Instructions

For the Potato Chip and Pretzel Crack Filling

1. Preheat your oven to 275 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Pour the pretzels and potato chips into a medium bowl. Add the sugars and milk powder and toss to mix.
3. Add the butter and toss the mixture to coat. As you toss, the butter will act as glue, binding the dry ingredients to the chips and pretzels, creating small clusters.
4. Spread the clusters on the parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes. They should look toasted and smell buttery. Cool completely before using in your cake. 
5. You may need to break up the mixture even more to layer in your cake. It will be hard to cut slices of the cake if the crack filling pieces are too big. I like to break up the mixture by putting it all in a large ziplock bag and use a rolling pin to roll or hit the mixture into smaller pieces.
6. The crack filling can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container - 1 week at room temperature or up to 1 month in the fridge or freezer.

For the Chocolate Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray three 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray. (You can also use four 6-inch pans). Line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper, then spray the pans again.
2. Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined.
3. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, water and vanilla.
4. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pans (about 15 to 16 ounces in each of the 8-inch pans or 11 to 12 ounces in each of the 6-inch pans) and bake for 18-20 minutes.  
6. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
7. Level each cake layer as needed and then wrap in plastic wrap and chill until ready to use. 

FOR THE BROWN SUGAR FROSTING

1. In a medium sauce pan, combine the brown sugar, corn syrup and water over medium heat. Stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a soft boil and let cook for about 5 minutes to thicken. Remove from heat and let cool for about 15 to 20 minutes.
2. When the brown sugar syrup has cooled, put the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat the butter for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
3. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the powdered sugar.
4. Once all the powdered sugar is incorporated, slowly stream the brown sugar syrup into the bowl. Once the syrup has been added, turn the mixer up to medium-high and beat for about 5 minutes.
5. If the mixer gets too soft, refrigerate the frosting for 30 to 60 minutes. Beat the frosting again for a couple minutes. 

ASSEMBLY

1. Place your first cake layer, right-side up, on a cake plate or cake board.
2. Cover the cake layer with about 3/4 cup frosting and the sprinkle the potato chip pretzel crack filling.
3. Place another cake layer on top and repeat with frosting and filling.
4. Place your final cake layer, top side down, on top of the frosting and filling and cover the entire cake with a thin coat of frosting to lock in the crumbs. Freeze the crumb coat for 10 minutes. 
5. After the crumb coat is chilled, continue frosting the cake and decorate with a chocolate drip (1 cup dark chocolate chips and 1/2 cup cream) and extra filling.