Gooey Caramel Cake

1-1/2 cups boiling water
3/4 cup cocoa
1-1/2 cups sugar
6 Tbls butter-softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1-2/3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
FROSTING AND TOPPING:
2 Tbls butter-softened
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3 bls milk-divided
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup carmel apple dip
1/4 cup finely chopped toasted pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat bottoms of two 8 inch round cake pans with cooking spray; line with wax paper. Coat paper with spray; dust with flour. Combine boiling water and cocoa in small bowl, whisk till well blended. Cool. Combine sugar, butter and vanilla. Beat with mixer on medium speed till well blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture and cocoa mixture alternately to sugar mixture. Pour into pans. Bake 25 minutes or till toothpick in center comes out clean. Cool. Frosting: melt butter in small saucepan; add brown sugar and 2 Tbls milk. Cook until sugar melts. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Pour into a large bowl, beat in vanilla and powdered sugar untill smooth. Add remamining milk, 1 tsp at a time to reach spreading consistency. Spread half the frosting on top of one cake layer. Drizzle half the caramel dip over the frosting and put on second cake layer. Spread cake with remaining frosting and drizzle with remaining caramel dip. Sprinkle with pecans.