Chocolate Cake with Toffee and Whipped Cream Icing

I enjoy cooking, especially for people who like to eat, and appreciate food. One of my husbands pals is that person for me. I love to feed him. I gave the boys a choice between muffins, cookies or cake and they choose cake. I have not made a cake in a very long time, I am a diabetic and cant really eat it, but I still love the process and I can give it away.

· 1 chocolate cake mix (I like the Duncan Heinz Moist Deluxe)
· 1 quart of heavy whipping cream
· 1 package of toffee pieces, or you can use several bars and break them
· ½ cup of chopped pecans
· Sugar
· Vanilla
· Powdered Chocolate, sweetened, I use Mexican Chocolate which is wonderfully sweet and chocolaty, or you can use regular Hershey’s Powdered Chocolate but you must add a few tsp of sugar as it is not sweetened.

Make the cakes according to package directions, use 8 inch round cake pans

When making the cake mix, replace the water with coffee and add a few teaspoons of the powdered chocolate

**In the meantime open your container of whipping cream and add ¼ cup of the powdered chocolate, and shake, then back into the fridge** I suggest putting your bowl and beaters in the fridge as well for the best results

Bake cake, and let cool thoroughly on racks

While cake is cooling, make you’re whipping cream frosting. Whip until you have stiff peaks, don’t whip too long or you will have butter. I also add a tsp or so of Vanilla, and sugar as needed, or to your taste. You can also add in interesting flavors, any extracts, more chocolate, cinnamon.

Assembly:
Place your 1st round on your plate, frost the top heavily and bring down over the sides. Sprinkle your toffee pieces all over the top to the edges. Place your 2nd round on top, rounded side facing up. Take a long knife, preferable a bread knife and cut straight across the top, making it flat. Brush any crumbs off.

Now you will frost the top and all the way down the sides, do a light layer or a crumb layer. You can then do your final frosting with an offset spatula or get out your pastry bag and tips as I did. I placed the pecans in the middle of the cake.