The holidays are weeks away so let the major cooking preparation begin. I’ve already started my list of holiday baking ingredients like spices, sugar, flour, baking soda and powder and lots more. Take an inventory of your pantry and purchase a few items on every trip to the market, this will eliminate the sticker shock on that major shopping day. I started buying butter a month ago and I’ve been stocking my freezer with tons of butter. My kitchen literally turns into a bakery store front during Thanksgiving and Christmas and with butter being almost $4 bucks a pound, I need to stock up for all the baking on my holiday list. Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing mouth-watering bake goods and specialty cakes that take a little more effort but they will be well worth it. For starters, how about this gooey caramel nutty delight, The Turtle cake. This cake is extra moist and satisfies the chocolate, candy lover in all of us. Place this cake front and center on the dessert table for a Wow moment, it might just steal the show.

Enjoy,

MJ

For cake:
Butter and unsweetened cocoa powder for pans
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 c. buttermilk
2/3 c. vegetable oil
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 c. freshly brewed hot coffee

For chocolate frosting:
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. whole milk
6 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
1 12-oz. package (2 c.) semisweet chocolate pieces
1 to 2 tsp. freshly brewed hot coffee, optional
1 1/2 c. pecan halves, toasted
½ c. purchased caramel ice cream topping

Directions
To prepare cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter bottom and sides of 3/ 9-inch cake pans and line bottom of each pan with parchment paper. Butter the paper; dust pans with unsweetened cocoa powder and set pans aside.
In a small bowl, stir together egg, buttermilk and oil and reserve. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Using an electric mixer on low-speed, gradually add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, beating until combined. Gradually beat in coffee.
Divide batter evenly between prepared pans; layers will appear shallow. (If you only have two 9-inch cake pans, refrigerate 1/3 of the batter while you bake the other two layers. Clean and prepare one of the pans as directed, and bake remaining batter.)
Bake until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean, about 22 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool cakes on a wire racks for 10 minutes. Loosen sides from pans, invert cakes on racks. Remove cakes from pans. Peel off paper; cool completely.

To prepare frosting: In a medium saucepan, combine sugar and milk. Add butter. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add semisweet chocolate pieces. Using a wire whisk, stir until smooth. If frosting is too thick or grainy, stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons freshly brewed coffee. If necessary, let frosting stand several minutes before using.

To assemble cake: When the cakes are cool, 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 caramel topping. Top with the second layer, top-side down. Repeat with frosting, pecans and caramel topping. Top with the third layer, top side up. Repeat with remaining frosting, pecans and caramel topping. Chill cake 1 to 2 hours before serving (some caramel topping will ooze from the cake as it chills).

Source: Café Latte’s Restaurant via
http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/taste/blogs/137382833.html