Pat's Cake Mix Caramel Apple Cake

1 yellow cake mix (without pudding) + 2/3 c. yellow cake mix**

3.4 oz. pkg vanilla instant pudding mix

1 c. water

4 eggs

1/3 c. oil

1/4 c. milk

3 apples, (1 lb) peeled and chopped

2 t. apple spice mix***

20 Kraft caramels, unwrapped (I use 1 c. Kraft caramel bits)

3 T. milk

Heat oven to 350. Beat 1st 6 ingredients. Stir until blended. Stir in apples. Pour into sprayed bundt or tube pan. Bake 50 min-1 hour, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.. Cool 15 minutes in pan. Invert onto serving plate. Cool completely. Microwave caramels and milk in microwaveable bowl on high 1-1 1/2 minutes or until caramels are all melted. and sauce is smooth, stirring every 30 seconds. Cool 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Drizzle over cake. Serve topped with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. YUM! 

*It took 2 1/2 minutes for the caramels to melt in my microwave, but using a different bowl might have been faster. I just kept heating them again in 30 second intervals until they were done.

**cake mixes used to be 18 oz., but in 2012, they became 15 oz. so adding 2/3 c. additional cake mix to recipes will make them come out as they should.

***Pat's recipe didn't call for this ingredient, but I thought the cake would taste better with some spices in it.

1st picture: before baking; 2nd picture: after baking and cooling, inverted onto plate; 3rd picture: caramel sauce added; 4th picture: topped with vanilla ice cream and drizzled with caramel sauce. Ready to serve.