This chocolate caramel turtle cake is a rich, moist, chocolate cake, topped with chocolate ganache, caramel sauce, and chopped pecans. A chocolate cake dream come true!
Do you know what today is, friends? Do you?? It’s National Chocolate Cake Day, that’s what!! Now, I realize I’ve posted more about food holidays in the past week than I have in the history of the blog, but hey…they are something to celebrate!
I’m part of a group of bloggers, dubbed Festive Foodies, and celebrating food is kinda what we do. So, I hope you enjoy the celebratory posts! Now, onto the purpose of this post. Chocolate cake. Glorious, rich, decadent chocolate cake. It’s no secret that I am a chocoholic. It’s in my blood. Part of my family’s DNA. I’m afraid if any of my daddy’s children didn’t love chocolate, we’d be mistaken for having been switched at birth. The love is that strong, y’all.
I love to bake. That is also no surprise. But, I’m admittedly not the most skilled at cakes. I mean, I can bake a mean cake, but I’m not so great at the icing part. Tastes great, but I just haven’t quite nailed the making it pretty part. Cupcakes, I can do. Cakes, notsomuch.
So, I decided to try making a bundt cake for the very first time. Delicious, and I wouldn’t have to try make the frosting perfectly smooth and gorgeous. But, if I’m being honest, I think this chocolate caramel turtle cake turned out absolutely gorgeous. The chocolate ganache and caramel sauces are not only decadently delicious, but the cover the bundt cake perfectly and beautifully. Oh, and that pile of sauce in the middle of the cake? That + me + spoon = heaven on Earth.
Amazing sauces aside, the cake itself is phenomenal. Moist, chocolately deliciousness. Absolute perfection. My little secret? Creme Fraiche. I’ve never used it to bake before, only for savory sauces, but I can tell you this – it won’t be the last time I use it in baking. The chopped pecans on top add a nice element of crunch to the cake, too!
I took this little beauty to work, even though a coworker had brought a cake and some other treats to work the day before and because I work in a small office, I wasn’t sure it would get eaten because of the overload. That thought made me a little sad, because I wouldn’t want to see it just sitting there, untouched, for the rest of the week. Thankfully, that did not happen. It was quickly devoured and loved as much as I hoped it would be.
So, happy National Chocolate Cake Day, friends! Today I share with you an amazing chocolate caramel turtle cake that is worthy of celebrating today, and any other day!
Be sure to check out the other National Chocolate Cake Day recipes from the Festive Foodies!
- Amy of House of Nash Eats: One Bowl Chocolate Cake
- Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla: Frisky Whiskey Chocolate Cake
- Cindy of Cindy’s Recipes and Writings: Spicy Sweet Chocolate Cake
- Erin of The Spiffy Cookie: Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake
- Jolene of Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Old Fashioned Fudge Cake
- Lisa of Bloggehtti: German Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Kate of Kate’s Recipe Box: Chocolate Poke Cake
- Nichole of Cookaholic Wife: Italian Love Cake
- Sue of Palatable Pastime Triple Chocolate Cheesecake
- Terri of Our Good Life: Chocolate Mug Cake Keto Style
- Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm: Easy One Pan Mocha Cake
Chocolate Caramel Turtle Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 4 oz unsweetened chocolate squares, chopped
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ¼ cups boiling water
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup cake flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened to room temperature
- 1 ½ cups light brown sugar
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 5 oz container of Crème Fraiche
- 1 ½ teaspoons Nielsen Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla
- ½ cup chopped pecans, for topping
For the chocolate ganache:
- 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp half and half (or milk)
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp Nielsen Massey Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla
For the caramel sauce:
- 11 oz bag of caramel candies (I used the squares)
- 4 oz milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a budnt pan with cooking spray with flour (or you can coat the sides with butter or spray and then flour – just make sure you get every inch of that pan!)
- Place unsweetened chocolate squares and cocoa powder in a medium bowl, and pour the boiling water over the top. Stir until melted and well-combined, then set aside.
- In another bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter on high speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add brown sugar and mix for another 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Scrape sides of mixing bowl. At medium-high speed, add eggs one at a time, mixing for about 30 seconds in between each addition. Scrape sides of bowl again, then add creme fraiche and vanilla and beat for another 30 seconds or until incorporated.
- With the mixer on low speed, add ⅓ of the flour mixture, then add half of the chocolate mixture and mix to combine. Repeat ending with the flour mixture being careful not to overbeat. Remove the bowl from the mixer, scrape sides and mix well by hand until incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the bundt pan, evening out the top of the batter with a spatula. Bake on the middle rack for 40-50 minutes or until a skewer or toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven, rest in pan for 10-15 minutes then invert onto a cooling rack and cool completely. While cake is cooling, make the ganache and the caramel sauce.
For the chocolate ganache:
- In a small sauce pan, melt the butter, chocolate, and half and half over medium heat, stirring frequently until melted. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Stir the powdered sugar into the bowl a little at a time, to avoid lumps, and whisk well. Allow to cool down just a bit (I poured mine on the cake still warm.)
For the caramel sauce:
- I cleaned out the saucepan that I made the ganache in and used it for the caramel sauce as well. You can do that, or use a different saucepan. Combine the caramels and milk over medium-low heat, stirring every minute or so, until melted. Keep an eye on it and remember to stir – you don’t want to burn it! Remove from heat and allow to cool down a bit (still warm is perfect!)
- Once cake is cooled, place on a cake platter and drizzle with ganache, then caramel sauce, and sprinkle pecans over the top. Serve and enjoy.
Hungry for more chocolate recipes? Check out these recipes!
That caramel drizzle has me swooning.
This cake reminds me that I need more chocolate and caramel in my life!
I too have primarily posted just for food holidays in 2019 but it’s fun! Gives me direction when I have no motivation to cook otherwise haha. I wish we all could have swapped slices of our cakes in person.
I think I need a cheat day with this cake!!