This month is all about chocolate. Rich, luscious chocolate. I love the stuff. I would swim in it if it was socially acceptable. I would eat if for breakfast, lunch and dinner if I could. Any excuse to bake with chocolate is a great day in my world. Today is a fabulous day. I was able to bake with chocolate and turn it into a turtle treat.
For those who know me well, you know how much I adore all things turtle. If I can find a way to make any dish a turtle dish I'm going to try. Honestly turtles make my heart go pitter patter. The only thing that compares in my world to turtles is pizza. One of my dear friends, Izzy of Crumb knows my extreme love of chocolate, turtles and pizza so when she guest posted for me in the summer she combined all those things into a Turtle Pizza. Can you say "heaven on a plate".
When the theme for February's Bundt was announced I think I pounced like a cougar (not THAT kind) and wrote "Turtle Bundt" on the list about .345 seconds after it was posted. I'm sure some folks are rolling their eyes and saying "oh that Lunie, she's so predictable". But I really don't give a good gosh dang to be bluntly honest. I'm sitting here typing with a mouth full of turtle bundt cake while you're eating a boring salad so I think I can deal. I think I got the "not so short end of the stick" on that deal. Honestly if I could marry this cake I would. I think hubs might take an exception to that though. It's okay hubs, I love ya, but man it's turtle freaking bundt cake for crying out loud. Cut me some slack here.
If you are craving chocolate this is your cake. If you dig turtles this is your cake. If you love pecans this is your cake. If you are a caramel junkie this is your cake. I dig all those things so this is my cake. You go make your own man! Mitts off mine!
Chocolate Turtle Bundt Cake #Bundtamonth
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder you can dial that back, I wanted lots
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon vanilla salt plain is fine
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup vanilla yogurt
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup vanilla sugar plain is fine
- 4 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon rum extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped pecans
For the Glaze:
- 4 oz semi sweet chocolate
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon butter
For the Caramel:
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- ¼ cup warm water
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Pinch of salt
For the topping:
- ½ to 1 cup of chopped pecans
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat your oven to 325 F.
- Spray a bundt pan generously with non stick spray.
- Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a medium sized bowl. Whisk. Set aside.
- Combine milk and yogurt in a separate medium sized bowl. Whisk. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer cream the sugars and butter together till very light and fluffy.
- Begin to beat in eggs, one at a time until well incorporated.
- Turn mixer down to low and add the flour mixture you set aside earlier, and alternate with the milk mixture you also set aside. Do it in about three additions and end with the flour mixture.
- Now add the pecans and mix by hand.
- Pour the mixture into the bundt pan and smooth out.
- Place in your preheated oven for about 55 to 60 minutes.
- Allow to cool in pan.
- Invert onto a plate.
For the Glaze:
- Place the chocolate in a medium sized bowl.
- Heat up your milk in a small saucepan on the stove until it's warm.
- Pour the warm milk over the chocolate. Allow to sit for about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Whisk really well.
- Add the butter and whisk again.
- Allow to cool and thicken a bit before pouring over the cake.
For the Caramel:
- In a medium saucepan combine the sugar and water. Give it a good stir. Let it cook over medium low heat until sugar dissolves.
- Now stop stirring and let it continue to cook. It will start to turn amber in colour after some time so watch it closely but do not stir. You can pop the lid on to keep crystals from forming on the pot at this point.
- Once it turns amber, remove from heat. Pour in the cream. It will bubble up, this is suppose to happen so do not panic.
- Give it a stir. Now add the butter. It will bubble up a bit again, don't panic. Whisk until smooth.
- Add vanilla and salt. Whisk until smooth.
- Allow to cool before pouring on cake.
Putting it all together:
- Once the cake is cooled and the chocolate is cooled you can pour the chocolate glaze over top of the cake. Pop the cake in the fridge for a bit to let the chocolate firm up.
- Once the chocolate if firm and the caramel is cool, pour or drizzle that over top of the cake. Toss your pecans over top.
- Serve with a big old Turtle smile!
Notes
If you would like to learn how to make your own Vanilla Salt or Vanilla Sugar it's super easy to do. Just click the links and I'll show you just how easy it is. If you have no inclination to make it and you're thinking to yourself, cripes Lunie I have better things to do with my time than make weird stuff, that's fine. Just use regular sugar and salt. It's okay with me if you're super de duper boring.
My only disappointment with the cake is purely based on photos. You cannot see the caramel drizzled all over it in the photos. I may see if I can get a shot in natural light and maybe it will show up better. There's tons of caramel on it but you can't seem to see it. I'll try to fix that with some tinkering.
For more fabulous Chocolate Bundt Cakes please visit the folks below:
Chocolate Bundt Cake with Balsamic Strawberry Sauce by Alice from Hip Foodie Mom Chocolate Chobani Bundt Cake by Carrie from Poet In The Pantry Chocolate Espresso Bundt Cake by Holly from A Baker’s House Chocolate Mini Bundts with Matcha Flowers by Kim from Ninja Baking Chocolate Raspberry Swirl Bundt Cake by Anita from Hungry Couple Chocolate Rocky Road Bundt Cake by Tara from Noshing With The Nolands Double Chocolate Swirled Bundt Cake by Laura from The Spiced Life Chocolate Peanut Butter Layered Bundt Cake by Karen from In The Kitchen With KP Red Wine Chocolate Bundt Cake with Mascarpone Whipped Cream by Kate from Food Babbles Sour Cream Chocolate Bundt Cake by Renee from Magnolia Days Quadruple Chocolate Bundt Cake by Dorothy from Shockingly Delicious Vanilla and Chocolate Marble Bundt Cake by Anuradha from Baker Street White Chocolate Raspberry Bundt Cake by Paula from Vintage KitchenHere's how you can be a part of Bundt-a-Month:
- Simple rule: Use chocolate - and bake us a Bundt for February
- Post it before February 28, 2013.
- Use the #BundtAMonth hashtag in your title. (For ex: title should read #BundtAMonth: Chocolate Cinnamon Bundt)
- Add your entry to the Linky tool below
- Link back to our announcement posts.
Follow Bundt-a-Month on Facebook where we feature all our gorgeous bundt cakes. Or head over to our Pinterest board for inspiration and choose from over 350 Bundt cake recipes.
Link to BundtaMonth on Facebook!
Link to BundtaMonth on Pinterest!
Thank you to Anurahda of Baker Street and Lora of Cake Duchess for hosting our Bundt Party every month. You ladies rock. Lora we miss you and hope you are doing okay. Much love lady!
Thanks for visiting.
Giveaway news tomorrow!
While I have your chocolatey attention I would like to let you know Kristen of Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker is hosting a Solid Month of Chocolate. If you do not know Kristen it's time to change that. I love the woman and she bakes some delicious stuff. Today's chocolate treat is Paleo Chocolate Cheesecake. You must go check it out. She's got lots of folks guesting for her this month too, including "moi" on Valentine's Day. A month of chocolate, I'm totally down with that idea. Kristen is an evil genius!
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Toodles and smoochies! xx
CCU
If you insist on dedicating a month to chocolate, who am I to complain 😀
This looks fabulous!
Cheers
CCU
baker street
.345 seconds! Hahha! I'm glad you posted it because - the cake, the glaze, the caramel, the topping - I want it all! And I would totally be willing to swim in it too! 😉
Thanks for baking along, Kim! 🙂
Ramona
Wow... I have a chocolate bundt cake today myself.... I love your turtle creations. 🙂
Kristen
I think I could do a Meg Ryan and start screaming "Yes,yes,yes" to a cake like that. You are the Duchess of Turtle. Could that be Canadian royalty?
Abbe@This is How I Cook
This sounds totally decadent! I must have it.
Anita at Hungry Couple
I want to eat this cake with my hands! I know, I know...get my own damn cake... 😉
Aurora Importing
Wait a second..... a WHOLE MONTH dedicated to chocolate???? So February is now my favourite month of the year.... I have to talk to the guys at Nutella and Baci right away!!!
Renee
You are my turtle hero! I've been waiting on the recipe since you posted "Turtle Cake" .345 seconds after the event was announced.
Jennifer @ Peanut Butter and Peppers
OMG! This bundt cake looks amazing! I am seeing bundt cakes all over the place today and now I have the need to make one!!! I can only imagine how wonderful your cake must taste!!
Kristen
Holy cow, girl! That is the most beautiful bundt I've ever seen! Love that picture. Did you save a piece for me? 🙂
Jamie
Yes, one very large slice for me, please! Scrumptious! I love chocolate and caramel and I so have to make this!
Kayle (The Cooking Actress)
ohmygawwwwwwd
Chocolatey goodness, come to mama!
Anne@Have a Cookie!
This cake looks fantastic! And I love all things caramel and chocolate 🙂
Paula @ Vintage Kitchen
Chocolate and caramel, they need no words. Absolutely fantastic bundt!
Stacy
You had me at turtle. Any time caramel is involved, I am in! Plus pecans and I may well have to challenge you for this cake. Or bake my own. Yeah, that would probably be the wisest thing to do. *Skulking off to caramelize my sugar and chop my pecans.*
Isabelle @ Crumb
What, 15 comments and no one has made a "I like big bundts and I cannot lie" joke?
(Oh wait, I just did. Nevermind.)
There is absolutely nothing wrong with being predictable if this is the result. I mean, turtles and bundt cake together? Pure awesome. In fact, if you could find a way to send me a slice right about now, that would be really appreciated. 🙂
Colette
Look
at
THAT.....
Holly
Wow-- I want a piece of this cake! I love all things turtle and can't wait to look through some of your other turtle recipes. This is fantastic!
Susan
This might be the most perfect chocolate bundt cake ever created.
shannon @ a periodic table
holy. turtles.
i can't even talk about this right now WHY DID I PICK TODAY TO START A DIET.
*falls on floor*
diet = broken.