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Turtle Chocolate Layer Cake

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This Turtle Chocolate Layer Cake starts with rich, decadent and moist chocolate cake layers that are filled with a caramel pecan sauce and covered in a smooth caramel frosting, then finished off with a caramel and ganache drip and chopped pecans! 

Turtle Chocolate Layer Cake

This Turtle Chocolate Layer Cake starts with rich, decadent and moist chocolate cake layers that are filled with a caramel pecan sauce and covered in a smooth caramel frosting, then finished off with a caramel and ganache drip and chopped pecans! 

Why hello there, delicious! I’ve been wanting to make a Turtles flavoured dessert for soooooo so so long now! I made this cake a few weeks ago, but I wanted to get all my Valentines Day desserts out of the way before sharing this beauty. 

This Turtle Chocolate Layer Cake starts with rich, decadent and moist chocolate cake layers that are filled with a caramel pecan sauce and covered in a smooth caramel frosting, then finished off with a caramel and ganache drip and chopped pecans! 

This Turtle Chocolate Layer Cake starts with rich, decadent and moist chocolate cake layers that are filled with a caramel pecan sauce and covered in a smooth caramel frosting, then finished off with a caramel and ganache drip and chopped pecans! 

Turtle Chocolate Layer Cake 

This Turtle Chocolate Layer Cake features four layers of moist and fudgy chocolate cake layers, filled with salted caramel buttercream frosting and a homemade salted caramel pecan sauce! The outside is covered in more salted caramel frosting with a delicious ganache and salted caramel drip and chopped pecans to finish it all off! If that doesn’t sound absolutely tempting, I don’t know what does!

This Turtle Chocolate Layer Cake starts with rich, decadent and moist chocolate cake layers that are filled with a caramel pecan sauce and covered in a smooth caramel frosting, then finished off with a caramel and ganache drip and chopped pecans! 

Although this is a Turtles cake, there actually aren’t any turtles in this recipe. And by turtles I mean the chocolate candy, not actual turtles. I just couldn’t find anywhere to add them, and if we’re being honest, between all of the incredible layers, they weren’t really needed. 

Now I did actually have plans to add turtle chocolates to the cake, so I bought quite a few packs. Since I changed my mind last minute, and didn’t want the chocolates to go to waste (I had to resist eating them all) I decided to create another turtles dessert which I’ll be sharing sometime soon, so look out for more Turtle deliciousness! 

This Turtle Chocolate Layer Cake starts with rich, decadent and moist chocolate cake layers that are filled with a caramel pecan sauce and covered in a smooth caramel frosting, then finished off with a caramel and ganache drip and chopped pecans! 

Chocolate Cake Layers 

This recipe starts with 4 layers of moist chocolate cake. Now this is a brand new chocolate cake recipe that I’ve never used before! In all of my previous chocolate cake and cupcake recipes, I did a simple method of combining dry ingredients with wet ingredients and a bit of hot water. That method was super easy and resulted in a super moist cake. 

However, I found that the cake layers weren’t very stable and fell apart very easily while handling, so I decided to create a butter-based chocolate cake recipe that’s a bit more firm and dense. 

This Turtle Chocolate Layer Cake starts with rich, decadent and moist chocolate cake layers that are filled with a caramel pecan sauce and covered in a smooth caramel frosting, then finished off with a caramel and ganache drip and chopped pecans! 

This Turtle Chocolate Layer Cake starts with rich, decadent and moist chocolate cake layers that are filled with a caramel pecan sauce and covered in a smooth caramel frosting, then finished off with a caramel and ganache drip and chopped pecans! 

The first step in making the cake layers is to sift the dry ingredients together. We use a full 1 and ½ cups cocoa powder which may seem like a lot, but there’s 4 layers of cake so it’s the perfect amount. 

The next step is to cream the butter and sugar together. This step is very crucial because it adds air to the batter and gives it a nice fluffy texture! Please do not skimp on the creaming, the butter and sugar need to be super pale and fluffy so do not move onto the next step until it reaches that stage. This takes about 4-5 minutes for me, but it may take longer depending on the softness of your butter. 

This Turtle Chocolate Layer Cake starts with rich, decadent and moist chocolate cake layers that are filled with a caramel pecan sauce and covered in a smooth caramel frosting, then finished off with a caramel and ganache drip and chopped pecans! 

Next we add the eggs, one at a time, then some sour cream for extra moisture and tenderness. For the flavouring, I combined equal amounts of vanilla extract and instant coffee granules so the coffee can dissolve in the vanilla. 

The coffee is optional but it heightens the rich chocolate flavour! In my other chocolate cake recipes, we would add hot coffee or boiling water at the end which did the same thing, but we aren’t adding that to this recipe so the coffee granules are a great substitute. 

Lastly we’re gonna alternate between adding the dry ingredients in three additions and then add the buttermilk in two additions. So dry, then wet, then dry etc. This keeps your batter nice and smooth while mixing. Speaking of which, this batter is so gorgeous, I wish I took a photo! My previous chocolate cake batter was very thin (as it should be), but this cake batter is nice and thick and silky, I was so tempted to just dip my finger in! Loyal readers get used to this recipe, because it’s definitely gonna be my go-to from now on! 

This Turtle Chocolate Layer Cake starts with rich, decadent and moist chocolate cake layers that are filled with a caramel pecan sauce and covered in a smooth caramel frosting, then finished off with a caramel and ganache drip and chopped pecans! 

Caramel Pecan Filling 

Aside from the chocolate, the main flavour of a Turtle candy is the caramel and pecan filling. So sitting between these layers of fudgy chocolate cake is a pecan caramel sauce filling! 

We start by making a double batch of my Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce, which is totally fool-proof. I’ve included a detailed explanation about how caramel sauce is made in the post, but basically it requires 4 ingredients: granulated sugar, butter, heavy cream and salt. 

Start by melting the sugar in a medium saucepan, then stir in the butter, let it boil, slowly pour in the cream, let it boil some more, then remove from the heat and add the salt. Super easy! 

After making the caramel, I added a cup of chopped toasted pecans and let it cool in the refrigerator overnight. Yes that means you can make it ahead of time, hooray! 

This Turtle Chocolate Layer Cake starts with rich, decadent and moist chocolate cake layers that are filled with a caramel pecan sauce and covered in a smooth caramel frosting, then finished off with a caramel and ganache drip and chopped pecans! 

Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting 

Also sitting between those layers and covering the entire cake is my super fluffy and tasty salted caramel buttercream frosting. 

It’s your average American buttercream recipe with loads of homemade salted caramel sauce (did I mention you have to make a second batch?) mixed right in. Now for my birthday cake recipe, a few people were alarmed by the amount of frosting the recipe makes. I mean, 3 cups of butter and 12 cups of icing sugar does sound like much, but it’ll yield enough frosting to fill, frost and decorate the cake. 

This Turtle Chocolate Layer Cake starts with rich, decadent and moist chocolate cake layers that are filled with a caramel pecan sauce and covered in a smooth caramel frosting, then finished off with a caramel and ganache drip and chopped pecans! 

Caramel and Ganache Drip

Why choose between a ganache drip or a caramel drip when you can have both?! I made a simple 2-ingredient ganache and dripped it over the edges of the cake and poured the rest in the middle. To get the most perfect drips, I poured both the ganache and caramel into separate disposable piping bags and cut off a small tip. Gently squeeze it on the top edges and let gravity do the rest. 

Then repeat the same thing with the caramel sauce. Now here’s the thing, as I mentioned above, I had initially planned on adding some Turtle chocolates to the cake. So I made the sad mistake of piping buttercream rosettes on top of the cake. 

And because of the caramel sauce....they all slid down. Well actually only one slid down because it started sliding immediately after I piped it on so I nuked the idea right away. Luckily I caught the poor rosette before it could ruin the cake, but I did have to pour some more ganache on top to cover the mess on top. 

This Turtle Chocolate Layer Cake starts with rich, decadent and moist chocolate cake layers that are filled with a caramel pecan sauce and covered in a smooth caramel frosting, then finished off with a caramel and ganache drip and chopped pecans! 

This Turtle Chocolate Layer Cake starts with rich, decadent and moist chocolate cake layers that are filled with a caramel pecan sauce and covered in a smooth caramel frosting, then finished off with a caramel and ganache drip and chopped pecans! 

Pecans, Pecans and more Pecans!

Since the Turtle rosette border was a total bust, I decided to decorate the cake with pecans! I mean, it’s one of the 3 main flavours of a Turtle chocolate, so why not? I forgot to mention that I pressed some chopped pecans onto the bottom of the cake before I did the drip. 

See back when I made this cake, I sucked at pressing things into the bottom of cakes, whether it were sprinkles, chocolate chips or pecans. My hand would always leave a dent or everything would fall off, so I would have to individually press them on. 

Fortunately, I made a birthday cake for a client a few days ago and I had to do the same thing with sprinkles, but this time I discovered the perfect method! After frosting the cake, I let it chill in the freezer for a few minutes, then I spread a thin layer of frosting on the area I wanted to add the sprinkles. 

This way I could press the sprinkles onto the fresh buttercream without worrying about leaving a dent because the coating is solid! I highly recommend using this method when adding the pecans to the bottom of this cake. It’s also good for your cake to be chilled before you add the drip, that way the ganache will set up quicker.

This Turtle Chocolate Layer Cake starts with rich, decadent and moist chocolate cake layers that are filled with a caramel pecan sauce and covered in a smooth caramel frosting, then finished off with a caramel and ganache drip and chopped pecans!  

And to finish the top of the cake off, I made a border with the extra pecan halves I had and sprinkled some more in the middle. Nice and simple and super decadent! I can’t wait for you guys to try it. 

Enjoy! 

This Turtle Chocolate Layer Cake starts with rich, decadent and moist chocolate cake layers that are filled with a caramel pecan sauce and covered in a smooth caramel frosting, then finished off with a caramel and ganache drip and chopped pecans! 

>>PIN ME FOR LATER<< 

This Turtle Chocolate Layer Cake starts with rich, decadent and moist chocolate cake layers that are filled with a caramel pecan sauce and covered in a smooth caramel frosting, then finished off with a caramel and ganache drip and chopped pecans! 

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Let’s get baking!

Turtle Chocolate Layer Cake

Turtle Chocolate Layer Cake

Yield: 12-14 slices
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Additional Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes

This Turtle Chocolate Layer Cake starts with rich, decadent and moist chocolate cake layers that are filled with a caramel pecan sauce and covered in a smooth caramel frosting, then finished off with a caramel and ganache drip and chopped pecans! 

Ingredients

Caramel Pecan Filling:

  • 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 cup pecan halves
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup salted butter, cut into cubes
  • 1 cup heavy cream, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)
  • 2 teaspoons fine sea salt

Salted Caramel Sauce:

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 6 tablespoon salted butter, cubed
  • ½ cup heavy cream, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

Chocolate Cake Layers:

  • 2 and ¼ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 and ½ cups unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 and ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 and ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 and ½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 and ¼ cups granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • ¾ cup sour cream, room temperature
  • 1 and ½ tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 and ½ tablespoon instant coffee granules
  • 2 and ¼ cups buttermilk, room temperature

Salted Caramel Buttercream:

  • 3 cups Unsalted Butter, softened to room temperature
  • 12 cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
  • ¾ cup Salted Caramel Sauce, cooled completely(recipe above)
  • 3-6 tablespoon heavy cream or milk, as needed

Ganache Drip:

  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips
  • ½ cup heavy whipping cream

Additional Garnish:

  • 2 cups chopped pecans
  • Whole pecans

Instructions

For the Caramel Pecan Filling:

  1. For the Toasted Pecans: Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat.
  2. In a small bowl, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Drizzle the melted butter onto the pecans and toss together to coat pecans.
  3. Spread pecans onto prepared baking sheet and bake in oven for 5-6 minutes until toasted and fragrant.
  4. Remove the pecans from the oven and roughly chop. Set aside.
  5. For the Caramel Sauce: Add the sugar to a large heavy-bottomed non-stick saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly using a heat resistant rubber spatula or a wooden spoon until the sugar is melted and turns a medium amber caramel colour. Don't worry if the sugar clumps up, just keep stirring and it will melt smoothly. Keep a close eye on the pot as the sugar can easily burn, and you would have to start over again. 
  6. As soon as the caramel turns a deep amber, add the butter cubes, whisking constantly until butter is melted and fully combined. 
  7. Once butter is combined, slowly pour in the heavy cream while whisking vigorously, be careful as it will begin to bubble up furiously. The caramel may begin to clump together if your cream is too cold. If so, just continue stirring until caramel melts back down. 
  8. Allow caramel to boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla (optional) and salt. You can leave out the salt if you don’t want the caramel to be salted. 
  9. Add the chopped toasted pecans to the caramel sauce and stir until combined. 
  10. Let caramel cool to room temperature before pouring into a jar or an airtight container. Set aside or store in the refrigerator until ready to use. 

For the Salted Caramel Sauce:

  1. Repeat the above steps 5-8 to make another smaller batch of salted caramel sauce. Set aside to cool completely or store in a jar or an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use. 

For the Chocolate Cake:

  1. Preheat oven to 350° F (177°C). Prepare four 8-inch round cake pans with parchment rounds, and grease the sides. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, sift flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Whisk to combine, set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 4-6 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
  4. Lower the speed to medium-low and add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition until just combined. Scrape down he sides and bottom of the bowl. 
  5. In a small bowl, combine the vanilla and instant coffee granules. Add the sour cream to the batter along with the vanilla coffee mixture and beat on medium speed until combined.
  6. Alternately add dry ingredients in thirds and buttermilk in 2 additions to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat each addition just until combined. Divide batter equally between the cake pans, a little over 2 cups per pan.
  7. Bake two layers at a time for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and cake springs back when lightly touched.
  8. Remove cakes from oven and allow to cool in pans for about 10 minutes, then turn onto cooling racks to cool completely before frosting. Or at this point, you can wrap all the cake layers tightly in plastic wrap and freeze or refrigerate until ready to assemble. 

For the Salted Caramel Buttercream:

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the softened butter until super pale and fluffy, about 5-6 minutes. 
  2. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.Add half of the powdered sugar, one cup at a time and beat on low speed after each cup until combined. 
  3. Once combined add cooled salted caramel sauce and continue to beat until combined and smooth. 
  4. Add remaining powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing on low speed until it’s all combined. If the frosting is too thick, add heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency. 
  5. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for about 5-7 minutes, or until frosting is light and fluffy. 

For the Ganache:

  1. Put the chocolate chips into a medium bowl. Set aside. 
  2. Heat the heavy whipping cream in a small saucepan until it just begins to boil. 
  3. Remove hot cream from heat then pour it over the chocolate chips. Cover the bowl and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. 
  4. Remove cover and stir ganache until smooth. Set aside to cool. 

Assembly of the Turtle Chocolate Layer Cake:

  1. Use an offset spatula to place a dollop of frosting onto a cake board or serving platter that’s on a turntable. Place one cake layer on top and spread about 1 cup of the salted caramel buttercream on top of the first layer. 
  2. Scoop some frosting into a disposable piping bag and snip off the end. Pipe a rim around the edges of the cake and pour on a cup of the pecan caramel sauce and spread into an even layer. Repeat with all layers, placing the final layer upside down. 
  3. Frost the entire cake with a thin layer of salted caramel buttercream. Chill the cake for 30 minutes. 
  4. Remove cake from refrigerator and frost the entire cake with a thick layer of frosting. Chill cake in the refrigerator for another 30 minutes or in the freezer for 10-20 minutes. 
  5. Remove and spread a thin layer of frosting onto the bottom of the cake. Press the chopped pecans up the bottom so it can stick onto the fresh frosting. 
  6. Pour ganache and remaining caramel sauce into separate disposable piping bags or a ziploc bag and snip off the tip. Drip the ganache off the edge of the cake and fill the center. Use an offset spatula to to spread the ganache over the top. Repeat these steps with the caramel sauce, pouring it on top of the ganache. 
  7. Line some pecan halves around the top to create a border and sprinkle more chopped pecans in the centre. Slice and serve!

Notes

  • TRY THE CUPCAKE VERSION
  • Make ahead: (1) Cake layers can be made ahead of time and double-wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator or freezer. (2) Caramel Pecan Filling and Salted Caramel Sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight jar in the refrigerator. Microwave in 30 second intervals until the caramel is smooth and pourable again. (3) Caramel Frosting can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for several months. Before using — allow frosting to come to room temperature, then re-whip in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer until the frosting is smooth and fluffy. 
  • You may have some frosting left after decorating, but I do not recommend piping a border on top of the cake because it’ll push the caramel down causing the frosting to slide off. 
  • Store cake in an airtight cake storage in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature before serving. 

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 14 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1615Total Fat: 107gSaturated Fat: 57gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 43gCholesterol: 289mgSodium: 820mgCarbohydrates: 165gFiber: 4gSugar: 153gProtein: 9g
© Dedra | QueensleeAppetit
Cuisine: American / Category: Cakes

BON APPÉTIT!

Love, Dedra

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This Turtle Chocolate Layer Cake starts with rich, decadent and moist chocolate cake layers that are filled with a caramel pecan sauce and covered in a smooth caramel frosting, then finished off with a caramel and ganache drip and chopped pecans! 

 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Marlene

    I made this cake and it was a hit. Turned out great. I followed instructions explicitly Only thing I would recommend is to leave yourself a lot of time. I was rushed to get it done before my dinner guests arrived. Thank you for this recipe.

    Reply

  2. Creshanda Crockett

    Thank you for this response because I too want to make a 6" layer version of this cake. Just one more thing, how many 6" pans will I need for this halfed recipe?

    Reply

    • Dedra | QueensleeAppetit

      you'll probably need 3

      Reply

  3. Angela

    Would it hurt to use salted butter instead of unsalted?

    Reply

    • Dedra | QueensleeAppetit

      its always best to use unsalted

      Reply

  4. Jewel

    I plan on making this cake this weekend! It looks so delicious. But what I really wanted to say is your recipe blog deserves a gold star and many out there should come check yours out as an example. At first when I seen all the scrolling I was going to have to do I almost left since I can’t stand scrolling for 5 minutes just to read about someone’s puppy they just got or how their recipe reminds them of their grandparents on the farm when they were a toddler. You actually listed every single thing I needed to know to confidently make this cake and I ENJOYED reading it all! Thank you for in depth explanations and I look forward to making it, but also I have bookmarked your site so I can find more recipes!!

    Reply

    • Dedra | QueensleeAppetit

      Just reading this made my day! Food bloggers have been getting a lot of flack for writing long posts. A lot of folks just want the recipe and nothing else, so to hear that you actually read the post and found the information useful gives me so much joy! Thank you very much for the comment.

      Reply

  5. karol

    Hi Dedra,

    today I baked this cake, I used dutch processed cocoa powder (was the one I had home) and when I took the cake out of the oven it deflated. could it be due to the type of cocoa? I'm trying to save the day tomorrow with the other components but it was a boomer for me to see the cake deflate so fast...

    also I tested with the toothpick and I think pocking those holes affected the structure of the cake... any tips you could give me?

    Reply

    • Dedra | QueensleeAppetit

      Hi Karol,

      dutch processed cocoa is much less acidic than natural unsweetened cocoa, which means if you replaced with the same amount, you'd also have to use different amounts of baking soda and baking powder. Testing with a toothpick should not have any effect on the structure of your cake. Since the written recipe is the one Ive tested many times, I recommend using the exact ingredients listed to achieve the same results.

      Reply

  6. Tina Clement

    Hi Dedra, I don’t have instant coffee. Would you suggest omitting the coffee or would it be possible to use regular coffee granules?

    Reply

    • Dedra | QueensleeAppetit

      Yes you can use regular coffee granules. It enhances the chocolate flavour, so don't leave it out 🙂

      Reply

  7. Jenel

    Is the cocoa powder in this recipe Dutch processed or natural?

    Reply

    • Dedra | QueensleeAppetit

      natural unsweetened cocoa powder

      Reply

  8. Shari

    It probably took me 9 hours to make this recipe as well, but so worth it.

    Reply

    • Dedra | QueensleeAppetit

      I know it's such a big recipe! That's why I split it up to make each part on different days before putting it together on the final day!

      Reply

  9. Shari

    Oh my goodness Dedra! I just made this cake this past weekend for a 50th birthday gathering and everyone was so impressed with it and it tasted unbelievably decadent. My friends said I should become a professional cake baker. I’ve made a few nice cakes in the past but this one literally “took the cake”. I have never tasted something as amazing as this before. Thank you for sharing your recipe Dedra!!

    Reply

    • Dedra | QueensleeAppetit

      Thank YOU so much for making it! Im so happy to hear it turned out amazing for you!

      Reply

  10. Maf5002

    I made this cake over the weekend! It took me all day but it was worth it! Best cake for a caramel chocolate lover! I switched out the coffee granules for 1 tsp espresso powder and it was a fabulous cake.

    Reply

  11. Sylvie

    hello, it is an outstanding cake!! do you think replacing all purpose flour with gluten free flour would work? i would really love to bake it..
    thank you

    Reply

    • Dedra | QueensleeAppetit

      Yes, all purpose gluten free flour should work. Let me know how it goes!

      Reply

  12. K.M.

    Ok so I just have to say that I made this cake recently for my mom & aunt's birthday and everybody a) was so impressed by it and b) said that it was the best cake they had ever had and that it was the equivalent of cakes people pay $60 for at a store or bakery.
    Thank you for such a delicious recipe and for such easy instructions! Yes, it took some time to make but the results were so worth it! I felt like a professional baker at home! XD

    Reply

  13. Bethany

    Amazing cake!!! Took quite a bit of time but soooo worth it! Thank you for sharing.

    Reply

  14. Emily

    Could you make this recipe leaving out the coffee granules? Some of my family isn’t big on coffee.

    Reply

    • Dedra | QueensleeAppetit

      You don’t taste the coffee granules in the cake. It’s just there to enhance the chocolate flavour, but you can leave it out if you want.

      Reply

  15. Sabrina

    Hello,
    Is it possible to make this cake, leaving the buttercream as the outer/final layer with no toppings and freezing it? I have a few birthdays coming up and I can’t make all the cakes at once. Thanks in advance.

    Reply

    • Dedra | QueensleeAppetit

      Yes, freeze it uncovered for 4 hours, then double wrap it in plastic wrap and another layer of foil.

      Reply

  16. Emily

    I wanted to make this cake for my brothers graduation party but only have 4 9 inch pans? Any suggestions on what to change for using 9 inch pans?

    Reply

    • Dedra | QueensleeAppetit

      Not much changes at all. The layers will be thinner, but the baking time should stay the same.

      Reply

  17. Melanie

    Thank you so much! I’m sure it’ll work out great. I’ll be sure to email you some pictures 🙂

    Reply

  18. Melanie

    My family loves this cake! I made it for Thanksgiving this past year and my fiancé wants me to make it again for his groom’s cake! I wanted to ask if you had any suggestions as to how to cut down the recipe for a 6” layer cake? Now with restrictions in place limiting large gatherings, our wedding is going to be super small with just our parents and siblings present, so we don’t need a massive 8” cake. Thank you so much!

    Reply

    • Dedra | QueensleeAppetit

      Alright so first, I suggest cutting out the salted caramel sauce recipe and only making the caramel pecan filling.

      When you finished making the caramel for the filling, divide it between 2 bowls and add 1/2 cup chopped pecans to 1 half and leave the other half plain for the other parts of the recipe.

      Cut the chocolate cake recipe in half. I have a recipe on here for Dark Chocolate Cupcakes, that recipe has the halved amounts for this cake.

      Since you’ll be baking it in a 6-inch pan, start with the baking time in the recipe. Then insert a toothpick into the centre of the cake, if the batter is still wet, continue to bake and test every 5 minutes until it’s ready.

      Cut the buttercream recipe in half:
      1 and 1/2 cups butter
      6 cups powdered sugar
      6 Tbsp caramel
      2-3 Tbsp heavy cream or milk

      Halved Ganache Recipe:
      1/2 cup chocolate chips
      1/4 cup heavy cream

      Hope this helps. Email me if you have anymore questions.

      Reply

  19. Ella

    I made this cake for Christmas. It was really good, everyone enjoyed it. Everyone loved it and I would definitely recommend

    Reply

  20. Pam

    OMG, this looks incredibly delicious, and I can't wait to try this! Thank you so much for sharing!!!

    Reply

    • Dedra | QueensleeAppetit

      You’re welcome! Let me know how it goes 🙂

      Reply

  21. Lindsay

    Do you think this cake recipe would work well as cupcakes? If so, any idea how many it would make? Thanks!

    Reply

    • Dedra | QueensleeAppetit

      I was actually planning on making a cupcake version of this cake in the New Year! But if you can’t wait, then you can see my Dark Chocolate Cupcakes recipe for instructions on how to bake this cake as cupcakes. You can use the cake recipe here, which will make about 38 or use the dark chocolate cupcake recipe which is halved and makes 19.

      Reply

  22. Alli

    i made this cake a few months ago and it's the BEST chocolate cake i've ever had! I want to make it for my roommate's birthday, but don't have any cake pans. can i bake this in a bundt pan without changing the texture?

    Reply

    • Dedra | QueensleeAppetit

      Hi Ali,

      I’m beyond happy that you enjoyed this cake! You can bake this cake in a bundt pan, however the texture will change. It’ll be denser than it is in layer cake form, but it won’t be as dense as a traditional bundt cake. And of course, the baking time will be longer. I’m guessing twice as long, but I’m not certain. It’ll be done when a skewer inserted comes out with almost no crumbs. Let me know how it turns out!

      Reply

  23. rasheed

    hey i just wanted to know if it was spooned dip and sweep method for flour

    Reply

    • Dedra | QueensleeAppetit

      Not sure what you’re talking about. Do you mean how to measure the flour? If so, yes, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and swipe off the excess with the back of a butter knife.

      Reply

  24. Nic

    I made this cake! It didn't turn out nearly as pretty as yours, but it was DELICIOUS. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  25. Baking Guy

    Wicked cake. Huge, delicious, decadent ... and gooey. Mmmm ....

    For those thinking they would like something a little smaller (but still 4 layer effect when cut), reduce the cake recipe by half to just bake two cake pans, and then slice them horizontally in half to create 4 cakes. Reduce the icing by 1/4 and you’ll still have plenty for the cake.

    Reply

  26. Chelsea

    For the salted caramel - love how easy the recipe is. I would suggest using half the amount of salt if you don’t like it super salty. It was a bit much for me, but the caramel base was excellent!

    Reply

  27. Lena

    Hi,
    Can I use 2 8 inch pans, and then divide it? Cause I don‘like letting remaining cake dough to bake after 1/2 h or something, after being finished.
    Thank you,
    Regatds from Vienna, I wanna make this cake for weekend now 😃

    Reply

    • Dedra | QueensleeAppetit

      Hi,

      The batter may over flow if you put it all in 2 8-inch pans. If letting the remaining batter sit covered is a problem, you could try to cut the recipe in half and just make 2 separate batches to bake all 4 cake layers.

      Reply

      • Lena

        Hi there! I made this cake indeed, following your advice, to make 2 separate batches, and it worked great! Many of my family members and friends enjoyed their pieces, commenting that it‘s the best cake they ever ate!!! This one is now one of my top favourite cakes ever, I swear 😍
        Thank you for sharing this receipe- I don‘t have Instagram account, but on Pinterest you will find my photo, under your Pin with this receipe. Best regards!

        Reply

        • Dedra | QueensleeAppetit

          That is so amazing to hear! Thank you, I’m happy everyone enjoyed it ♥️ And this is also one of my top 3 favourite cakes too!

          Reply

  28. Amber

    So, funny story.... I asked my 11-yr old to pick the cake she wanted to make for her dad’s birthday (from my saved recipes on Pinterest). She chose this one. I read through it all and said to her, “you sure picked a doozie!” We don’t bake often, FYI. Well, we made it, and OMG!! So incredible!! It may have taken us 9 hours, instead of 2 hrs and 45 mins as shown...but, will never forget it ❤️

    Reply

    • Dedra | QueensleeAppetit

      The prep time I put is just the amount of time it takes to make each part of the cake. Honestly it took me about 3 days, 1 day for the cake, another for the filling, then putting it all together on the final day. This just takes off a ton of stress for me, lol. But thank you for choosing this recipe and I’m so very glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply

  29. Prathima

    I have tried so many chocolate recipes in my life and this one is an absolute keeper. More like a mud cake but deliciously moist.

    Reply

    • Dedra | QueensleeAppetit

      Thank you very much, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply

  30. Minnie

    OMG, I am new to your site and this cake lets me know what I been missing

    Reply

    • Dedra | QueensleeAppetit

      Thank you very much, and welcome! 🙂

      Reply

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