Caramel Cake

(Just a note.. the picture above doesn't do these cake bars justice)

from mom

1 Milk Chocolate or German Chocolate Cake mix
40 (14 oz bag) Kraft caramels (no off brands, but Brachs brand works well, too, they just take longer to melt down)
1 cup chopped pecans, optional
1 can evaporated milk
3/4 cup melted butter
6 oz mini chocolate chips

Mix cake mix, 3/4 cup melted butter, and 3/4 cup of the evaporated milk. Mix by hand. Spread 1/2 of the batter into a greased pan.

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Let cool completely.
Unwrap caramels.Melt caramels and 1/3 cup of the evaporated milk in the microwave. Cook in 1 minute increments until smooth. Pour over cake. Let cool completely. Then, sprinkle chocolate chips over caramel. Add rest of the evaporated milk and chopped pecans to the remaining cake batter. Spoon over caramel and very carefully smooth out over entire pan.Bake 20 minutes at 350. Let cool completely and serve.It does not need frosting. This cake is more like bars than cake. It is great served under a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Note: If you don't let the layers cool completely before adding the next layer, it will be a big mess. Take it from me. Once, I poured the caramel over the bottom chocolate layer and the bottom bubbled up into the caramel and then I put the top layer on and it sunk into the caramel and was super hard to spread. It turned out kind of okay but it was a mess and wasn't exactly as it should have been. Also, I omit the pecans when I make it for people that I know are allergic to nuts. It is great with nuts, but it also tastes great without. I just serve them on the side when I serve the ice cream so that those that want nuts, can add it to the top.