This show-stopping creation is guaranteed to impress your guests this holiday season.
- Prep time 1 hour & 15 minutes
- Total time 4 hours
- Portion size 12 servings
- Credits : Canadian Living Magazine
Ingredients
Chocolate Cakes:
Pecan Caramel Filling:
Chocolate Icing:
Assembly:
Method
Chocolate Cakes Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease three 6-inch round cake pans; line bottoms with parchment paper. Grease pans again and sprinkle with small amount of cocoa powder; tap to remove excess.
In large bowl, whisk together sugar, cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In separate bowl, whisk together oil, vanilla, eggs and buttermilk. Add oil mixture to sugar mixture in a few additions, whisking until smooth. Divide among prepared cake pans, smoothing tops with spatula.
Bake until cake tester inserted into centres of cakes comes out clean, 30 to 33 minutes. Let cool on wire racks for 15 minutes. Unmold cakes directly onto racks; carefully remove parchment paper. Let cool completely.
Pecan Caramel Filling Meanwhile, in small saucepan, whisk together butter and cream over medium-low heat until butter is completely melted. Remove from heat; set aside.
In large saucepan over medium-low heat, whisk together sugar and 1/4 cup water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid begins to darken, 5 to 8 minutes. As soon as liquid becomes ambercoloured, remove from heat. Carefully whisk in reserved butter-cream mixture (be careful, mixture will bubble). Whisk vigorously until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes (keep whisking even if caramel has stopped bubbling). Whisk in fleur de sel; let cool slightly. Reserve about 1/3 cup of the caramel for assembly. Stir pecans into remaining caramel to create Pecan Caramel Filling; set aside. Chocolate Icing In large bowl, using electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter until light and fluffy. On medium speed, beat in cocoa powder and icing sugar, 1 cup at a time. Beat in salt, milk, vanilla and espresso powder until combined. Set aside in refrigerator.
Assembly Using serrated knife, trim tops of Chocolate Cakes to level, if necessary. Place one cake on serving plate, cut side up. Spread one-third of the Pecan Caramel Filling over top. Cover with second cake, cut side up; spread half of the remaining Pecan Caramel Filling over top. Top with third cake, cut side down. Using spatula, spread Chocolate Icing over top and side of cake, smoothing as much as possible. Spoon remaining Pecan Caramel Filling over top of cake. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Slightly warm reserved caramel in microwave; spread in thin layer around top edge of cake, allowing it to drip over side. Top cake with mini Turtles chocolates. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. (Make-ahead: Can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
Nutritional facts Per serving: about
- Iron 5.8 mg
- Fibre 4 g
- Sodium 762 mg
- Sugars 85 g
- Protein 9 g
- Calories 958
- Total fat 54 g
- Cholesterol 125 mg
- Saturated fat 20 g
- Total carbohydrate 110 g
