Decadent Chocolate Turtle Cake (Printable)
Rich chocolate layers with caramel, pecans, and silky ganache topping
# What You'll Need:
→ Cake
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
03 - 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
04 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
05 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
06 - 1 teaspoon salt
07 - 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
08 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil
09 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
10 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
11 - 1 cup hot water
→ Caramel Filling
12 - 1 cup caramel sauce
13 - 1 1/2 cups pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
→ Chocolate Ganache
14 - 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
15 - 1 cup heavy cream
16 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
→ Topping
17 - 1/2 cup pecan halves
18 - Extra caramel sauce for drizzling
19 - Extra chocolate ganache for drizzling
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
03 - Add buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until well combined.
04 - Gradually mix in hot water until batter is smooth. The batter will be thin.
05 - Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake for 32-36 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
06 - Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
07 - Place chopped chocolate in heatproof bowl. Heat heavy cream in small saucepan until just simmering. Pour over chocolate and let sit 2 minutes. Add butter and stir until smooth and glossy. Cool until thickened but pourable.
08 - Place one cake layer on serving plate. Spread with half the caramel sauce and sprinkle with half the chopped pecans. Drizzle with some ganache.
09 - Top with second cake layer. Pour ganache over top, letting it drip down sides. Spread evenly with spatula if needed.
10 - Decorate with remaining caramel sauce, pecan halves, and additional ganache as desired.
11 - Chill for 30 minutes before slicing for cleaner layers.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The combination of warm chocolate goo and salty crunch hits every pleasure center at once
- It looks like you spent all day decorating but the assembly is surprisingly forgiving
02 -
- The ganache needs to cool until thickened but still pourable or it will run right off the cake
- Chilling the assembled cake for thirty minutes makes slicing reveal perfect layers
03 -
- Chill your cake layers in the freezer for twenty minutes before frosting to reduce crumbs
- Place strips of parchment under the cake edges to keep your serving plate clean