Turtle Chocolate Cake (Gluten Free)

I love turtle candies! They are the first thing I buy if I see them on display. And I am always drawn to desserts with chocolate, caramel, and pecans. Today’s Turtle Chocolate Cake is my dream come true. All the flavors of the candies but in cake form. Hallelujah!

It has a layer of sinfully delicious chocolate cake topped with ethereal whipped cream sprinkled with crunchy chopped pecans and mini chocolate chips. This cake is served chilled, so it’s perfect for these hot summer days! Enjoy every bite!

This is such an easy recipe to make. It starts with a boxed cake mix and readily available add-ins. You’ll have this made in no time! And feel free to improvise on the add-ins. I like the mini caramel bits so you get caramel in every bite, but you can use whatever you like.

The light whipped cream is the perfect complement to the deep chocolate cake. This is a dessert that won’t weigh you down and is perfect after a heavy meal.

I make my own whipped cream because it tastes much better and only has a few ingredients (cream, vanilla, and sugar) instead of all the chemicals in most pre-made whipped toppings. But feel free to use whichever you prefer.

I love that this Turtle Chocolate Cake is a chilled dessert, which means you can make it early in the day or a day ahead and have it all ready to serve before your guests even arrive! That leaves plenty of time to get everything else made, the table set, and a drink station set up. Let the party begin!

If you have any leftovers, they will hold beautifully in the refrigerator in a covered container. The 9×13-inch baking pan I use has its own lid making it super simple to make and store.

I hope you make this turtle chocolate cake soon and enjoy it on a warm, balmy evening after a beautiful day filled with fun and laughter! Happy Chocolate Monday!

Did you enjoy this recipe? Let me know in the comments and leave a star rating, I love hearing from you!

Ingredients needed for Turtle Chocolate Cake:

• Boxed chocolate cake mix or gluten-free chocolate cake mix
• Mini caramel bits, heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract
• Pecans, mini semisweet chocolate chips, caramel sauce

 

PRO Tip:

If you want to make this cake more than a couple days in advance, bake and cool the cake. Leave plain and wrap it tightly in plastic for up to 3 days. Before you are ready to serve, cover with the whipped cream and sprinkle the top with the mini chocolate chips and chopped pecans. Chill again, covered, for at least 2 hours. Drizzle with caramel sauce, cut, and serve.

 

How to make Turtle Chocolate Cake:

1. Mix the cake according to package directions adding anything it requires. Mix in the caramel bits. Pour into a parchment-lined baking pan and bake at 350°F (177°C) according to package directions. Transfer to a wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
2. Whip the heavy cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla until medium peaks form. Place in the refrigerator to keep cool.
3. Evenly spread the whipped cream over the cooled surface of the cake. Sprinkle the top with the chopped pecans and mini chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
4. Cut the cake, evenly drizzle each piece with the caramel sauce (if using), and serve.

 

PRO Tip:

You can use a regular spoon to drizzle the caramel over the cake pieces if you like. I used a small spoon from my flatware set and it worked well. You could also transfer the caramel sauce to a squeeze bottle and use that if you prefer.

 

PRO Tip:

Weighing your ingredients, especially with the dry ingredients in baking, will help guarantee consistent and delicious results. Scales are not too expensive and are worth the investment. It will take you a little time to get used to weighing everything, but soon it will be second nature and you’ll find it is faster and easier than using measuring cups, not to mention a whole lot more accurate!

 

Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):

• Chef’s knife
• Cutting board
• Kitchen scale
• 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking pan
• Parchment paper sheets
• Stand mixer or hand mixer

 

Gluten-Free Tips:

*You can adjust any baking recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams per cup of my favorite gluten-free flour blend. If you are using another brand of gluten-free flour, whisk the mix, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup until mounded, level off the top with the back of a knife, and weigh the flour left in the cup. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Do this for each flour blend you use. Commercial blends such as Pamela’s All-Purpose Artisan Blend, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good choices.

All recommended ingredients are gluten-free as of the writing of this article. Always check to be sure the products haven’t changed and are still safe to consume.

 

 

Create a New Tradition Today!

 

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