Milky Way Cake

1 cup butter, divided
8 Milky Way candy bars (2.05-ounce)
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup pecans, chopped
Milky Way frosting, optional (recipe follows)

Melt 1/2 cup of the butter; combine with candy bars in saucepan.

Place over low heat until melted, stirring constantly. Cool.

Cream together sugar and remaining 1/2 cup butter until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating very well after each addition. Stir in
vanilla.

Combine buttermilk and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with
flour, beating well after each addition.

Stir in candy bar mixture with pecans.

Pour into greased and floured 10- inch tub pan and bake at 325 degrees for 1
hour and 20 minutes or until cake tests done.

Let cool in pan 1 hour, remove from pan and completely cool on wire rack.

Frost if desired.

Milky Way Frosting

4 Milky Way candy bars, approximately 8 ounces total
1 stick butter
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 box (half of a 1-pound box) confectioner's sugar

Melt together candy bars and butter

Add milk and confectioner's sugar, blend well.

Spread on cooled cake.

A fairly similar recipe was contributed by Sue Cavanaugh of Dorchester
County, although it didn't include pecans in the batter and the frosting was
different. Sue got the recipe in the 1970s from her stepmother, Liz
Fortenberry. Here's the frosting recipe, an alternative to the one above:

Milky Way Cake Frosting II

1/2 can large evaporated milk (5-7 ounces)
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup marshmallow creme

Combine milk, sugar and butter in a saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil and
boil hard for 4 minutes. Take off heat. Add chocolate pieces and marshmallow
creme. Beat until desired spreading consistency. Spread on cooled cake.