Special Turtle Cake Recipes

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray the bottom and sides of two 8-inch round aluminum cake pans with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, oil, 8 ounces water, buttermilk, vanilla, sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Whisk by hand until completely smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and whisk once more to ensure no lumps.
• Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pans. Bake until the cakes are firm and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes.
• For the meringue frosting: Mix the sugar with about 1 cup water in a medium saucepan. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
• Meanwhile, whip the egg whites in a stand mixer until they just reach medium peaks. Adjust to low speed and leave running.
• Continue cooking the sugar until it reaches the soft-boil stage--the bubbles on the surface will start to pop more often but the sugar should not change color and caramelize.
• Adjust the mixer to high speed and slowly pour the cooked sugar into the whipped egg whites. Gradually add the butter, whipping until smooth. (Makes 28 ounces.)
• For the ganache: Bring the cream to a simmer in a saucepan, and then stir in the chocolate and cayenne. (Makes 3/4 cup.)
• For the turtle filling: Combine the sugar in a large saucepot and mix with just enough water until it resembles wet sand. Bring to a boil and cook until the mixture begins to caramelize.
• Allow the sugar to cook until it reaches a dark brown color. As soon as it JUST starts to smoke, remove from the heat and immediately add the cream, CAREFUL, the mixture will boil and bubble and is very hot. Once all the cream is added, whisk the mixture and then add the butter, whisking until fully incorporated.
• Toast the pecans in a 425-degree oven for 10 minutes, and sprinkle with salt as soon as they come out. Mix the pecans into the caramel and let cool to room temperature. (Makes 1 pound.)
• To assemble the cake: Slice the cakes in half horizontally to make 4 even cake layers. Pipe a ring of frosting around the edge of one of the bottom layers and fill the center with turtle filling--the buttercream ring will prevent the turtle filling from oozing out the sides of the cake.
• Spread a thin layer of ganache on top of the turtle filling and repeat with the remaining cake layers.
• Frost the entire cake as desired with the frosting.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease one 9x13 inch pan.
• Mix cake mix according to package directions. Pour a little less than half of the batter into prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) remove from oven.
• Melt caramels, margarine, and milk in the microwave on high (takes about 10 minutes), stirring a couple times. Or alternately melt in a sauce pan over medium low heat. Pour melted caramel mixture over cake, sprinkle with pecans, and chocolate chips, and pour remaining cake batter over the top.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20 to 35 minutes.

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.

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 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:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 3 (9-inch) cake pans.
• Cover the bottom of each pan with parchment paper, cut to size.
• In a medium bowl, combine the egg, oil, and buttermilk. In another larger bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients until well mixed. Gradually add the hot coffee, and stir again to combine. Scrape the batter into the prepared pans. Bake the cakes for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes rest in the pans for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
• Combine the milk and sugar together in a medium saucepan. Add the butter, and then bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Remove pan from heat. Add chocolate chips to the pan and, using a wire whisk, mix until smooth. (Note: If frosting is too thick, add 1 or 2 tablespoons hot coffee.)
• Place 1 cooled cake layer with the top side down on a cake plate. Spread with 1/3 of the frosting, pushing it out slightly from the edges to make a ripple or petal effect. Sprinkle frosting with 1/2 cup toasted pecans and drizzle with 1/4 cup caramel. Add the next layer, again with the top side down. Repeat frosting layers. Place the top layer with the top side up. Repeat frosting layers.

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.