Cafe Latte’s Turtle Cake
Cafe Latte’s Turtle Cake is iconic, especially if you live in the Twin Cities area. A St. Paul staple, this establishment is known for it’s bright, swoopy pinky-red neon letters that say “Cafe Latte” but more so for it’s Turtle Cake. Ooey, gooey and absolutely delicious!
This is not a fancy cake…more rustic but equally delicious and very approachable for novice bakers. The more less-perfect, the better! Three layers of decadent chocolate cake sandwiched with creamy chocolate frosting, pecans and caramel sauce. Drizzled, dripped, however you like it…everyone will love it!
We start by baking the chocolate cake layers. When greasing the pan, we add a thin dusting of cocoa powder to help it release better and to give it that extra cocoa flavor.
Combine the egg, buttermilk and oil in a small bowl. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Be sure to sift the cocoa powder prior to adding it to the rest of the dry ingredients to ensure there are no large chunks of cocoa powder.
Then, add the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients and once incorporated, add the hot coffee.
Divide the batter between the 3 pans. It will be runny and will only produce a thin layer. That’s fine as this is a more compact cake.
Bake for about 20 minutes. Let sit in the pan and then remove and let cool completely.
If the layers are domed at all, use a long serrated knife to cut off the edges so that you end up with a flat layer.
Make the frosting by combining the milk, sugar and butter in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, remove from the heat and add the chocolate chips. Whisk until smooth and if you need it to be a little thinner, add in a bit of coffee.
Assemble the cake by placing one layer on your serving dish, spread chocolate frosting, followed by pecans and drizzled caramel sauce. Repeat until you have topped the final layer.
Chill the cake for an hour or two before serving.
By the way, instead of toasted almonds on top, I used candied pecans for a bit more oomph! Either way, this cake is a winner!
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Cafe Latte’s Turtle Cake
Makes: 12 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes plus chill time 1-2 hours
Ingredients
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 cup buttermilk or sour milk (see note below)
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 & 3/4 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 tbsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
Chocolate Frosting:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup milk
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 12-ounce package semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups)
- 1-2 tsp freshly brewed hot coffee, if necessary
Assembly:
- 1 & 1/2 cups pecan halves, toasted and/or candied (see
Chef’s Notes below) - 1/2 cup purchased caramel ice cream topping
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease three 9-inch cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper. Grease the paper; dust with unsweetened cocoa powder. Set pans aside.
In a small bowl, stir together egg, buttermilk and oil; set aside. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Gradually add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, beating with a handheld mixer or whisk until combined. Gradually beat in hot coffee. Pour batter into prepared pans. (Layers will appear shallow.)
Bake for 22 to 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool cakes on a wire racks for 10 minutes. Loosen sides from pans, then invert cakes on racks. Remove cakes from pans. Peel off paper; cool thoroughly.
When the cakes are cool, make the Chocolate Frosting. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and milk. Add cut up butter. Bring to boiling, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add semisweet chocolate pieces. Using a wire whisk, mix until smooth. If frosting is too thick or grainy, stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons freshly brewed hot coffee. If necessary, let stand several minutes before using.
Assembly:
Place 1 cake layer, top-side down, onto a serving plate with a lip. Using an icing spatula or wide knife, work quickly to frost the top of this layer with one-third of the frosting. Arrange one-third of the pecans on top and drizzle with some of the ice cream topping. Top with the second layer, top-side down. Repeat with frosting, pecans and caramel topping. Top with the third layer, right side up. Repeat with remaining frosting, pecans and caramel topping.
Chill cake 1 to 2 hours before serving.
Chef’s Notes:
If you don’t have buttermilk on hand when preparing this cake, substitute sour milk in the same amount. For each cup of sour milk needed, place 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar in a glass measuring cup. Add enough milk to make 1 cup total liquid; stir. Let mixture stand for 5 minutes before using.
If you like, use 1 cup of toasted pecans for the filling layers and 1/2 cup candied pecans for the top layer.
Recipe from Cafe Latte
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