolates with the remaining cake batter.

I baked the cake for 35 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees.  I let the cake cool for 5 minutes before removing it from the cake pan.  While it cooled completely, I made the caramel frosting.

I added the butter, milk, and brown sugar to a saucepan.  

I heated the ingredients until they began to boil.  I stirred while the frosting boiled vigorously for 1 minute.

I removed the pan from the heat and added half a cup of powdered sugar.  I mixed until there were no lumps of powdered sugar.

I let the frosting cool a little before adding vanilla and the remaining half a cup of powdered sugar.

I spooned the frosting on of the cake and smoothed it with a knife.

I used eight to ten chopped chocolates to garnish the the cake.

 Even though it is decorated simply, I think that it's elegant.

The texture is light, moist, and tender.

The frosting is uncomplicated, yet it's rich and creamy.  It is tastes like caramel, even though it took less than ten minutes to make.

I like when things look more complicated then they are.  It gives the impression that I'm capable and competent.  

It's a toothsome and decadent combination!