Jul 13 2026

Chocolate Turtle Cake Recipe

Time3h
Serves12

salted caramel, pecan nougatine, carmel creeux

Was this page helpful?

Help improve this recipe for others.

Send this recipe to your inbox.

We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.

Ingredients

Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Cake

Salted Caramel

Pecan Nougatine

Caramel Crèmeux

Method

Cake

  1. 1

    Prepare the Batter

    In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well until combined.

  2. 2

    Add Wet Ingredients

    Add the eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Mix until smooth.

  3. 3

    Incorporate Boiling Water

    Carefully stir in the boiling water until the batter is well combined (the batter will be thin).

  4. 4

    Bake the Cake

    Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

  5. 5

    Cool the Cakes

    Once baked, remove from the oven and let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Salted Caramel

  1. 6

    Make the Caramel

    In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar and water. Cook until the sugar dissolves and turns a golden brown color.

  2. 7

    Add Butter and Cream

    Remove from heat and carefully whisk in the butter and heavy cream. Stir until smooth.

  3. 8

    Season with Salt

    Add the sea salt and stir to combine. Allow to cool slightly before using.

Pecan Nougatine

  1. 9

    Prepare the Nougatine

    In a saucepan, combine sugar and water. Cook over medium heat until the mixture turns amber and caramelizes.

  2. 10

    Add Pecans

    Quickly stir in the pecans until they are evenly coated. Pour the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and let it cool completely.

  3. 11

    Break into Pieces

    Once cool, break the nougatine into small pieces for decoration.

Caramel Crèmeux

  1. 12

    Prepare Gelatin

    In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over cold water and let it bloom for about 5 minutes.

  2. 13

    Make Caramel Base

    In a saucepan, heat the heavy cream and sugar over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture begins to simmer.

  3. 14

    Combine with Egg Yolks

    In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Slowly pour the hot cream mixture into the yolks, whisking constantly to temper them.

  4. 15

    Return to Heat

    Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.

  5. 16

    Add Gelatin and Vanilla

    Remove from heat and add the bloomed gelatin and vanilla extract, stirring until fully combined.

  6. 17

    Chill the Crèmeux

    Pour the mixture into a container and refrigerate until set, about 4 hours.