Need a break? Bake this cake!

We are hosting playgroup this week and as usual I've been dithering about what to serve for a snack. I know, I know. How much thought should one put into playgroup snack? It's just a bunch of two-year-olds! But I do try to serve something healthy, easy, fun and that doesn't generate too many crumbs. And I also try to serve something absolutely delicious for the moms. Because we work hard. And the last thing we (I) want to munch on when we're (I'm) "relaxing" is carrot sticks and non-fat yogurt.

So for the kiddos I've decided on mini-bagels and cream cheese, raisins, juice boxes (Motts for Tots, natch) and fruit kabobs (watermelon, banana, mandarin oranges). For the moms I'm making a more elaborate fruit salad, coffee and an amazing Butterfinger Cake. The cake meets the playgroup criteria of easy and delicious. And also features two ingredients that hardly ever show up at our house, yellow cake mix and Cool-Whip, so it feels like a really novel treat.

Butterfinger Cake

One package yellow cake mix
One jar caramel topping
One can sweetened condensed milk
3 Butterfinger bars, crushed
One tub Cool-whip (regular, reduced fat, fat-free, whatever)

Bake the cake according to package directions for a 9x13 pan*. Mix together caramel and condensed milk, set aside. When cake is done, but while still hot, poke holes all over it. Pour the caramel/milk mixture over the cake. Spread crushed candy on top. Let cool completely in fridge. Spread Cool-whip on top. Enjoy!

For chocolate lovers, you can also do a version with chocolate cake mix, Hersheys syrup/condensed milk, and crushed Heath bars. But, oddly, the chocolate version is too rich for me. Very strange for the girl who can eat her weight in buttercream frosting, but there you go.

*I'm actually doing mine in two 8x8s because I'm going to send the half we don't eat to work with M. I really don't want all this deliciousness hanging out in my fridge all week.