Southern Chocolate Turtle Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Prepare cake mix as directed.
• Pour 1/2 of the batter in a 13x9 inch pan.
• Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
• Remove and let cool.
• In a double boiler, add caramels, milk and butter and stir constantly till melted.
• Pour melted caramel over cooling cake.
• Sprinkle on top 1 cup of pecans& chocolate chips.
• Pour remaining batter on top and bake for an additional 20 minutes.
• Enjoy.

Steps:

• Preheat oven 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 13x9x2 inch baking pan.
• Combine and mix well cake mix, butter, eggs, water, oil and 1/2 can sweetened condensed milk. Pour half of the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
• In a saucepan over low heat, combine caramels and 1/2 can sweetened condensed milk. Stir mixture, heating until caramels are melted and mixture is smooth. Evenly spread over the baked cake layer. Sprinkle generously with chopped pecans. Cover with remaining cake batter. Bake 25 to 30 minutes longer or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Frost with Turtle Cake Frosting.
• Turtle Cake Frosting:.
• Combine butter, cocoa, and evaporated milk in a small saucepan. Heat, stirring, until butter is melted and mixture is well blended. Remove from heat and add confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Spread over cooled cake.
• Store loosely covered at room temperature.

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:

• Generously butter 2 baking sheets.
• On the baking sheets, arrange the pecan halves in snowflake-shaped clusters of 5 pecans each, overlapping the nuts in the center, leaving 2 inches of space between each.
• In a medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup of the evaporated milk, the corn syrup, and sugar and bring to a boil. Add the remaining 1/2 cup evaporated milk and the 4 tablespoons butter, and cook, stirring constantly, until it reaches the soft ball stage, 240 degrees F. Stir in the vanilla and remove from the heat. Let cool to 200 degrees F.
• Using a tablespoon, spoon caramel on top of each nut cluster and let harden. (If the caramel becomes too stiff to pour, return to low heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until it returns to the proper consistency.)
• To make the chocolate coating, in the top of a double boiler or in a metal bowl set over barely simmering water, combine 6 ounces of the chocolate and the shortening. Melt over low heat, stirring, until it reaches 116 to 118 degrees F, or feels fairly warm but not hot to the touch.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 ounces of chocolate. Continue stirring until the chocolate reaches 80 degrees F or feels cool to the touch. Return to low heat and cook, stirring, until the temperature rises to 85 to 87 degrees F, or feels barely cool. Remove from the heat.
• Drizzle 1 tablespoon of tempered chocolate over each cluster. Set aside in a cool place to harden. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, with waxed paper separating the layers to prevent sticking.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease and flour a 13 x 9 inch pan.
• Pour half of the prepared cake mix into the pan.
• Bake for 25 minutes.
• In the meantime, place unwrapped caramels in a saucepan.
• Add 1/2 cup evaporated milk.
• Heat on low, stirring until caramels have melted.
• Remove cake from oven and pour melted caramel mixture on top of the cake.
• Sprinkle chopped pecans and chocolate chips on top of caramel layer.
• Press down lightly.
• Pour remaining half of prepared cake mix on top of the filling layer.
• Bake an additional 30 minutes.
• After removing cake from the oven, let the cake cool slightly (approx. 5- 10 minutes).
• Run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake.
• This is an important step- otherwise you'll have a tough time removing the pieces later!
• Store at room temperature.
• Note: Please see your cake mix box for exact amounts of vegetable oil, water and eggs.

Steps:

• Reserve 3 Tbsp. caramel sauce, and 2 Tbsp. each melted chocolate and nuts for later use.
• Beat pudding mixes and milk in large bowl with whisk 2 min. Add remaining melted chocolate and half of the COOL WHIP; mix well. Spread 1/2 cup pudding mixture onto bottom of 13x9-inch dish.
• Cover evenly with 6 graham crackers. Spread 3 Tbsp. of the remaining caramel sauce evenly onto graham crackers in dish; sprinkle with 1/3 of the nuts. Top with 1/3 of the remaining pudding mixture. Repeat layers twice.
• Top dessert with remaining COOL WHIP. Drizzle with reserved caramel sauce and melted chocolate; sprinkle with reserved nuts.
• Refrigerate overnight.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease or spray bottom of 13x9-inch pan.
• Make cake batter as directed on box. Pour half of the batter into pan. Bake 22 minutes. Refrigerate remaining batter.
• Meanwhile, in 1-quart saucepan, heat caramels and evaporated milk over medium heat, stirring frequently, until caramels are melted. Stir in pecans. Pour caramel mixture over warm cake in pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Spread with remaining batter. Bake 25 to 28 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Run knife around sides of pan to loosen cake. Cool at least 30 minutes. Serve with ice cream, drizzle with toppings and sprinkle with pecans. Store loosely covered.

Steps:

• Mix cake as directed on package.
• Add in 1/2 cup eagle brand milk.
• Pour 1/2 of batter in a 13X9 pan and bake 10 minutes at 350*.
• Let cool 5 minutes.
• While cake is baking, melt caramels, butter and remainder of milk in double boiler.
• Pour over cool cake and sprinkle with chips and nuts.
• Pour remainder of batter over caramel, bake 25-30 minutes 350F degrees.

Steps:

• Combine all dry ingredients (except sugar); set aside.
• Beat butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until fluffy.
• Gradually add flour mixture alternately with milk (not canned milk), just until blended.
• Spread half of the batter in a greased and floured 9x13 pan. bake for 12-14 minutes in a 350°F oven.
• Heat caramels and canned milk. Melt.
• Pour caramel mixture over cake, spreading to the edges.
• Sprinkle with 1 cup of chocolate chips and the 1 cup of the chopped pecans.
• Spoon remaining batter over top, carefully spreading to the edges.
• Bake at 350°F for 35 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips. Spread over cooled cake.
• Sprinkle with the remaining pecans.
• I like to serve this with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping.

Steps:

• Dissolve cocoa in boiling water; cool. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk and cocoa mixture, beating well after each addition., Pour into three greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., For caramel layer: Line a 9-in. round pan with foil and grease the foil with butter. Sprinkle with pecans; set aside., In a large heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, brown sugar, 1/2 cup cream, corn syrup and butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir until smooth and blended, about 5 minutes. Gradually stir in remaining cream. Bring to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until a candy thermometer reads 238° (soft-ball stage), about 10 minutes., Remove from the heat. Quickly pour into prepared pan (do not scrape saucepan). Cool., For ganache layer: Line a 9-in. round pan with foil and grease the foil with 1 teaspoon butter. Sprinkle with pecans; set aside. Place chocolate chips in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; whisk until smooth. Pour over pecans. Cool to room temperature; chill until set., For frosting: In a microwave, melt unsweetened chocolate and chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. In a large bowl, beat the confectioners' sugar, butter, milk, cocoa and vanilla until smooth; beat in melted chocolate., To assemble cake: Place one cake layer on a serving plate; remove foil from caramel and place on top. Top with another cake layer; remove foil from ganache and place on top. Top with remaining cake layer. Frost top and sides of cake. Garnish as desired.