Decadent Chocolate Turtle Cake (Printable)

Rich chocolate layers with caramel, pecans, and silky ganache for an unforgettable dessert experience.

# 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 tsp baking powder
05 - 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
06 - 1 tsp salt
07 - 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
08 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil
09 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
10 - 2 tsp vanilla extract
11 - 1 cup hot water

→ Caramel Filling

12 - 1 cup caramel sauce, store-bought or homemade
13 - 1 1/2 cups pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped

→ Chocolate Ganache

14 - 8 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
15 - 1 cup heavy cream
16 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter

→ Topping

17 - 1/2 cup pecan halves
18 - Extra caramel sauce for drizzling
19 - Extra chocolate ganache for drizzling, optional

# How-To Steps:

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 or 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 a heatproof bowl. Heat heavy cream in a small saucepan until just simmering. Pour over chocolate and let sit 2 minutes. Add butter and stir until smooth and glossy. Allow to cool until thickened but still pourable.
08 - Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread with half the caramel sauce and sprinkle with half the chopped pecans. Drizzle with some ganache.
09 - Top with the second cake layer.
10 - Pour ganache over the top, letting it drip down the sides. Spread evenly with a spatula if needed.
11 - Decorate with remaining caramel sauce, pecan halves, and additional ganache as desired.
12 - Chill for 30 minutes before slicing for cleaner layers.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The combination of warm chocolate gooey caramel and buttery pecans is basically impossible to stop eating
  • It looks like you spent all day on it but the cake layers come together in one bowl
  • This is the dessert that gets requested for every single birthday celebration in my house now
02 -
  • The batter being super thin after adding the hot water is completely normal and necessary
  • Room temperature ingredients help everything blend together seamlessly
  • Let the ganache cool until its thickened but still pourable or it will slide right off the cake
03 -
  • Chill your cake layers in the freezer for 30 minutes before frosting to reduce crumbs
  • Put strips of parchment under the cake edges to keep your serving plate clean while frosting

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