Turtle Chocolate Cake (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Caramel Pecan Filling
01 -
1 cup pecan halves
02 -
2 cups white sugar
03 -
3/4 cup salted butter, chilled and cubed
04 -
1 cup thick cream, brought to room temp
05 -
2 teaspoons sea salt, fine grain
06 -
2 teaspoons real vanilla extract (optional)
07 -
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
→ Chocolate Cake Layers
08 -
1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
09 -
2 and 1/4 cups regular flour
10 -
1 and 1/2 cups cocoa powder, unsweetened
11 -
1 teaspoon baking powder
12 -
2 and 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
13 -
2 and 1/4 cups sugar, granulated
14 -
1 and 1/2 cups room temp unsalted butter
15 -
4 eggs, large and room temp
16 -
1 and 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract, pure
17 -
3/4 cup sour cream, softened to room temp
18 -
2 and 1/4 cups buttermilk, warmed a little
19 -
1 and 1/2 tablespoons instant coffee powder
→ Salted Caramel Buttercream
20 -
3/4 cup thick caramel sauce, cooled
21 -
3/6 tablespoons milk or heavy cream, add as needed
22 -
12 cups powdered sugar, sifted for smoothness
23 -
3 sticks of soft, unsalted butter
→ Ganache Drip and Garnish
24 -
2 cups pecan pieces, chopped up
25 -
1/2 cup boiling cream
26 -
1 cup dark chocolate morsels
27 -
Decorative whole pecans
# Instructions:
01 -
Coat pecans in butter, roast in oven at 350°F for 5-6 minutes. Heat sugar to amber color, slowly add cream and butter while stirring. Toss in pecans and cool until ready to use.
02 -
Whisk all the dry stuff together. Beat butter with sugar until soft and creamy. Add each egg, one by one. Combine the vanilla, coffee, and sour cream, and mix that in. Slowly alternate adding buttermilk and the dry mix. Spread batter evenly into 4 round 8-inch baking tins. Bake at 350°F for about 20-25 minutes.
03 -
Whip softened butter until fluffy. Mix in powdered sugar, a little bit at a time. Stir in cooled caramel sauce, then add cream or milk as needed until it reaches the texture you like. Whip until airy and smooth.
04 -
Pour steaming hot cream over chocolate. Wait about 5 minutes, then stir until smooth. Let it sit to thicken just slightly, so you can easily drizzle it.
05 -
Stack the cakes up with layers of the pecan caramel and buttercream in between. Frost the whole thing, chill it so it firms up, then frost again. Add pecans to the bottom edge. Add the drips of caramel and ganache, and top with whole pecans for decoration.
# Notes:
01 -
You can make each part ahead of time
02 -
Ingredients work better at room temp
03 -
Keep it in the fridge for 7 days max