Cream Cheese Turtle Cake

yooper's Note:

From "Loca Luna" restaurant in Little Rock, Arkansas. Taken from Bon Apetit. This looks decadently ooey and gooey and rich!

• Total Time: 1 hrs 10 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 12

Cake

• 1 cup sliced almonds , lightly toasted
• 1 cup chopped pecans , lightly toasted
• 1 (18 ¼ ounce) box German chocolate cake mix
• 1 ¼ cups water
• 1⁄3; cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• ½ cup unsalted butter , room temperature
• 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese , cut into pieces,room temperature

ICING

• 1 ¾ cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 5 tablespoons whole milk
• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup caramel topping

Directions:

1. For Cake: Preheat oven to 350.
2. Butter and flour 13x9x2-inch metal cake pan.
3. Sprinkle 1/2 cup almonds and 1/2 cup pecans over bottom of pan.
4. Combine cake mix, 1 1/4 cups water, oil, and eggs in large bowl.
5. Using electic mixer, beat at low speed until mixture is moistened, about 30 seconds.
6. Beat at medium speed 2 minutes.
7. Pour batter into pan.
8. Melt buttter in medium saucepan over medium-low heat.
9. Gradually stir in powdered sugar (mixture will form clumps); stir in cream cheese.
10. Whisk until smooth, about 1 miute.
11. Pour cream cheese mixture in large ribbons atop cake batter in pan.
12. Using knife, swirl mixture into batter (do not overmix).
13. Bake cake until tester inserted into center (in cake part only) comes out clean, about 50 minutes (bottom of cake will be very moist).
14. Cool cake in pan on rack.
15. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup almonds and 1/2 cup pecans over cake.
16. For Icing: Mix sugar and cocoa in medium bowl.
17. Bring milk and buter to simmer in heavy medium saucepan.
18. Reduce heat to medium-low; add powdered sugar mixture and whisk until melted.
19. Add chocolate chips and whisk until smooth.
20. Mix in vailla.
21. Drizzle warm icing over cake.
22. Let stand until set, about 2 hours.
23. Drizzle caramel topping over.

Reviews

[Peggy in Kingston]

I baked the cake an extra 10 minutes and it was still just a gooey mess. Impossible to cut in presentable slices. I think the cream cheese mixture has way too much melted butter, maybe half a stick would be better. The cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar mix was very runny. I put the leftovers in the refrigerator and when cold it was somewhat easier to slice and actually tasted a little better too. The look was one horrible mess though. Do not serve this when you want to make an impression on guests. I was going to throw it in the garbage but guests convinced me to try to get it on the plates.

[LifeAfter40]

I made this for my dad's 83rd birthday. I didn't experience any of the issues that Peggy in Kinston experienced. It was very easy to make, though somewhat time consuming as you have to let the cake cool before you frost it then you have to let the frosting cool before you pour on the caramel sauce. I made it on a Friday a.m. before needing it on a Saturday night and it worked out well. If you want a very decadent, rich, flavor explosion, this is the dessert. It is not for the faint of heart and a 9x13 pan will feed an army, as you can only eat a small bit at a time! Great with coffee! Thanks for posting yooper!