Turtle Cake

With chocolate, caramel and pecans, how can you go wrong with that combo? This Turtle Cake is a tasty dessert for any and all occasions.

When it comes to flavor, you are not going to be lacking when it comes to this Turtle Cake, you will get so much in each bite.

This is one of our favorite cakes to make. Everything works so well together and it really is a show stopper.

I am a dessert person by nature, but I’m a cake lover the most. I also have a thing for turtle candies.

So why not combine those flavors and turn them into a cake? Trust me when I say that you won’t want to stop eating this.

Kids and adults alike love this Turtle Cake and it really is a great one to bring to parties, holiday gathering and more.

If you have been looking for that perfect dessert centerpiece, you absolutely cannot go wrong with this recipe.

Some of our other favorite cakes that we have on our site include: Chocolate Chip Cake, Peanut Butter Cake and Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Cake.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

• So much flavor in each and every bite.
• This cake goes a long way and serves a lot of people.
• This is kid and adult approved and perfect for all gatherings.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST):

All-purpose flour
Baking powder
Fine sea salt
Baking soda
Light brown sugar
Vegetable oil
Eggs
Buttermilk
Semi-sweet baking chocolate bar
Vanilla extract
Boiling water
Unsalted butter
Dark brown sugar
Powdered sugar
Milk
Pecans
Semi-sweet chocolate chips
Caramel sauce

HOW TO MAKE A TURTLE CAKE, STEP BY STEP:

FOR THE CAKE:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 3 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper and then spray with non-stick cooking spray, set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
3. In a large bowl, whisk or beat with an electric hand mixer together the brown sugar, oil, eggs, buttermilk, melted chocolate, and vanilla. 
4. With the mixer on low, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients until combined, making sure to scrape down the side.
5. With the mixer still on, slowly pour in the boiling water slowly until mixed in well.
6. Evenly divide the batter among the cake pans. 
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the oven and let the cakes cool completely in the pans on a wire rack.

FOR FROSTING AND ASSEMBLY:

1. While the cakes are cooling, first make the caramel pecan frosting. 
2. Add the butter and brown sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat together for about 3 minutes until combined and fluffy.
3. Add in the powdered sugar a little at a time until fully mixed in. Then add the milk, vanilla, and salt, beat in until combined, then beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes until fluffy. 
4. Lastly, fold in the pecans until mixed in well and set aside.
5. For the chocolate frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the butter and melted chocolate and stir to combine.
6. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time until mixed in. Then add the milk, vanilla, and salt, and mix until just combined. Place the mixer on medium-high and again beat for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. 
7. Take out one of the cakes discarding the parchment paper. Place it on a cake stand or serving platter and trim the cake dome if necessary.
8. Take a fork and gently poke holes into the top of the cake. 
9. Add ⅓ of the caramel sauce and spread it over the cake so the cake absorbs the caramel.
10. Next, add ½ of the caramel pecan frosting and spread it out to the edge of the cake. 
11. Add another cake layer on top, again poke the top of the cake with holes and add another ⅓ of the caramel, spreading it out. 
12. Add the remaining caramel pecan frosting, and smooth it out to the edge.
13. Then, add the last cake on top, again poke the cake with holes and add the last of the caramel, spreading it out.
14. Crumb coat the entire cake with about half of the chocolate frosting. Then place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to overnight to set up.
15. Once set, add the remaining chocolate frosting all over the outside of the cake. 
16. Decorate with more chopped pecans and add a drizzle of caramel if desired. Allow the cake to come to room temperature before slicing and serving.

WHAT IS A CRUMB COAT AND DO I HAVE TO DO IT?

A crumb coat is when you put a thin layer of frosting on the cake to seal in the crumbs.

You then refrigerate it to set up before frosting the remainder of the cake. This helps not get any crumbs in the final frosting so you have a nice clean look.

If you choose not to do a crumb coat, that is fine as well, just know that the cake is tender and pieces of crumbs are bound to get into the frosting.

WHAT KIND OF CARAMEL SAUCE SHOULD I USE?

For this recipe we used Torani brand caramel sauce. You can use any of your favorite caramel sauces.

Use jarred caramel sauce, bottled or even a homemade caramel sauce. You just do not want it to be too thick.

You can also choose not to do the caramel sauce on the cake layers if you do not want to have that flavor.

CAN I DECORATE THE TOP WITH MORE FROSTING OR OTHER THINGS?

If you are wanting to decorate the top with more frosting, you are going to at least make 1.5-2x the frosting amount.

We make just enough to frost the outside of the cake with the chocolate buttercream.

But you can absolutely make more frosting to decorate the top if you would like.

Other things you can decorate the top with are mini chocolate chips, turtle candies, chocolate and caramel sauce, etc.

IS THIS CAKE HARD TO MAKE?

While layer cakes aren’t the “easiest” cakes to make, they absolutely do not need to be hard either.

I think taste over presentation is what more people are looking for in the long run.

There are no crazy decorating on this cake and you can absolutely leave it plain with the chocolate on the outside.

So this cake is pretty straightforward, but they are not as easy as just a plain 9×13-inch cake.

HOW TO STORE:

This cake can be stored at room temperature in a cake saver/carrier where it will keep for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

You can also freeze this cake, the best way to do this is to cut the cake into individual slices.

Wrap each slice in plastic wrap and then a layer of foil and place into the freezer.

This will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To defrost, remove from the freezer to the countertop until thawed.

TIPS AND TRICKS:

• The caramel on each layer really adds a nice addition to the cake, I don’t recommend skipping it.
• The crumb coating helps seal in the crumbs before fully frosting. You can skip this, see above on my recommendations.
• You can use any of your favorite caramel sauces that you’d like, just make sure it’s not too thick.
• This can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
• If you want to decorate the outside of the cake with more frosting, you will need to make more frosting, see above on how much more we make.
• The flavors of the caramel pecan and chocolate frosting go so well with one another.
• This cake does not need to be refrigerated, but will keep longer if you do refrigerate it but its best eaten at room temperature.

Love a good cake that you will not be able to resist? Then look no further, you absolutely have to make this Turtle Cake – you will not regret it.

If you like this recipe you might also like:

• German Chocolate Cake
• Yellow Cake
• Marble Cake
• Better Than Sex Cake

If you’ve tried this TURTLE CAKE or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and what shenanigans I’m getting into!