Chocolate Caramel Turtle Cake

If the classic turtle candy of rich chocolate, chewy caramel, and toasted pecans is your jam, then this Turtle Cake is the dessert for you! Moist chocolate layers of cake are slathered with a decadent fudge frosting, then covered with a generous amount of homemade caramel sauce and plenty of chopped pecans. It’s a definite crowd-pleaser!

A slice of turtle cake on a stack of three white plates in front of the rest of the cake on a cake stand.

I was inspired to make this scrumptious chocolate cake by my deep and abiding love of turtle candies. You know the ones – those clusters of toasted pecans and chewy caramel coated in rich milk chocolate (or dark, if you’re my husband) are just too good to be true.

I wanted to base my turtle cake on the famous version by Cafe Latte, a St. Paul institution, that introduced its Turtle Cake back in 1985. It’s an iconic enough dessert to get mentioned on lists of famous foods from Minnesota, so I wanted to include it in my American Eats series.

It has three layers of plush chocolate cake paired with caramel and chopped pecans (so much easier to eat in a cake than whole pecans) and a fudge frosting as opposed to traditional buttercream. I almost went the salted caramel frosting route, but ultimately felt like it didn’t belong in a turtle cake.

Why this Recipe Works

Keep it rustic – No need for fancy piping or decorating unless you feel so inclined. The glossy fudge frosting lends itself to glorious, swoopy strokes and a messy drizzle of caramel over the edges only entices you to dig right in.
Fudge Frosting – This is essentially a rich ganache that mimics the chocolate coating of real turtle candies instead of using an overly sweet buttercream.
Homemade Caramel Sauce – You can use store-bought if you want, but making homemade caramel is so rewarding and just tastes better than anything you get in a jar.

An angled view of the top of a turtle cake with toasted pecans and homemade caramel dripping over a fudge frosting.

A cross-section of a chocolate caramel turtle cake.

Ingredient Notes

This is a brief overview of some of the ingredients you will need to make this turtle cake recipe. Be sure to keep scrolling to the printable recipe card below for exact measurements and instructions.

Cocoa Powder: We are doubling up on the chocolate in this cake with natural unsweetened cocoa powder in the cake batter and the fudge frosting! My favorite brands are Guittard, Ghirardelli, and Hershey’s.
Oil: I have found that using oil instead of melted butter in cakes results in a more tender, moist crumb. There is plenty of additional flavor from other elements, so you won’t be missing out on the butter flavor here.
Buttermilk: I absolutely love this ingredient in homemade cakes. It adds unparalleled richness, depth, and moisture to the cake flavor while also achieving a tender crumb. See notes below for a substitute if you don’t have buttermilk on hand.
Hot Water: It doesn’t need to be boiling, but very hot water from the tap actually helps to “bloom” the cocoa powder in the cake batter, giving it a nice flavor boost for a fuller cocoa taste. Some folks suggest using hot coffee, which is totally an option if that is something you want to try.
Sour Cream: This is for the fudge frosting and it adds a slight tang and wonderful silkiness that you don’t get with a regular American buttercream.
Heavy Cream: For making homemade caramel sauce for filling the cake.
Pecans: Any true Southerner is going to extoll the virtues of toasting your pecans and I’m not one to argue with that. Toast them whole first and then chop – you’re much less likely to burn pecan halves than smaller pieces.
Sugar: You’ll need both white granulated sugar and light brown sugar for this recipe. The brown sugar adds depth and complexity to the flavor that you just don’t get with granulated sugar only.
Corn Syrup: Adds a wonderful glossiness and shine to the fudge frosting. You can sub honey if you don’t have corn syrup on hand or don’t care to use it in your kitchen.

How to Make This Recipe

This overview has step-by-step photos of the process to help you visualize your turtle cake coming together.

Toast the pecans. Spread pecan halves on a baking sheet, then pop them in a 350 degree F oven for 6-8 minutes until they start smelling nutty and warm. This can also be done in a dry pan on the stovetop over medium heat for 3-5 minutes–just be sure to stir or shake them frequently so they don’t burn. Then let the pecans cool. Set aside a handful of whole pecans for decorating the top of the cake, if desired, and coarsely chop the rest.

An image of toasted pecans on a baking sheet.

Combine dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Combining flour, cocoa powder, and two types of sugar in a mixing bowl.

Dried ingredients whisked together in a bowl.

Combine wet ingredients. In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, oil, and vanilla extract.
Mix wet and dry ingredients together. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined. This can all be done by hand with a spatula or whisk. The batter will be very thick at this point.

Combining eggs, oil, and sour cream in a mixing bowl.

Adding wet ingredients to dry ingredients in a bowl with a whisk.

Whisk in hot water. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, then mix in the hot water (or hot coffee, if you go that route) to create a smooth, velvety batter.

Adding hot water to chocolate cake batter in a mixing bowl with a red spatula.

Chocolate cake batter in a mixing bowl with a whisk in it.

Bake. Evenly divide the batter between three 8-inch round cake pans lined with parchment paper circles and sprayed with baking spray. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in a 350°F oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pans before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.

Chocolate cake layers cooling in their pans on a wire rack.

Make the caramel. Cook the sugar in a dry, medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula while it melts. At first the sugar will start to clump together, then it will eventually melt into a light amber-colored liquid. As soon as the sugar is completely melted, stir in the butter. The caramel will bubble up when you add in the butter, so be careful. Add the heavy cream while stirring until combined, then let the caramel boil for 1 minute without stirring. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract and salt.
Let the caramel cool. The caramel will be very thin at first but it will thicken as it cools. You want it pourable but thick, which is usually just slightly warm to the touch. If it cools too much you can reheat in the microwave or over low heat on the stove until it is pourable.

Make the fudge frosting. Meanwhile, make the frosting by combining the cream, corn syrup, and butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Heat just until bubbles start to appear around the edges of the pan, then pour this over the chopped chocolate and cocoa powder in a medium bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes without stirring, then gently whisk or stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth before stirring in the sour cream.
Cool the frosting. If you try to frost the cake right away a lot of your frosting is going to drip right off. Instead, let it cool until thick enough to spread. You can refrigerate the bowl for 20 minutes to speed the process up but don’t leave it in the fridge longer than that or the frosting will be too firm for frosting. On the counter it usually takes around 40 minutes or so depending on the temperature of your house. If the frosting firms up too much, you can pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to loosen it a bit.

Combining hot cream, melted butter, chocolate chips, and cocoa powder in a mixing bowl.

Adding sour cream to fudge frosting in a mixing bowl.

Assembly. To assemble, place one cake layer on a cake plate and top with about ⅓ of the fudge frosting. Drizzle about ⅓ of the caramel sauce over the fudge frosting, then sprinkle with ⅓ cup of the chopped pecans. Repeat with the remaining cake layers, fudge frosting, pecans, and caramel, coating the outside of the cake with fudge frosting and decorating the top with whole pecans and a caramel drip, if desired.

Layering fudge frosting, homemade caramel sauce, and chopped pecans on a layer of chocolate cake on a white cake plate.

A side angle of a chocolate caramel turtle cake on a white cake stand.

Recipe FAQ’s

Can I pipe the fudge frosting?

Yes, if you let this frosting cool sufficiently, it is stable enough to pipe on to the cake. But it does firm up more as it cools, so if it starts getting too stiff you might need to warm it slightly to pipe.

Does adding coffee to chocolate cake help with the flavor?

Lots of people swear by adding coffee to chocolate cake batter, saying that it enhances the chocolate flavor without making it taste like coffee. I have tried it both ways in recipe testing and while I personally prefer the cake made with hot water over hot coffee, it’s totally up to you!

Can I use a different type of frosting?

You could absolutely make this cake with my chocolate buttercream frosting or my salted caramel frosting.

Can I use a different type of nuts?

If you prefer walnuts or almonds over pecans, you can easily swap them in instead. Or omit the nuts entirely for a nut allergy and replace the pecans with chopped pretzels, which are a great substitute for pecans!

An image of a chocolate turtle cake on a white cake stand next to a stack of white plates.

Recipe Tips

Use room temperature ingredients – Adding cold sour cream or eggs to cake batter can affect how it bakes. For best results, always use room temperature dairy and eggs in your cakes.
Can be made in stages – You don’t have to rush through this one! Go ahead and make the cake layers and caramel sauce on day, then assemble the next to make things easier if that helps.
Don’t overmix the batter – Beating cake batter too long can result in dry, dense cake layers that are crumbly instead of the tender, soft cake that you want.

Storage

Store any uneaten cake in an airtight container on the counter at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can also store in the fridge for about 1 week, but I recommend letting the cake come up to room temperature before enjoying for the best flavor and texture.

You can also freeze this cake for up to 2 months. Just wrap slices (or the whole cake) in plastic wrap and freeze in an airtight container to protect it. Let the cake thaw completely overnight before enjoying.

A slice of chocolate caramel turtle cake on a white plate.

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Did you make this recipe?

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