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    Home » Course » Desserts

    Turtle Cake

    Published Dec 24, 2022 | Updated Oct 24, 2024 | By Laura

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    The gooey sweet caramel contrasted with the rich chocolate and pecans makes this Turtle Cake hard to resist!

    Mamaw Estine’s recipes are quite popular on Dinner in 3, 2, 1! They’re old-timey desserts that she’s brought to family gatherings, church revivals and homecomings for decades. Every grandchild and great-grandchild has their “Tine-Tine” favorite, and this one is my sisters. We know you’ll enjoy it!

    If you're a fan of the classic Turtle Cake flavors, you should definitely check out these Turtle Cheesecake Cookies! It's hard to stop at 1!

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    Table of Contents

    • What You’ll Need
    • Tools You’ll Need
    • How to Make This Recipe
    • Tips and Recipe Substitutions
    • More Recipes Like This
    • Turtle Cake
      • Ingredients 1x2x3x4x5x
      • Instructions
      • Video

    What You’ll Need

    • German Chocolate Cake Mix
    • Vegetable or Canola Oil
    • Eggs
    • Butter
    • Evaporated Milk
    • Caramel Candies
    • Butterscotch Chips
    • Chocolate Chips
    • Pecans
    • Powdered Sugar

    Tools You’ll Need

    • Hand Mixer
    • 13”x9” Baking Dish
    • Spatula

    How to Make This Recipe

    1. First you’re going to make the cake batter per package directions with a hand mixer. Once well combined, mix in the butter and evaporated milk. This batter is silky and has a lot of volume!
    1. Pour half of the batter into a buttered 13x9 pan and bake 15 minutes at 350°F.
    2. Meanwhile, in a microwave safe bowl, melt caramels and evaporated milk together in 20 second intervals, stirring until smooth. 
    3. Remove the par-baked cake from the oven and pour the caramel on top. Spread evenly, then top with butterscotch chips, chocolate chips and pecans. Pour and spread remaining batter evenly on top.
    4. Bake 20-25 minutes or until cooked through. Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar.

    Tips and Recipe Substitutions

    • Both Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker cake mix brands work in this recipe.
    • The butterscotch chips can be substituted with additional chocolate chips.

    More Recipes Like This

    • Mamaw's Hoe Cakes and Pone of Cornbread
    • Applesauce Jam Cake
    • Mamaw's Hoe Cakes and Pone of Cornbread
    Print Recipe Rate this Recipe Pin Recipe
    4.67 from 3 votes

    Turtle Cake

    The gooey sweet caramel contrasted with the rich chocolate and pecans makes this cake one hard to resist!
    Prep Time15 minutes mins
    Cook Time45 minutes mins
    Total Time1 hour hr
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: cake
    Servings: 18 Servings
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    Ingredients
     

    • 15.25 oz German Chocolate Cake mix
    • 1 ¼ cup water
    • ½ cup vegetable or canola oil
    • 3 eggs
    • ¾ cup butter melted and slightly cooled
    • ⅔ cup evaporated milk divided
    • 14 oz caramels
    • ½ cup butterscotch chips
    • ½ cup chocolate chips
    • 1 cup chopped pecans
    • ¼ cup powdered sugar

    Instructions

    • In a large bowl, whip the cake mix, water, oil and eggs with a hand mixer until well combined. Add melted butter and ⅓ cup of the evaporated milk. Pour half of the batter into a greased 13”x9” pan.
    • Bake 350°F for 15 minutes. 
    • Meanwhile, in a microwave safe bowl, melt caramels and evaporated milk together in 20 second intervals, stirring until smooth.
    • Remove the par-baked cake from the oven and pour the caramel on top. Spread evenly, then top with butterscotch chips, chocolate chips and pecans. Pour and spread remaining batter evenly on top.
    • Bake 20-25 minutes or until cooked through. Sprinkle the top with powdered sugar.

    Video

    Tried this recipe?Mention @dinnerin321 or tag #dinnerin321!

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    Filed Under: Desserts

    Laura

    About Laura

    Taught by some of the best, cooking and entertaining has always been my favorite hobby. Food is my love language! The conception of Dinner in 321 came from my family talks that sharing our dinners would help others learn new skills, tasty recipes, and make cooking fun! Read more...

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    Comments

      4.67 from 3 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Ryann

      April 24, 2023 at 5:39 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is delicious. This has become my wife's favorite.

      Reply
      • Laura Ashley

        April 27, 2023 at 1:22 pm

        Thank you so much!!😁 I’m so happy it’s been a hit!

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    Welcome to my kitchen! I'm Laura Ashley, and I'm excited you're here! As a registered dietitian and diabetes educator, I love cooking all kinds of food and trying new restaurants. Food is my love language! Here at Dinner in 3, 2, 1, I serve up delicious and nutritious recipes you and your family will love.

    More about me →

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