Salted Caramel Chocolate Turtle Cake

Salted Caramel Chocolate Turtle Cake

This is a very rich and flavorful, melt in your mouth cake...  and I have dreamed of it ever since I ate TWO pieces on Sunday!

Those that know me, know I have been dieting for some time now, yet on Sunday, my lunch is my crossover meal and I eat a moderate dessert with it most of the time. BUT, this week, I just HAD to eat another piece before jumping back into the diet on Monday.

It is not so much the cake recipe... since it was just a box cake - double fudge I think.  It was more of what we did after we bake it that made it sooo good!!

Read, Bake, and ENJOY!!!

Start by baking a box of chocolate cake mix. We did a fudge chocolate, but any chocolate cake mix should work.  You can substitute milk for the water to have a moister cake, but is not necessarily important with this cake!

Next we have to make the caramel - I made a double batch (I like extra for ice cream topping). You can do this while the cake is baking, since it has to cool (measurement below are for a single batch.)



1 stick of butter
1 cup of brown sugar
1 T. water
1/2 t. salt

Boil these four until the brown sugar dissolves (may take as long as 5 - 6 minutes).  Mine had a hard time dissolving, but was mostly dissolved.

Salted Caramel

Turn off heat and add:

1/8 cup of whole milk
1/2 t. vanilla extract
1/2 t. caramel extract

Stir, cover and allow to cool to room temperature.

** Remember to always use extract, not flavoring.  Extract will give a stronger flavor than flavorings!! If you only have flavoring, use twice as much.

As both the cake and caramel are cooling, you can make the simple syrup. This is the key to a moist cake!!

In a small pot add:

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar

Stir and simmer on low until sugar dissolves.  Turn off heat and add:

1/2 t. caramel extract

Set aside.

We will make the frosting next (sorry, no pictures).

In a mixing bowl add:

2 sticks of butter
1 cup shortening
1 t. caramel extract
1 t. vanilla extract
5 T. water or milk

Do not whip, just beat until mixed well.  Then add one at a time:

1/2 cup of cooled caramel (made earlier)
2 pounds of powdered sugar
2 blocks of melted unsweetened chocolate

This should be a medium consistency, if it is not, slowly add water 1/2 teaspoon of water at a time, until you have a medium consistency.  (A good test of consistency is to put 1 cup of frosting in a measuring cup, put your Wilton 9" spatula in the center of icing. The spatula should stand up straight when inserted in, but when gently moved, it should slowly fall over to the side of the cup slowly.

Cover and set aside...  Now you are ready to put this cake together!!

By now your cake should be cool - cut the rounded part off the top of one layer, turn upside down and set on your platter.  Take a toothpick and poke holes all over the cake (about 1 inch apart).


Brush half the simple syrup over the first layer of cake.  This will make the cake MELT IN YOUR MOUTH with unbelievable flavor!!

Put a ring of frosting around the first layer of cake using tip 12.

Mix together:

3/4 cup chopped roasted pecans
3/4 cup caramel (made earlier)

Fill the center of the cake, being careful not to be higher than the ring of frosting.

Now we are ready to prepare the second layer of cake.  be sure to cut off the round top of the cake, turn upside down on top of the filling.  Again, poke holes all over the top layer of cake with a toothpick and brush over it the rest of the simple syrup.  By this time the smell of caramel and chocolate made me stop and eat one of the top pieces of cake cut off... adding a little caramel and frosting... ah... okay, now we can finish!!

Frost cake as taught in Wilton Course 1 - if you haven't taken a class yet, sign up!! 

You will learn how to frost a cake smoothly and professionally!!  

Next I had to decorate using some of the new techniques in the new course 1 book. I LOVED how easy this pulled dot technique is with tip 12!  Hopefully one day I will be adding videos on some of these techniques for those who don't have classes near them, or for my students who want to see the techniques demonstrated again.

Wilton Pulled Dot Border

I made four different colors using Wilton brown food coloring gel. 

Wilton Pulled Dot with different shades of brown... nice!!

On top, I made some 1M rosettes using the triple bag swirl technique in the new book. With all the caramel and chocolate on top, it is hard to see the three colors...  I filled the center with remaining caramel, sprinkled a few tablespoons of pecans and drizzled a little melted chocolate chips (about a 1/4 cup) over the top of everything. Maybe a litte too busy and messy... but the flavor of it all definitely beat out over the looks!!

Enjoy!  My family LOVED it and requested me to make it again soon!!  

This recipe could be made as cupcakes too!!

Wilton Classes at Hobby Lobby

Wilton Method cake classes start up again in September at Bettendorf, IA with NEW books and some newer and popular techniques! The price is 50% off the regular price of $45 per course which equals $22.50.  This price includes four 2 hour sessions and a course book (provided the first night of class). Sign up at Hobby Lobby today!

Course 1 will be taught in both September and October, choose what works best with your schedule!

Mondays, September  8, 15, 22, 29 at 6:00 - 8:00 pm (taught by Margie Cain)

or

Tuesdays, October 7, 14, 21, 28 at 6:00 - 8:00 pm (taught by Joy Cain)

Course 2 will also be taught in October and check back for future dates and times in November!

Mondays, October 6, 13, 20, 27 at 6:00 - 8:00 pm (taught by Margie Cain)

We hope to see you SOON!! 

Have questions?  Give us a call at 309-781-1148.