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Turtle Cake
5 from 6 votes

Turtle Cake

Gorgeously lofty, with three layers of dark chocolate cake, smothered with rich fudgy frosting, creamy caramel, and crispy salted pecans.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
50 mins
Servings: 1 Cake
Calories: 630 kcal
Course: Cake
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

for the cake:
  • 1 egg large
  • ⅔ c. vegetable oil
  • 1 c. buttermilk
  • 2 c. flour
  • 1.75 c. sugar
  • ½ c. cocoa powder good quality
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 T. baking soda
  • 1 c. coffee hot
for the frosting:
  • ½ c. milk
  • 1 c. sugar
  • 6 T. butter unsalted
  • 2 c. semisweet chocolate chips I like Guittard!, good quality
  • ¾ c. caramel I used my favorite caramel from a jar, by Tastefully Simple.
  • 1.5 c. pecans I like the ones from Trader Joe’s, toasted and salted

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease three 9″ round cake pans. Cover each bottom with a disk of parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine egg, oil, and buttermilk. In a separate large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, salt, and baking soda. Gradually add wet ingredients to dry until well mixed. Slowly add the hot coffee. Divide batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cakes rest in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
  3. To make the frosting, mix milk and sugar in a saucepan. Add butter. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat. Add chocolate chips to the pan. Using a wire whisk, mix until smooth. If frosting is too thick or grainy, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of hot coffee.
  4. To assemble the cake, place one cooled cake layer, top side down, on a cake plate. Spread with one-third of the frosting, pushing it out gently from the edges to make a petal effect. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup pecans, drizzle with 1/4 cup caramel. Add next cake layer, again top side down. Repeat with the same measurements of frosting, pecans, and caramel. Add final cake layer, top side up, and frost with petal effect and finish with remaining pecans and caramel.

Notes

  • adapted from the Famous Turtle Cake found at Cafe Latté in St. Paul, MN

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 Calories 630kcal (32%) Carbohydrates 96g (32%) Protein 6g (12%) Fat 28g (43%) Saturated Fat 10g (50%) Polyunsaturated Fat 16g (94%) Cholesterol 32mg (11%) Sodium 634mg (26%) Fiber 3g (12%) Sugar 75g (150%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1 Cake

Amount Per Serving

Calories 630

% Daily Value*

Serving 1
Calories 630kcal 32%
Carbohydrates 96g 32%
Protein 6g 12%
Fat 28g 43%
Saturated Fat 10g 50%
Polyunsaturated Fat 16g 94%
Cholesterol 32mg 11%
Sodium 634mg 26%
Fiber 3g 12%
Sugar 75g 150%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.