Chocolate Caramel Turtle Layer Cake

This cake brought in about $50 at a silent auction. I am pleased.

When a coworker asked if I could donate a cake or two for a benefit, 

I said yes and immediately told her I could make a chocolate caramel turtle cake.

Obviously, my brain had already been thinking about cake! 

Yes, I had been looking at cake pictures and made up my mind to make a "naked cake meets turtle layer cake".

Naked wedding cakes continue to be popular, but I didn't want to tackle a wedding cake. Instead, I chose to make a naked three layer cake combined with a chocolate caramel turtle cake! Marvelous isn't it? My cake was inspired by a cake picture I saw over on another blog.  

The Filling
Caramel butter cream frosting, chopped chocolate pecan mini-turtle candy, drizzled caramel sauce, and drizzled chocolate glaze sounds decadent doesn't it? The caramel butter cream frosting is also used to pipe the rosettes onto the chocolate glazed cake top. Scroll down below the frosting recipe for specific directions on how to fill the cake layers. 

The Cake Layers
I used two Devil's Food Chocolate cake mixes and prepared them according to package directions. I baked four 9" layers, but only used three. I wrapped the extra layer in plastic wrap and put it in the freezer to use for a dessert. I am thinking of a layered dessert using chocolate cake, pie filling, and whipped topping. 

To Stack the Caramel Chocolate Turtle Cake
Level the tops of two layers and stack them top down with filling in between.
The top layer still has the domed top on it and it's stacked top side up. The chocolate glaze is poured over the cake top and spread quickly with a spoon. Scroll down below the frosting recipe for specific directions on how to fill the cake layers. 

Recipes

1. Two Ingredient Caramel Sauce

15 unwrapped caramel candy squares
1 Tbsp of milk

• Microwave the candy and milk  for about 1 minute or until the candy is melted. 
• Stir until smooth. 
• If the sauce is too thick, add 1 tsp. of milk and stir into the melted caramels. 
• Drizzle the sauce from a spoon onto your cake filling, cupcake etc. 

2. Chocolate Glaze

1/3 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp. cocoa
2-3 Tbsp. hot water

• Heat butter in a saucepan until melted

• Stir in powdered sugar and cocoa with a whisk. It will clump up, but that is okay.
• Whisk in the hot water, one tablespoon at a time, until the glaze has a smooth consistency like honey or thick syrup. 
• Drizzle glaze from a spoon, or pour onto the top of a  9 inch layer cake.

The glaze sets up quickly and needs to be stirred frequently as you are using it.

3. Salted Caramel Butter Cream 
Ingredients

1/2 cup shortening
1 cup salted butter, softened 
2 lbs powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
15 caramel candy squares, unwrapped
1/4-1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp. fine sea salt

Directions

• Place shortening and butter in a large bowl and blend with an electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Gradually add 1/3 of the powdered sugar and continue beating until combined
• Add vanilla extract and 1/4 cup of milk
• Gradually add another 1/3 of the powdered sugar and continue beating until combined.
• Add last 1/3 of powdered sugar and beat until combined. 
• Next, put 1 Tbsp of milk in a microwaveable bowl and add caramel candy squares
• Microwave on high for about 60 seconds or until the candy is melted.
• Stir until smooth
• Add the melted caramels and 1/4 tsp of fine sea salt to the butter cream frosting and stir until combined.
•  If necessary, add up to 4 Tbsp of milk, 1 Tbsp at a time until the frosting is smooth and thick, 
• Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap until the frosting is ready to use.

To Use the Frosting as a Cake Filling 

• Put a 1M decorating tip into a 12 to 16 inch pastry bag.
• Fill the pastry bag with frosting.
• Pipe a nice, thick line of frosting 1/4 inch from the edge of the cake layer.
• Using a spoon, put about 1 cup of frosting inside the piped circle and spread it out inside the circle. 
• Add chopped pecan turtle candy; drizzle caramel sauce and  chocolate glaze over the chopped candy.