Debate Cake

Ingredients

• The Cake:
• 2/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 3 eggs, at room temperature for 30 minutes
• 2/3 cup cocoa
• 1 1/3 cup cold water
• 2 1/4 cups cake flour or 2 cups all purpose flour, sifted before measuring
• 1/3 teaspoon (gently heaping quarter teaspoon) of baking powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• The Toasted Pecans:
• 1 cup pecans, chopped coarsely
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 4 cups confectioner's sugar
• 1/2 cup caramel syrup
• 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. 1) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and prepare two pans by spraying them with Baker's Joy or Pam for Baking. (Alternative for the old-fashioned: Butter the pans well, then dust with flour, tapping well to get out the excess).
2. 2) Put the cocoa in the bottom of a large measuring cup and then slowly add the water, stirring as you go.
3. 3) Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt (this, and the preceding step can be done while you are creaming butter and sugar, if you are using a stand mixer).
4. 4) Cream your butter and sugar together with a hand mixer or stand mixer.
5. 5) When the butter/sugar mix is nice and fluffy, beat in your eggs, one at a time.
6. 6) With your mixer on low, stir in half the flour mixture, then all of the cocoa water, and then the other half of the flour mixture, stirring well between each addition.
7. 7) Stir in vanilla and divide between two pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until done. Cool completely before frosting.
8. The Caramel Syrup:
9. Carefully caramelize the sugar over medium-low heat in a nice saucepan with high sides. (Instructions here, for those who have never done it: https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWxuPDyn KOY). Now VERY CAREFULLY and VERY SLOWLY add the boiling water, because if it splatters, you will get sugar burns, and sugar burns hurt. Stir while adding the water, then stir until the caramel is totally dissolved. This is caramel syrup. Cool before using.
10. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread the pecans thin on a baking sheet and toast 7-8 minutes. Allow to cool before using.
11. The Frosting:
12. Beat together the sugar and the butter until they are fluffy, then add cream, caramel syrup, vanilla, and salt, and beat for another 2 minutes.
13. ASSEMBLING THE CAKE:
14. Brush the bottom layer of the cake with a solid helping of the remaining caramel syrup. (Don't worry if you have some left over: it is delicious in cocktails!) Cover with 1/4-1/3 of the frosting. Add the second layer and frost as you normally would a layer cake. Press the toasted pecans into the side of the cake. And voila: Debate Cake!