Description
Homemade caramel turtle poke cake delivers rich chocolate layers infused with smooth caramel and crunchy pecans. Chocolate lovers will appreciate this indulgent dessert that combines classic flavor combinations into one incredible sweet experience.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 box chocolate cake mix
- 3 eggs
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (240 ml) water
- 1 cup (240 ml) caramel sauce or dulce de leche
- 1 cup (120 g) chopped pecans
- ½ cup (90 g) mini chocolate chips
- 1 (8 oz / 225 g) container whipped topping
- ¼ cup (60 ml) caramel sauce
- ¼ cup (60 ml) chocolate syrup
- ¼ cup (30 g) chopped pecans
Instructions
- Cake Preparation: Preheat the oven to 350F (175C) and prepare the chocolate cake in a 9×13-inch pan according to package instructions, ensuring even baking and proper pan preparation.
- Creating Cake Channels: While the cake is still warm, methodically puncture multiple holes across the entire surface using a wooden spoon handle to create pathways for flavor absorption.
- Caramel Infusion: Pour caramel sauce generously over the perforated cake, guiding the liquid deep into the created tunnels and distributing uniformly with a spatula to ensure complete saturation.
- Textural Layer Development: Scatter finely chopped pecans and miniature chocolate chips across the caramel-soaked surface, creating a rich, crunchy dimension to the dessert.
- Cooling and Stabilization: Allow the cake to cool to room temperature, enabling caramel and toppings to seamlessly integrate into the cake’s structure.
- Topping Application: Spread a smooth, even layer of whipped topping completely over the caramel and nut-studded surface, concealing the underlying textural landscape.
- Decorative Finishing: Elegantly drizzle additional caramel sauce and chocolate syrup in artistic zigzag patterns across the whipped topping, enhancing visual appeal and flavor complexity.
- Final Garnish and Chilling: Sprinkle remaining pecan fragments as a final embellishment, then refrigerate for a minimum of one hour to allow flavors to meld and the dessert to set perfectly before serving.
Notes
- Choose Quality Ingredients: Select premium chocolate cake mix, fresh pecans, and high-quality caramel sauce for rich, deep flavors that elevate the dessert’s overall taste profile.
- Create Perfect Cake Holes: Use a wooden spoon handle or chopstick with consistent pressure to make uniform holes, ensuring even caramel distribution throughout the cake’s interior.
- Control Caramel Absorption: Pour caramel sauce slowly and systematically, allowing it to seep deeply into cake holes without overwhelming the cake’s structure or making it overly soggy.
- Chill for Maximum Flavor Fusion: Refrigerate the cake for at least one hour, but not more than 6 hours, to allow ingredients to meld together while maintaining the cake’s ideal texture and preventing potential sogginess.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 11
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 32 g
- Sodium: 250 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 51 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg