Chocolate Caramel Christmas Cake

My wonderful sister-in-law always hosts Christmas Day Dinner. She and her husband are both amazing cooks and every year it's truly an honor to be at their table.

We all try to contribute something, and I'm usually on dessert detail. I typically bring a platter of assorted Christmas cookies and fudge.

So when Eileen called on December 22nd and said...
"I know you probably have everything planned out and have already been to the store and that is completely fine, but if, by chance, you're willing, could you please bring some kind of chocolate cake? Because my mint chocolate cake last year was a disaster and I was so disappointed in it because it looked so pretty on the magazine cover."

To which I said....
"I don't know, I'm not much of a baker......

She doesn't give herself nearly enough credit, because the cake of 2009 was delicious. As were the poached pears, and the chocolate-dipped fruit and the 53 other kinds of desserts.....



So, I'm honored to have my cake be on the "pedestal" this year. (Seriously, she has a pedestal!)