Hornet's Nest Cake (with Triple Chocolate Cake Variation)

This is an extremely easy, extremely yummy eggless cake that bakes with its own topping, so icing isn't necessary. It's moist, dense and rich tasting. And one of my "exceptions" to using mixes in cakes. This is great stuff, and it travels well. Time does not include preparing and cooling time for the pudding. For the Triple Chocolate variation, just substitute chocolate, chocolate fudge, or devil's food pudding mix for the vanilla pudding mix and chocolate or devil's food cake mix for the yellow cake mix. You can still use the butterscotch chips, or substitute chocolate chips or peanut butter chips, and use any nuts you like. The recipe originally came from the Betty Crocker Recipe Card Library.

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Serves: 18

Ingredients

• 1 (3 ounce) box  cook & serve vanilla pudding mix (do not use instant)
• 2  cups milk
• 1 (18 1/4ounce) box  yellow cake mix
• 1  cup  butterscotch chips
• 1  cup  chopped  nuts, of your choice (walnuts are good with this)

Directions

1. Cook pudding with the milk as directed on package and let it cool.
2. Preheat oven to 350.
3. Spray a 9x13x2" baking pan with non-stick spray.
4. Combine the prepared pudding and the dry cake mix, mixing until well blended.
5. Spread batter in the prepared pan.
6. Sprinkle top evenly with the nuts and the butterscotch chips.
7. Bake for 25 minutes.
8. Triple Chocolate Version: Substitute chocolate pudding mix for the vanilla and chocolate or devil's food cake mix for the yellow cake mix; use chocolate, butterscotch or peanut butter chips and nuts of your choice.