Turtle Cake is decadent, gooey, and full of rich flavor. Paired with a homemade glaze and caramel sauce, it’s a chocolate lovers’ delight!
I’m a big dessert lover and am known for my sweet tooth! You can catch me in the kitchen whipping up recipes like cherry cheesecake, eggnog pie, and cookie dough bars on any given week. I’m also really into chocolate, which brings me to today’s dish: chocolate turtle cake.
Why You’ll Love This Cake
If you’ve never tasted turtle cake before, you’re in for a treat! It’s inspired by chocolate turtle candy, which are clusters of pecans that are covered in chocolate and caramel. It’s such a yummy combination of flavors and textures — they’re seriously addicting.
The cake version is made up of two layers of moist chocolate cake, a rich chocolate glaze, and a homemade caramel topping featuring chopped pecans. The end results are so impressive. It’s the perfect dessert to bring to a party!
The whole thing comes together in under an hour too, which is great news for all of those impatient sweets lovers out there.
Ingredient Notes
- Devil’s Food Cake Mix: I use cake mix to make this recipe even easier. All you need to do is add vegetable oil, water, and eggs!
- Chocolate Chips: Add chocolate chips to butter, sugar, and water to create the chocolate glaze.
- Caramel Topping: The caramel sauce for this dessert is so simple to make when you start with a jar of caramel topping.
- Chopped Pecans: A key ingredient in chocolate turtle candy, you know I had to include pecans in this recipe!
How to Make Turtle Cake
- Recipe prep. Preheat your oven to 350° F and grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray.
- Make the cake batter. Add the cake mix, water, oil, and eggs to a large bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Bake half. Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 22 minutes. Store the remaining batter in the fridge.
- Create the chocolate glaze. Place a small saucepan over medium heat and bring the milk, sugar, and butter to a soft boil. Make sure to stir frequently! When the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth, remove from heat. Stir in the chocolate chips and 3 tablespoons of water until the chocolate has melted and the glaze is smooth.
- Add to the cake. Pour half of the chocolate glaze on top of the baked cake and set the rest aside.
- Make the caramel topping. Add the sweetened condensed milk and caramel topping to a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Drizzle half of it over the chocolate glaze and save the rest for later.
- Add the nuts & bake. Sprinkle ½ cup of the chopped pecans on top, then pour in the remaining cake batter. Bake your chocolate turtle cake for 25-28 minutes.
- Assemble. Next, pour the remaining chocolate glaze on top of the baked cake and then add the rest of the caramel sauce. Sprinkle the last ½ cup of chopped pecans on top and serve!
Storage and or Freezing Instructions
- Make-ahead instructions: You can make this recipe a few days in advance if you’d like. In fact, many chefs believe this dessert is best enjoyed after it has chilled for some time!
- Freezing instructions: Allow the cake to cool completely and hold off on adding the glaze and caramel sauce. Then, wrap it in two layers of plastic wrap and one layer of foil. Store it in the freezer for up to 2 months. Allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight, then add the glaze, sauce, and nuts and serve!
- Storage instructions: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge, where they will keep for 4-5 days.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Switch up the cake mix. I like to opt for Devil’s Food cake instead of classic chocolate for even richer results. You can also use German chocolate cake or triple chocolate.
- Serve hot or cold. As mentioned, many people like to eat this cake once it has chilled. You can enjoy it however you like!
- Make individual-sized portions. Use ramekins to make single servings of this turtle cake recipe for a fun party dessert.
FAQS
My chocolate turtle cake recipe is made with chocolate cake, homemade chocolate glaze, and caramel topping. It’s finished off with chopped pecans — it’s the ultimate way to enjoy turtle candy in cake form!
Chocolate turtles are chocolate and caramel-covered pecans. They were originally created by DeMet’s Candy Company and many people make them themselves at home. This chocolate turtle cake recipe was directly inspired by my love for them!
Related Recipes
If you enjoyed this easy recipe, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below. You can also share a photo and tag me on Instagram using @AimeeMarsLiving and #AimeeMars.
Turtle Cake Recipe
Equipment
- 9×13 baking pan
- Saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 15.25 ounce box Devil's Food Cake Mix
- 1 cup Water
- ½ cup Vegetable Oil
- 3 large Eggs
Chocolate Glaze
- 6 tablespoons Milk
- ¾ cup Sugar
- 6 tablespoons Butter
- 1 ½ cups Chocolate Chips
- 3 tablespoons Water
Caramel Sauce
- 1 14 ounce can Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 1 12 ounce jar Caramel Sauce
- 1 cup Chopped Pecans
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350° F and grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray.
- Add the cake mix, water, oil, and eggs to a large bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 22 minutes. Store the remaining batter in the fridge.
- Place a small saucepan over medium heat and bring the milk, sugar, and butter to a soft boil. Make sure to stir frequently! When the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth, remove from heat. Stir in the chocolate chips and 3 tablespoons of water until the chocolate has melted and the glaze is smooth.
- Pour half of the chocolate glaze on top of the baked cake and set the rest aside.
- Add the sweetened condensed milk and caramel topping to a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Drizzle half of it over the chocolate glaze and save the rest for later.
- Sprinkle ½ cup of the chopped pecans on top, then pour in the remaining cake batter. Bake your chocolate turtle cake for 25-28 minutes.
- Next, pour the remaining chocolate glaze on top of the baked cake and then add the rest of the caramel sauce. Sprinkle the last ½ cup of chopped pecans on top and serve!
Notes
- Switch up the cake mix. I like to opt for Devil’s Food cake instead of classic chocolate for even richer results. You can also use German chocolate cake or triple chocolate.
- Serve hot or cold. As mentioned, many people like to eat this cake once it has chilled. You can enjoy it however you like!
- Make individual-sized portions. Use ramekins to make single servings of this turtle cake recipe for a fun party dessert.
Storage and or Freezing Instructions
- Make-ahead instructions: You can make this recipe a few days in advance if you’d like. In fact, many chefs believe this dessert is best enjoyed after it has chilled for some time!
- Freezing instructions: Allow the cake to cool completely and hold off on adding the glaze and caramel sauce. Then, wrap it in two layers of plastic wrap and one layer of foil. Store it in the freezer for up to 2 months. Allow it to thaw in the fridge overnight, then add the glaze, sauce, and nuts and serve!
- Storage instructions: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge, where they will keep for 4-5 days.
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