Cafe Lattes Turtle Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Grease three 9-inch round cake pans.
• Line the bottom of each with parchment paper.
• Grease the paper.
• Dust with unsweetened cocoa powder.
• In a small bowl combine the egg, buttermilk and oil; set aside.
• In a large bowl, sift together flour, 1 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
• Gradually add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, beating with an electric mixer until combined.
• Gradually beat in 1 cup hot brewed coffee.
• Pour batter into prepared pans; spread evenly. (Layers will appear shallow).
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean.
• Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes.
• Loosen sides from pans, invert cakes on racks.
• Remove cakes from pans.
• Peel off paper; cool thoroughly.
• When cool, prepare the frosting.
• In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup milk.
• Add 6 Tablespoons butter.
• Bring to boiling, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat.
• Add 12 semi-sweet chocolate pieces.
• Whisk until smooth.
• If frosting seems to thick or grainy, stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons freshly brewed hot coffee.
• (Frosting makes about 2 1/2 cups).
• Place 1 cake layer, top-side DOWN, onto a serving plate.
• Using an icing spatula or wide knife, work quickly to frost top of this layer with 1/3 of the frosting, pushing it out slightly from edges to make ripple or pedal effect.
• Arrange 1/3 of the pecans on top and drizzle with 1/4 cup of the caramel topping.
• Top with the second layer, top-side DOWN.
• Repeat the above frosting steps with 1/3 of the frosting, pecans and caramel topping.
• Top with the third layer, right side UP.
• Repeat with frosting, pecans and caramel topping.
• Chill cake 1 to 2 hours before serving.

Steps:

• For the candied pecans: Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Whisk the sugar, cinnamon and salt together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg white and water together until frothy. Toss the pecans in the egg white mixture, then add the sugar mixture and toss until the pecans are evenly coated. Spread the coated pecans on a baking sheet. Bake, stirring every 15 minutes, until the pecans are evenly browned, 1 hour.
• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut two 8-inch parchment circles and use to line the bottoms of two 8-inch cake pans.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the four, white sugar, black and Dutch-process cocoa powders, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the buttermilk, brown sugar, oil, vanilla and eggs; beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Whisk in the hot coffee until completely incorporated--the batter will be quite thin.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes, then slide an offset spatula around the edge of the pans and flip out the cakes. Cool on a rack for another 30 minutes.
• For the buttercream: Combine the egg whites and powdered sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed for 5 minutes. (This helps dissolve all the sugar and prevents that grainy texture you often get with American buttercreams.) You will now have what looks like a really runny royal icing. Make sure your butter is soft. Set the mixer to medium and gradually add the butter, scraping down the bowl occasionally. Add the vanilla extract. Beat for 10 minutes on medium. Swirl in the butterscotch caramel.
• For the ganache: Heat the cream in a microwave just until boiling, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour the cream over the chocolate and allow to sit for 1 minute. Stir until the ganache is silky smooth--it look a bit curdled at first but will eventually come together. Leave the ganache on the counter to cool until it has reached the consistency of peanut butter. At this point it is ready to be used to frost the outside of the cake. (Makes 2 cups.)
• To assemble the cake: Remove the parchment paper from the bottoms of cakes. Split the cakes in half horizontally with a serrated knife (to make four layers). Place one layer on a serving platter. Spread a generous 3/4 cup buttercream over the layer to within 1/2 inch of the edge. Sprinkle 3 to 4 tablespoons candied pecans over the buttercream. Place a second cake layer over the first and repeat witht the buttercream and pecans. Continue with a third layer. Top the cake with the final layer and gently frost the outside with ganache.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350º F. Coat (3) 8-inch round baking pans with cooking spray then lightly dust with flour. (Or use this excellent baking pan release recipe #78579).
• Blend instant coffee with yogurt then add water, a few drops at a time, until coffee dissolves. Set aside.
• Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually beat in 1/2 cup sugar until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.
• In a large bowl, beat butter until smooth and creamy. Beat in remaining 1 cup sugar until light in color, about 2 minutes.
• On low speed, beat flour mixture, alternating with yogurt, into the butter and sugar.
• Fold in half the egg whites to lighten then fold in remaining egg whites.
• Scrape batter into prepared baking pans, spreading level.
• Bake for 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven, let cool in pans for 10 minutes then invert onto a rack and cool completely.
• Whip cream and confectioners' sugar to stiff peaks.
• Once cakes have cooled, place 1 layer on a plate and spread with 3/4 cup whipped cream. Top with 2nd layer and another 3/4 cup whipped cream. Top with final layer & swirl remaining whipped cream on top. Sprinkle with more ground nutmeg, if desired. Refrigerate until serving time.

Steps:

• Grease three 9-inch round cake pans*. Line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper. Grease the paper; dust with unsweetened cocoa powder. Set pans aside.
• In a small bowl, combine egg, buttermilk and oil; set aside. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Gradually add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, beating with an electric mixer until combined. Gradually beat in hot coffee. Pour batter into prepared pans; spread evenly. (Layers will appear shallow)
• Bake in a 350 oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Loosen sides from pans, invert cakes on racks. Peel off paper; cool thoroughly.
• CHOCOLATE FROSTING: In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup milk. Add 6 Tablespoons butter. Bring to boiling, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add one 12 ounce pkg. semi sweet morsels (2 cups). Using wire whisk, mix until smooth. If frosting is too thick or grainy, stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons freshly brewed hot coffee. Makes 2 1/2 cups.
• When cake is cool, place one cake layer top-side down onto a serving plate. Using an icing spatula or wide knife, work quickly to frost top of this layer with one-third of the frosting, pushing it out slightly from edges to make ripple or petal effect. Arrange one-third of the pecans on top and drizzle with 1/4 cup of caramel topping. Top with second layer, top sided down. Repeat with frosting, pecans,and caramel topping. Top with Third layer, right side up. Repeat with frosting, pecans and caramel topping.
• Chill cake 1 to 2 hours before serving. *Note: If you only have two 9 inch pans, chill 1/3 of the batter while you bake the other two layers. Clean and prepare one of the pans as above and bake remaining batter.