Turtle Cake

Super indulgent turtle cake made with my favorite black cocoa cake, frosted with a simple chocolate buttercream and a caramel pecan filling made with homemade salted caramel sauce.

Here is another spin off of my black cocoa cake that I LOVE! I’ve already lost count how many times I’ve used this new chocolate cake recipe. So that should tell you how good it really is right? It also gets more compliments than any other cake I’ve made!

Like I mentioned before, my new black cocoa cake recipe is now my go to for all my chocolate cakes. I used it to make my chocolate s’mores cake, lemon chocolate cake, and a chocolate pistachio cake.

Other fall favorites that use this same homemade caramel sauce are my caramel pecan pie, caramel tart, and caramel apple cake. These are all great ideas for thanksgiving or Friendsgivings.

What is a Turtle Cake?

A turtle cake is a rich, layered dessert inspired by the classic turtle candy, which combines chocolate, caramel, and pecans. It typically features moist chocolate cake layers filled and topped with gooey caramel sauce, crunchy pecans, and a luscious chocolate ganache or buttercream.

My secret to getting a beautiful turtle cake that not only looks good, but slices smoothly, stays together, and tastes great is homemade caramel sauce. I don’t recommend using a store bought caramel UNLESS you find one that’s a little thicker and tastes really good because runny bottled stuff will likely leak out and not keep the filling inside the cake. Also spending a few extra minutes toasting your pecans adds that extra mmm to your bites, although it’s not 100% necessary.

Ingredients Notes & Substitutions

Full recipe is in the recipe card at the bottom!

• Flour: I developed this cake recipe using cake flour but either cake flour or all-purpose flour works well.
  • I HIGHLY recommend using a digital scale, as flour is so often over measured. 
• Cocoa Powder: I use dutch-processed, but natural is fine too.
• Butter: I love salted butter for the caramel sauce and unsalted for the buttercream.
  • If you only have unsalted butter, you can add an extra pinch of salt to the butter for the caramel.
• Oil: any neutral oil, like avocado, canola, etc. is fine. 
• Sour Cream: I’ve used greek yogurt and sour cream in this recipe and they both work well. You can also use plain yogurt just make sure it’s unsweetened.
• Coffee: I use hot coffee in this recipe. I usually use Americanos but fresh brewed coffee is fine too. If you don’t want to use coffee, hot water will work as well, the flavor will just be a little less intense… The acid from the coffee also helps make it a little more tender and it’s not a noticeable coffee flavor so I do recommend the coffee. 

Step-by-Step Instructions

Black Cocoa Cake

1. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt until they’re evenly distributed.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the oil, sugar, eggs and sour cream until they’re well combined and smooth.
3. Sift the dry ingredients over the wet and whisk just a little – about halfway.
4. Pour in the hot coffee and whisk until the batter is completely smooth.
5. Scrape the edge of the bowl and give it a good mix. Pour into prepared cake tin(s). 
6. Bake for 40ish minutes, until the tallest part of the cake, in the center, springs back when you press on it. If you’re hesitant, give it another minute or so. You can also bake the cake in three 8 inch pans instead of one pan and slicing into thirds. 3 layers would be about 14-15 ounces each and bake for about 20 minutes.
7. Let the cake rest for 10 minutes in the pan, then flip over onto a tea towel.
8. Let the cake cool upside down for 30 minutes or so and then flip back over. 
9. Once it’s cooled, slice the cake into thirds so you have a three layer cake.

Caramel Pecan Filling

1. Make the caramel sauce by cooking water and sugar on the stovetop until it turns into an amber color while swirling (not stirring). Remove from the heat.
2. Add the butter and whisk until it’s combined. Then add the heavy cream and whisk until it’s smooth 
3. Pour the caramel into a heat safe bowl and add the salt, whisking just until they’re combined. Cover and allow to cool completely to room temperature or chill in the refrigerator. 
4. Meanwhile, place the pecans in a pot over medium heat to toast, stirring every couple of minutes until browned. 
5. Chop the pecans somewhat finely and fold them into a measured out caramel sauce in a medium bowl.

Chocolate Buttercream

1. Beat the butter for a few minutes, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl halfway through.
2. Add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder and salt and beat the frosting for another few minutes, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl halfway through.
3. Add the vanilla and slowly stream in the heavy whipping cream with the mixer going on low speed, scrape and mix at a medium-high speed until combined and fluffy.

Assemble

1. Spread a thin layer of frosting on the first layer of cake and then pipe a border of frosting around the edge – make sure it’s a nice thick border to hold the caramel in.
2. Fill the border in with a layer of the caramel pecan mixture – if the cake feels soft/unsteady at this point, refrigerate it for about 15-20 minutes before placing the next layer of cake on top. 
3. Repeat with the second layer of cake. Refrigerate and then place the third layer on top.
4. Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes, then frost the outside of the cake and top with leftover pecan filling or caramel sauce.

What Sizes Can I Make This Turtle Cake

Make sure to read my Black Cocoa Cake post for more details on how to adjust the cake to the different sizes but if you’re using just the recipe in the recipe card and not adjust that at all then you could get: 

• Three (taller) or four (shorter) 6 inch cakes 
• Three 8 inch cake layers
• Two 9 inch cakes
• One 10 inch cake
• One 9×13” cake
• 24 cupcakes 

If you’re making cupcakes, I put 50 grams in each cupcake tin and bake for about 18-20 minutes. You could add the caramel pecan filling inside and/or on top of the cupcake frosting like I did with my chocolate caramel cupcake recipe.

When baking, generally a thinner layer will get 20-25 minutes of baking and a thicker cake layer will get 30-40 minutes. 

Once it no longer looks wet, press on the center of the cake gently and it will spring back when it’s done baking. If it doesn’t spring back, give it another few minutes. 

You’ll likely have leftover filling if you change the size of the cake layers though. 

How To Store This Turtle Cake

This cake can be really soft so I actually recommend refrigerating it. I would store it airtight in the fridge for up to a week. I don’t like when things taste like “the fridge” lol so if you leave it uncovered it can get a weird fridge taste (maybe that’s just me?) so I recommend covering it with plastic wrap (once the frosting feels firm) or a tall cake dome would work best if you have one. 

To freeze, refrigerate the cake until it’s solid and then wrap it in plastic wrap followed by foil. Make sure to cover it well. I usually just slice it and lay them in a large pan and cover the pan with plastic wrap and foil. 

Thanks so much for reading today’s post, if you have any questions just comment down below. If you make this fabulous turtle cake, I’d love it if you left a star rating or a review for me!

As always, have a blessed day and happy baking!

Love, B

Recipes

Layer Cakes

Turtle Cake

5 from 5 votes

prep 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

cook 35 minutes mins

1 hour hr

total 3 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Serves 16 servings

Super indulgent turtle cake made with my favorite black cocoa cake, frosted with a simple chocolate buttercream and a caramel pecan filling made with homemade salted caramel sauce.

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Servings 16 servings

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Equipment

• ▢
  1 large bowl
• ▢
  1 Whisk
• ▢
  1 Rubber Spatula
• ▢
  1 stand mixer or hand mixer
• ▢
  1 8×3 inch or three 8 inch pans see blog post for other size options
• ▢
  1 offset spatula
• ▢
  1 large knife

Metric(US) Imperial

Ingredients

Black Cocoa Cake

• ▢ 240 grams cake flour, spooned and leveled
• ▢ 80 grams black cocoa powder
• ▢ 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• ▢ 1 tbsp baking powder
• ▢ 350 grams granulated sugar
• ▢ 160 mL canola oil, or any neutral oil
• ▢ 2 large eggs, room temperature
• ▢ 150 grams sour cream
• ▢ 240 mL hot coffee, I use Americano

Salted Caramel Sauce

• ▢ 200 grams granulated sugar
• ▢ 60 mL water
• ▢ 84 grams salted butter, room temperature
• ▢ 120 mL heavy whipping cream, room temperature
• ▢ 1 tsp fine sea salt

Caramel Pecan Filling

• ▢ 200 grams caramel
• ▢ 170 grams pecan halves, finely chopped

Chocolate Buttercream

• ▢ 340 grams unsalted butter , room temperature
• ▢ 480 grams powdered sugar
• ▢ 80 grams cocoa powder*, I used dutch-processed, natural is fine too
• ▢ Tiny pinch of fine sea salt
• ▢ 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
• ▢ 180 mL heavy cream

Method

Black Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350F (I use convection cuz my oven runs really hot at the bottom – conventional is also fine) and grease and line an 8×3 inch or three 8 inch baking pans with baking spray and parchment paper (I prefer one cake pan and slice them into thirds but if you bake three layers, you'll get about 14-15 ounces in each).
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt until they’re evenly distributed.
   240 grams cake flour spooned and leveled, 80 grams black cocoa powder, 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, 1 tbsp baking powder
3. In a separate large bowl, whisk the sugar, oil, eggs and sour cream until they’re well combined and smooth.
   350 grams granulated sugar, 160 mL canola oil or any neutral oil, 2 large eggs room temperature, 150 grams sour cream
4. Sift the dry ingredients over the wet and whisk them together, just a little – about halfway or so.
5. Pour in the hot coffee and whisk until the batter is completely smooth and all the dry ingredients are combined.
   240 mL hot coffee I use Americano
6. Scrape the edge of the bowl and give it a good mix. Pour into prepared cake tin(s).
7. Bake for 40ish minutes (or 15-20 minutes if baking three separate layers), until the tallest part of the cake, in the center, springs back when you press on it. If you’re hesitant, give it another minute or so.
8. Let the cake rest for 10 minutes in the pan, then flip over onto a tea towel and let the cake cool upside down for 30 minutes or so before flipping back over.
9. Once it's cooled (make everything else meanwhile), slice the cake in half.

Salted Caramel Sauce

1. Begin by preparing the homemade salted caramel sauce. In a medium saucepan, heat the sugar and water over medium heat. Place the lid on the pan and remove it every 2-3 minutes to swirl (NOT stir) the sugar.
   200 grams granulated sugar, 60 mL water
2. Once the sugar changes to an amber color, remove it from heat (it will continue cooking because the pan is hot so do this immediately). Stir in the butter and whisk continuously. Once that's combined, stir in the heavy cream and then the salt.
   84 grams salted butter room temperature, 120 mL heavy whipping cream room temperature
3. Once it’s all mixed, pour it into a heat safe bowl and stir in the salt. Set it aside and allow it to cool completely (can refrigerate for a little if needed and you can make the buttercream while you wait).
   1 tsp fine sea salt

Caramel Pecan Filling

1. Once the caramel has cooled to room temperature, place the pecans in a pot over medium heat to toast. Stir every couple of minutes until they brown a little and smell nice. Careful not to burn. 
   170 grams pecan halves finely chopped
2. Chop the pecans pretty finely – not ground up but pretty small chunks kind of like diced veggies).
3. Measure out the caramel (I recommend a scale) into a medium bowl and fold in the chopped pecans.
   200 grams caramel

Chocolate Buttercream

1. Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat the butter for a few minutes, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl halfway through.
   340 grams unsalted butter room temperature
2. Add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder and salt and beat the frosting for another few minutes, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl halfway through.
   480 grams powdered sugar, 80 grams cocoa powder* I used dutch-processed, natural is fine too, Tiny pinch of fine sea salt
3. Add the vanilla and slowly stream in the heavy whipping cream with the mixer going on low speed. Scrape the edges and give it another good mix at medium-high speed to get it all combined and fluffy.
   2 tsp vanilla bean paste, 180 mL heavy cream

Assemble

1. Place the frosting in a piping bag fit with a round tip.
2. Spread a thin layer of frosting on the first layer of cake and then pipe a border of frosting around the edge – make sure it's a nice thick border to hold the caramel in.
3. Fill the border in with a layer of the caramel pecan mixture (I used just under half for each layer, leaving me just a tiny bit for decorating the top). If the cake feels soft/unsteady at this point, refrigerate it for about 15-20 minutes so the buttercream can firm up before stacking the next layer.
4. Repeat with the second layer of cake. Refrigerate and then place the third layer on top.
5. Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes minutes, or until it feels sturdy enough to frost the outside.
6. Use the rest of the chocolate frosting to frost the outside of the cake and top with any leftover pecan filling and/or extra caramel sauce.

Notes

*Can use a little less cocoa (40g-60g or 1/2 cup-3/4 cup) if you don’t want it so dark! 

Nutrition

Calories: 765kcalCarbohydrates: 84gProtein: 6gFat: 49gSaturated Fat: 21gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 104mgSodium: 365mgPotassium: 255mgFiber: 5gSugar: 66gVitamin A: 1031IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 106mgIron: 2mg

Course: Cakes

Cuisine: American

Keyword: black cake, black cocoa cake, caramel pecan cake, chocolate, chocolate cake, chocolate caramel pecan cake, chocolate turtle cake, dark chocolate, turtle cake