Milky Way Cake

8 regular size milky way candy bars
1 stick butter
1 c. crisco, I used oil instead
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
2 1/2 c. SR flour
1 1/2 c. buttermilk*
1 t. salt
2 t. vanilla
1 c. chopped pecans, optional

Frosting:

2 1/2 c. sugar
1 c. evaporated milk
1 stick butter
6 oz. chocolate chips

caramel bits, optional

Melt candy and butter. Do not burn! Cream shortening/oil and sugar. Add eggs. Beat well. Alternate flour & buttermilk*. Add  salt, vanilla and pecans. Fold in candy mixture**. Pour in 9x13 pan (or 2 8x8 pans) and bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Cool cake completely. Cook frosting ingredients to a soft ball stage, until all chips and bits are thoroughly melted and spread over cooled cake.You can poke holes in the cake if desired before adding frosting. Serve with ice cream if desired.

*I used 6 T. buttermilk blend added to dry ingredients & 1 1/2 c. water next. (This makes up 1 1/2 c. buttermilk)

**The candy mixture was still warm when I folded it into the batter so it hardened up. Be sure it has cooled down, or the rest of the batter is warmed up to prevent this from happening.

1st picture: melting milky way bars in butter. 2nd picture: creaming other cake ingredients. 3rd picture: after baking. Frosting on cooled cake. 4th picture: ready to eat! Yum!