TURTLE CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE

image credit www.lifeloveandsugar.com

INGREDIENTS

CHOCOLATE CAKE

1. 2 cups (260g) flour
2. 2 cups (414g) sugar
3. 3/4 cup (70g) Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa powder
4. 2 tsp baking soda
5. 1 tsp salt
6. 2 large eggs
7. 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk
8. 1 cup (240ml) vegetable oil
9. 1 tsp vanilla
10. 1 cup (240ml) boiling water

CARAMEL SAUCE AND ICING

1. 1 1/2 cups (310g) sugar
2. 9 tbsp (126g) salted butter, cubed, room temperature
3. 3/4 cup (180ml) heavy whipping cream, room temperature
4. 4 cups (460g) powdered sugar
5. 2–3 tbsp (30-45ml) milk

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

1. 9 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
2. 3/4 cup (180ml) heavy whipping cream

ADDITIONAL
3/4 cup chopped pecans

INSTRUCTIONS

TO MAKE THE CHOCOLATE CAKE LAYERS:

1. Prepare three 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper circles in the bottom, and grease the sides. Preheat oven to 300°F (148°C).
2. Add all dry ingredients to a large bowl and combine.
3. Add eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil and vanilla to the dry ingredients and mix well.
4. Slowly add water. Mix well.
5. Divide batter evenly between cakes pans and bake for about 30-33 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.
6. Remove cakes from oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then remove to cooling racks to cool completely.

WHILE CAKES COOL, MAKE THE CARAMEL SAUCE AND ICING:
7. Pour sugar into an even layer in a large saucepan.
8. Heat on medium-high heat, whisking the sugar until melted. The sugar will clump up first, but will eventually completely melt. This will take about 10 minutes.
9. Once the sugar has melted, stop whisking and allow to cook until the sugar has turned to a little darker amber color. You may notice a nutty aroma. The change in color will happen quickly, so don’t let it go too long or get too dark or it’ll burn. Remove caramel from the heat.
10. Add butter and whisk until combined. The mixture will bubble up, but keep whisking until all the butter has melted and combined.
11. Slowly pour the heavy cream into the caramel and whisk until incorporated.
12. Cool for about 10-15 minutes before using.
13. Set aside about 1/3 cup of caramel sauce, then transfer remaining caramel sauce to a mixing bowl.
14. Slowly add powdered sugar and milk and mix until smooth. You can add more or less milk to get the right consistency for the icing. For help with getting the right consistency, check out this post.

TO PUT CAKE TOGETHER:
15. Make the ganache by adding the chocolate chips to a metal or glass bowl (see my tips on making chocolate ganache).
16. Microwave the heavy whipping cream until boiling, then pour over the chocolate chips. Cover bowl with clear wrap for about 5 minutes.
17. Whisk chocolate until smooth. Microwave in 5-10 second increments as needed, if chocolate isn’t fully smooth and melted.
18. When the cakes are cool, remove the tops of the cakes with a large serrated knife so they are flat. See my tips on how to level a cake and how to stack a cake.
16. Place the first layer of cake on cake stand. Top with 1 cup of the caramel icing and spread into an even layer. Top icing with about 1/4 cup of chopped pecans, then drizzle with some chocolate ganache and caramel sauce.
17. Add second layer of cake and icing and add another 1/4 cup of chopped pecans, caramel sauce and chocolate ganache.
18. Top cake with remaining cake layer.
19. Pour remaining ganache over the cake and allow it to drizzle down the sides of the cake. Refrigerate until the ganache is firm.
20. There should have been a little caramel icing left. Use that to pipe caramel icing around the top edges of the cake, then sprinkle with remaining chopped pecans and drizzle with caramel sauce.

For more detail www.lifeloveandsugar.com

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