Inspired by Starbucks - Chocolate Cake with Salted Carmel Icing

This is based on a recipe over at Salsa Pie made using a chocolate cake mix, canned frosting and carmel topping made from scratch.   It is super-rich - I was not able to eat this entire piece and a good serving size for this would be about 1/4 of the above piece and delicious accompaniment to serve with tea or coffee between meals.   I think this would also be good with smashed pretzels sprinkled on the top instead of the sea salt to give it added texture.

Over at  Salsa Pie she also has instructions on making everything from scratch.

Ingredients:

• 1 boxed chocolate cake mix (I used a Fudge Chocolate cake mix)
• Ingredients required to make the cake (mine was 1/4 vegetable oil, 3 eggs and 1 cup water)
• 1 can white frosting
• Carmel topping or Homemade Carmel topping

 Ingredients for Carmel Topping

•  1 1/2 cups brown sugar, 
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 cup cream or milk
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp sea salt

Bake cake according to instruction on the box and allow to cool..

 Once cake has cooled, frost with canned frosting.

Mix together brown sugar and cornstarch in saucepan.  Turn on heat to medium -high.

Slowly add milk to mixture a little at a time mixing the entire time then add butter and continue to stir until melted.

Bring to boiling then turn heat down to medium and cook for 8-10 minutes stirring regularly.  Allow to cool before putting on the cake.

Use a large spoon and drizzle the carmel topping on top of the cake.

I put 1 Tbsp of sea salt in a bowl and started to use the spoon to shake over the top, but it went on too heavy and I ended up using my thumb and forefinger and pinching a bit and the sprinkling on the top for better control.