Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Step 2

Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Step 3

In a large mixing bowl, add the instant chocolate pudding mix and the whole milk and whisk until the pudding dissolves and thickens, about 1-2 minutes.

Step 4

Add the cake mix, the caramel sauce, and 1 cup of the dark chocolate chips to the pudding mixture and stir until combined.

Step 5

Evenly spread the batter into the prepared baking dish.

Step 6

Sprinkle the chopped pecans and the remaining dark chocolate chips on top of the batter.

Step 7

Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with some moist crumbs clinging to it, about 30-35 minutes. The sides of the cake will be puffy and slightly pulled away from the sides of the pan.

Step 8

Serve.