When I was in college, Café Latte was a storied magical place we without cars only heard about. Later, when I was halfway across the country, in my search for the best chocolate cake recipe, someone pointed me in the direction of the famous Café Latte Turtle Cake!
I cannot even describe the thrill. It was shocking how easy it was to make. So much so, that the "active" time is really only 15 minutes or so.
People love, love, LOVE this cake. To the point where I am so sick of it. But people love it. People who don't normally eat dessert love this cake. Even men who do not eat dessert love this cake. Some call it THE cake.
The best story about this cake, is when my friends Christa and Jose welcomed their new baby. I first met Christa and Jose when they helped push my car out of a ditch in the middle of the night during a terrible sleetstorm. They drove away with nothing but thanks. Months later, our paths crossed again via our friend Amy, and the rest, they say is history.
When Christa gave birth, I brought them this cake. Her father loved it so much that he told Café Latte about it. Long and short of it is, this cake rocks.
PS If you aren't the greatest cake baker you can use good old cake in a box. Honestly, nobody will be the wiser.
I cannot even describe the thrill. It was shocking how easy it was to make. So much so, that the "active" time is really only 15 minutes or so.
People love, love, LOVE this cake. To the point where I am so sick of it. But people love it. People who don't normally eat dessert love this cake. Even men who do not eat dessert love this cake. Some call it THE cake.
The best story about this cake, is when my friends Christa and Jose welcomed their new baby. I first met Christa and Jose when they helped push my car out of a ditch in the middle of the night during a terrible sleetstorm. They drove away with nothing but thanks. Months later, our paths crossed again via our friend Amy, and the rest, they say is history.
When Christa gave birth, I brought them this cake. Her father loved it so much that he told Café Latte about it. Long and short of it is, this cake rocks.
PS If you aren't the greatest cake baker you can use good old cake in a box. Honestly, nobody will be the wiser.
Café Latte’s Famous Turtle Cake
Adapted from Café Latte
1 egg
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk and 1 tbsp vinegar)
2 cups flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking soda
1 cup hot coffee
Frosting
1/2 cup milk
1 cup sugar
6 tbsp butter
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chocolate chunks
3/4 cup caramel (store bought)
1 1/2 cups pecans, toasted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line three 9" cake pans with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients - flour, sugar, cocoa, salt, baking soda. In a separate bowl, lightly beat together the egg, oil and buttermilk. Slowly beat the dry ingredients. Very carefully add the hot coffee, beating slowly. Distribute batter evenly among the pans. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cakes on wire racks.
For the frosting, bring the sugar, milk and butter to boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate chips and stir with a whisk until smooth.
Assemble
Put a generous tablespoon of frosting in the middle of the cake plate. Place the thickest (because they probably won't all exactly be the same size) cake upside down on the plate so that the flat bottom faces up. Spread a third of the frosting on top, drizzle a third of the caramel, add a fourth of the pecans. Repeat with the next two layers of cake, putting the extra pecans on top, and making the top much prettier. If the frosting and caramel start to drip down the sides, that's ok.
For a crowd: If you are even thinking of transporting this cake, make sure you chill it for at least an hour or so. Make sure that the frosting is nice and solid looking or the top layers of the cake might end up on your car seat. I know this from experience. Enjoy!
Adapted from Café Latte
1 egg
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk and 1 tbsp vinegar)
2 cups flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking soda
1 cup hot coffee
Frosting
1/2 cup milk
1 cup sugar
6 tbsp butter
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chocolate chunks
3/4 cup caramel (store bought)
1 1/2 cups pecans, toasted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line three 9" cake pans with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients - flour, sugar, cocoa, salt, baking soda. In a separate bowl, lightly beat together the egg, oil and buttermilk. Slowly beat the dry ingredients. Very carefully add the hot coffee, beating slowly. Distribute batter evenly among the pans. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cakes on wire racks.
For the frosting, bring the sugar, milk and butter to boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate chips and stir with a whisk until smooth.
Assemble
Put a generous tablespoon of frosting in the middle of the cake plate. Place the thickest (because they probably won't all exactly be the same size) cake upside down on the plate so that the flat bottom faces up. Spread a third of the frosting on top, drizzle a third of the caramel, add a fourth of the pecans. Repeat with the next two layers of cake, putting the extra pecans on top, and making the top much prettier. If the frosting and caramel start to drip down the sides, that's ok.
For a crowd: If you are even thinking of transporting this cake, make sure you chill it for at least an hour or so. Make sure that the frosting is nice and solid looking or the top layers of the cake might end up on your car seat. I know this from experience. Enjoy!
4 comments:
That is really nice. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Take the Cake Personality Test and find out which cake are you like. I have taken the test and enjoyed a lot. Hope u too will enjoy it. Have Fun!!
I was sent to Cafe Latte for the cake as a part of my deciding if I even wanted to go to Carleton...it was part of the sell. Years later when I lived in St. Paul, I was a regular, living less than a block away...and now I have been promised that I can use the gluten free betty crocker mix and just fill in with the frosting/caramel mixture...you are a genius!
What do you suggest as an alternative to the pecans for someone with a nut allergy? Would peanuts work? Or should I just leave the pecans out?
Andrea: Great comment. Yes, if you don't want to make the cake from scratch, such as if you have allergies, definitely use one from a box
Mothering Mini:
Good question. Walnuts are a good substitute for pecans. Peanuts would work as well. As would coconut or chocolate chunks or just some extra caramel... (I use the kind with the gingham covers- bonne maman I think they are called... one jar is good for about 3 turtle cakes).
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