Chocolate Bar Cakes

more a loose collection of ideas. i tend to make these for the chocolate lovers in my life on birthdays and such

• Ready In: 1 hr 45 mins
• Serves: 12
• Yields: 1 epic cake

Ingredients

• 1  Betty Crocker Super Moist chocolate cake mix, prepared (or whatever type of cake goes well with your theme, something moist and enough for two layers)
• 1 -2  cup  chocolate buttercream icing (i usually make a simple icing sugar one but a good pre-mixed would work fine too)
• 4 -5  chocolate candy bars, of your choice (could also use m&m's or something)
•  chocolate shavings (optional, can make with a vegetable peeler and a chocolate bar)
•  caramel (optional)
•  ice cream (optional)
•  nuts (optional)
•  candy sprinkles (optional)
•  coconut (optional)
•  flavor  extract (optional, vanilla, mint, orange, brandy, whatever)

Directions

1. first pick your theme. i usually ask the guest of honor what their favorite chocolate bar is and run with the theme as long as it's reasonable. things with nougat or wafers are hard to work with but i'm sure it can be done.
2. now we figure out how we can incorporate that theme into each part of the cake, either in it's elements or in the bars themselves. i did an after 8 cake where i added mint extract to the chocolate icing and chopped bars to the cake like chocolate chips and shaved a bar for decoration and added some mint sprigs. i did another with a terry's dark chocolate orange where orange extract went into the cake, melted chocolate orange into the icing, and the slices arranged on top. for my best friend's b-day i'm doing a rolo theme with mini rolos in the cake, a filling of softened rolo ice cream (refrozen after sandwiching between layers of course) chocolate icing and melted caramel drizzled decoratively on top with a garnish of more rolos. be creative and try to add part of the theme to each layer. how about a vanilla cake with a hershies cookies and cream theme and french vanilla ice cream filling plus crushed oreos in the icing?.
3. bake your cake layers according to the package directions, add extracts or chopped chocolate bars if desired, maybe even citrus zest, candied fruit, or mini marshmallows if it goes with what you're doing.
4. prep your icings and toppings while they bake, clear yourself a nice work area.
5. let the layers cool completely and flatten out by trimming if needed, fill creatively (crushed crispy crunch icing anyone?) and top carefully with the other layer.
6. ice with your personal tasty concoction and garnish attractively.
7. serve in very small pieces and insist on not counting the calories!