Turtle Chocolate Layer Cake Recipes

CHOCOLATE TURTLE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350. Grease with shortening then dust with flour 3 8" round cake pans.
• In large bowl whisk together your dry ingredients until combined.
• Add in your eggs, buttermilk, oil, vanilla and eater and stir until combined well.
• Pour the cake batter evenly among the 3 prepared pans.
• Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until center us set and toothpick comes out clean.
• Remove from oven and let cool in pans for about 5 minutes before turning out onto cooking racks to cool completely.
• In large bowl beat together your butter and shortening until smooth.
• Add in your caramel sauce and continue beating until incorporated.
• Add in your powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until mixed in well.
• Add your heavy cream as needed to reach desired consistency.
• To assemble cake place one layer of your cake on a turntable or cake board and spread with about 3/4 cup frosting and smooth to sides.
• Place another layer on top and repeat topping with last layer.
• Frost around your sides and over top until cake is covered and smooth, reserving about 1 cup of your frosting for decorating.
• Place cake in fridge to harden slightly (helps the ganache and caramel set).
• Heat the heavy cream in the microwave until it is very hot and steaming, but not boiling.
• Place the chocolate in a small glass bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Cover the bowl with a plate and allow the bowl to sit for 3-5 minutes.
• Remove the plate and stir the chocolate and cream together. This will take maybe 2 minutes of stirring to get it completely combined, but eventually you'll get a smooth, dark, silky chocolate.
• Allow the ganache to cool for 10 minutes.
• Remove your cake from the refrigerator and drizzle your ganache over the sides of your cake, return to fridge to set up.
• While ganache is setting up make your caramel by adding all the ingredients to a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil stirring constantly for about 5-10 minutes or until mixture turns golden in color, set aside to cool just slightly.
• Remove cake from refrigerator and drizzle your caramel down sides over ganache then return to refrigerator to set up again removing after about 10 minutes.
• Add your remaining frosting to piping bag fitted with a 1M tip (open star tip) and pipe swirls on the top edges of cake.
• Top with pecan turtle candies and press your crushed pecans up the sides of the cake about 1 and a half inches.
• Cut and serve!
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

TURTLE CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• For the Toasted Pecans: Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat.
• In a small bowl, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Drizzle the melted butter onto the pecans and toss together to coat pecans.
• Spread pecans onto prepared baking sheet and bake in oven for 5-6 minutes until toasted and fragrant.
• Remove the pecans from the oven and roughly chop. Set aside.
• For the Caramel Sauce: Add the sugar to a large heavy-bottomed non-stick saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly using a heat resistant rubber spatula or a wooden spoon until the sugar is melted and turns a medium amber caramel colour. Don't worry if the sugar clumps up, just keep stirring and it will melt smoothly. Keep a close eye on the pot as the sugar can easily burn, and you would have to start over again.
• As soon as the caramel turns a deep amber, add the butter cubes, whisking constantly until butter is melted and fully combined.
• Once butter is combined, slowly pour in the heavy cream while whisking vigorously, be careful as it will begin to bubble up furiously. The caramel may begin to clump together if your cream is too cold. If so, just continue stirring until caramel melts back down.
• Allow caramel to boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla (optional) and salt. You can leave out the salt if you don't want the caramel to be salted.
• Add the chopped toasted pecans to the caramel sauce and stir until combined.
• Let caramel cool to room temperature before pouring into a jar or an airtight container. Set aside or store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• Repeat the above steps 5-8 to make another smaller batch of salted caramel sauce. Set aside to cool completely or store in a jar or an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• Preheat oven to 350° F (177°C). Prepare four 8-inch round cake pans with parchment rounds, and grease the sides. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, sift flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Whisk to combine, set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 4-6 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
• Lower the speed to medium-low and add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition until just combined. Scrape down he sides and bottom of the bowl.
• In a small bowl, combine the vanilla and instant coffee granules. Add the sour cream to the batter along with the vanilla coffee mixture and beat on medium speed until combined.
• Alternately add dry ingredients in thirds and buttermilk in 2 additions to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat each addition just until combined. Divide batter equally between the cake pans, a little over 2 cups per pan.
• Bake two layers at a time for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and cake springs back when lightly touched.
• Remove cakes from oven and allow to cool in pans for about 10 minutes, then turn onto cooling racks to cool completely before frosting. Or at this point, you can wrap all the cake layers tightly in plastic wrap and freeze or refrigerate until ready to assemble.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the softened butter until super pale and fluffy, about 5-6 minutes.
• Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.Add half of the powdered sugar, one cup at a time and beat on low speed after each cup until combined.
• Once combined add cooled salted caramel sauce and continue to beat until combined and smooth.
• Add remaining powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing on low speed until it's all combined. If the frosting is too thick, add heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
• Increase speed to medium-high and beat for about 5-7 minutes, or until frosting is light and fluffy.
• Put the chocolate chips into a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Heat the heavy whipping cream in a small saucepan until it just begins to boil.
• Remove hot cream from heat then pour it over the chocolate chips. Cover the bowl and allow it to sit for 5 minutes.
• Remove cover and stir ganache until smooth. Set aside to cool.
• Use an offset spatula to place a dollop of frosting onto a cake board or serving platter that's on a turntable. Place one cake layer on top and spread about 1 cup of the salted caramel buttercream on top of the first layer.
• Scoop some frosting into a disposable piping bag and snip off the end. Pipe a rim around the edges of the cake and pour on a cup of the pecan caramel sauce and spread into an even layer. Repeat with all layers, placing the final layer upside down.
• Frost the entire cake with a thin layer of salted caramel buttercream. Chill the cake for 30 minutes.
• Remove cake from refrigerator and frost the entire cake with a thick layer of frosting. Chill cake in the refrigerator for another 30 minutes or in the freezer for 10-20 minutes.
• Remove and spread a thin layer of frosting onto the bottom of the cake. Press the chopped pecans up the bottom so it can stick onto the fresh frosting.
• Pour ganache and remaining caramel sauce into separate disposable piping bags or a ziploc bag and snip off the tip. Drip the ganache off the edge of the cake and fill the center. Use an offset spatula to to spread the ganache over the top. Repeat these steps with the caramel sauce, pouring it on top of the ganache.
• Line some pecan halves around the top to create a border and sprinkle more chopped pecans in the centre. Slice and serve!

CHOCOLATE TURTLE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with shortening or cooking spray; sprinkle with cocoa.
• In large bowl, beat cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, milk, oil, vanilla and coffee granules with electric mixer on low speed 1 minute. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Fold in chocolate chips and chopped pecans. Pour batter into pans.
• Bake 30 to 32 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans to cooling racks; cool completely. Wrap cake layers; refrigerate at least 1 hour.
• In medium bowl, stir frosting and dulce de leche with whisk until well blended; set aside. Cut 6 of the turtle candies in half; set aside. Chop remaining candies.
• Place 1 cake layer, top side up, on serving plate. Spread with half of the frosting mixture; sprinkle with chopped candies. Place second cake layer, top side up, on candies. Spread remaining frosting mixture on top of cake. Cover; refrigerate until serving time. Drizzle caramel topping over top of cake, allowing some to drip down side. Garnish with pecan halves and reserved turtle candies.