Description
This Chocolate Caramel Turtle Cake is a decadent layered cake featuring moist chocolate cake layers topped with rich fudge frosting, a luscious homemade caramel sauce, and toasted pecans. Combining the deep flavors of cocoa and dark chocolate with buttery caramel and crunchy pecans, this cake is perfect for special occasions or any indulgent dessert craving.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups (282g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (100g) light brown sugar
- 2/3 cup (56g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (240ml) hot water or hot coffee
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Frosting
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 Tablespoons corn syrup
- 2 Tablespoons salted butter
- 12 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
- 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup sour cream
Caramel
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 6 Tablespoons salted butter
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)
- ½ to 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Assembly
- 1 1/2 cups whole pecan halves, toasted
Instructions
- Prepare Cake Pans: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two or three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper circles and spray with baking spray or butter and dust with cocoa powder to prevent sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, sour cream, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined. Scrape the bowl and then fold in the hot water or hot coffee carefully until the batter is smooth.
- Bake the Cake: Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes (or 30-35 minutes if using only two layers) until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
- Make the Caramel Sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add granulated sugar. Stir constantly as it melts and transitions from clumpy to a smooth amber liquid. Carefully stir in the butter (the mixture will bubble). Slowly add heavy cream while stirring until combined, then let it boil for 1 minute without stirring.
- Finish Caramel Sauce: Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and sea salt. The sauce will be thin initially but will thicken as it cools. Keep it warm and pourable when assembling the cake. Reheat gently if needed.
- Prepare Fudge Frosting: Combine heavy cream, corn syrup, and salted butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Heat until bubbles appear around edges. Pour over chopped dark chocolate and cocoa powder in a bowl and let sit 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth, then stir in sour cream. Chill until spreadable, refrigerating for up to 20 minutes if needed, but avoid over-chilling.
- Assemble the Cake: Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread about a third of the frosting evenly over the top. Drizzle about a third of the cooled caramel sauce over the frosting, then sprinkle with one-third of the toasted pecans. Repeat layers with remaining cake, frosting, caramel, and pecans. Coat the outside with frosting, decorate the top with whole pecans and drizzle caramel sauce as desired.
Notes
- Chilling the assembled cake for 1-2 hours before serving helps it set and makes slicing easier.
- Store uneaten cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days or refrigerate for up to 1 week. Allow refrigerated cake to come to room temperature before serving for best flavor and texture.
- The cake can be frozen for up to 2 months; wrap slices or whole cake tightly in plastic wrap and place in an airtight container. Thaw overnight at room temperature before serving.
