Crockenbush, Well Sort of

Crockenbush

So I have been wanting to make one of these lovely cakes for some time now. Unfortunately, for reasons I can not figure out, I can not make the traditional "Caramel" or "Toffee" that is used. I just don't know what I am doing wrong and am now on the hunt for someone that can teach me a little bit about working with sugar.
While I wanted to make the crockenbush following the traditional standard I decided I would give it a try using the Carmel for Amy's Baked Popcorn minus the baking soda. It worked and tasted wonderful and I was at least able to achieve the look of a crockenbush. It was a fun little project but I won't be satisfied until I can make one correctly.