Cafe Latte's Turtle Cake

Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1 cup buttermilk or 1 cup sour milk
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups flour (i use unbleached)
• 2 3/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup brewed coffee, hot
• 2 teaspoons brewed coffee, hot
• 1/2 cup milk
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 (12 ounce) package semisweet chocolate pieces (2 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups pecan halves, toasted
• 3/4 cup caramel topping

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350°f.
• 2 grease three 9-inch round cake pans.
• 3 line the bottom of each with parchment paper.
• 4 grease the paper.
• 5 dust with unsweetened cocoa powder.
• 6 in a small bowl combine the egg, buttermilk and oil; set aside.
• 7 in a large bowl, sift together flour, 1 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
• 8 gradually add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, beating with an electric mixer until combined.
• 9 gradually beat in 1 cup hot brewed coffee.
• 10 pour batter into prepared pans; spread evenly. (layers will appear shallow).
• 11 bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean.
• 12 cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes.
• 13 loosen sides from pans, invert cakes on racks.
• 14 remove cakes from pans.
• 15 peel off paper; cool thoroughly.
• 16 when cool, prepare the frosting.
• 17 in a small saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup milk.
• 18 add 6 tablespoons butter.
• 19 bring to boiling, stirring constantly.
• 20 remove from heat.
• 21 add 12 semi-sweet chocolate pieces.
• 22 whisk until smooth.
• 23 if frosting seems to thick or grainy, stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons freshly brewed hot coffee.
• 24 (frosting makes about 2 1/2 cups).
• 25 place 1 cake layer, top-side down, onto a serving plate.
• 26 using an icing spatula or wide knife, work quickly to frost top of this layer with 1/3 of the frosting, pushing it out slightly from edges to make ripple or pedal effect.
• 27 arrange 1/3 of the pecans on top and drizzle with 1/4 cup of the caramel topping.
• 28 top with the second layer, top-side down.
• 29 repeat the above frosting steps with 1/3 of the frosting, pecans and caramel topping.
• 30 top with the third layer, right side up.
• 31 repeat with frosting, pecans and caramel topping.
• 32 chill cake 1 to 2 hours before serving.