Turtle Poke Cake
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Chocolate, caramel and pecans combine in this decadent turtle poke cake. Moist chocolate cake is infused with pools of gooey caramel. Then top with whipped cream, chopped pecans and more caramel and chocolate.
After making my chocolate poke cake last week, I decided I needed to experiment with more poke cake recipes for my site. If you’re unfamiliar, a poke cake is a simple sheet cake where holes are poked into the cake and the holes are filled with a sauce (maybe hot fudge, caramel or sweetened condensed milk). Then it’s topped with whipped cream (or frosting) and more drizzle of the sauce from before. Poke cakes are moist, gooey and perfectly decadent.
This turtle poke cake starts with a moist chocolate cake made in a 9×13 inch pan. When the cake is still warm, you’ll poke large holes then pour caramel sauce over top. The sauce fills the holes to create big dollops of caramel and is infused into the cake to create an extra gooey texture. Once the cake has fully cooled, you’ll top it with whipped cream, chopped pecans, and an extra drizzle of caramel and chocolate.
Recipe Rundown
The recipe starts with homemade fudgy chocolate sheet cake. The recipe isn’t much more difficult than using a box mix.
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease your cake pan.
- Whisk the Dry Ingredients. Flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Be sure to sift the cocoa first to remove any lumps.
- Whisk the Wet Ingredients & Sugar. Oil, eggs, buttermilk, granulated sugar, and vanilla are whisked together until smooth (there should be no pieces of egg or lumps of sugar). Then whisk in the boiling water.
- The hot water helps the cocoa powder bloom. When cocoa blooms it activates to create a richer chocolate flavor.
- Combine the Wet & Dry. You’ll whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until there are no lumps. Optionally, you can use an electric mixer for this.
- Bake. The cake will need about 35-40 minutes.
After the cake is baked, and cooled for about 30 minutes it’s time to assemble the poke cake.
- Poke Holes. You want the holes to be about 1 inch apart and go down about 1/3 to 1/2 way to the bottom. You can use a large straw or the bottom of a wooden spoon.
- Pour the Caramel. Pour warm caramel over the cake. I always gently tap the cake pan on the counter a few times to really make the caramel sink in. Pop the cake in the fridge for it to cool fully.
- Top with Whipped Cream. You’ll spread it into an even layer – I like to use an offset spatula for this.
- Drizzle with Caramel & Chocolate, then Sprinkle with Pecans.
Recipe Tip
In the recipe card below, I’ve included instructions for how to make your own homemade caramel sauce. It will make enough for the cake and drizzle, with some leftover. If you want to save time, feel free to use store bought caramel or your favorite homemade recipe.
Storage
This cake should always be stored in the fridge – otherwise the whipped cream can melt. Leftovers can be stored covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Make Ahead Tips
The chocolate cake can be made the day before serving. Bake and cool for about 30 minutes, then add the warm caramel sauce. Cover the pan and refrigerate. When ready to serve, add the whipped cream, sauces and chopped pecans.
More Chocolate Caramel Desserts to Try
Turtle Poke Cake
Equipment
- 9×13 inch (23 x 33 cm) baking pan*
Ingredients
Caramel Sauce (or Use Your Favorite Store Bought)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (85 grams), room temperature, cut into cubes
- ½ cup whipping cream (120 ml), 33-35% MF, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Chocolate Sheet Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 grams), measured correctly
- ½ cup natural cocoa powder (45 grams), NOT Dutch processed
- 2 cups granulated sugar (400 grams)
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup vegetable oil (120 ml), or canola oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup milk (240 ml), whole or 2%, room temperature
- 1 cup boiling water (240 ml), or freshly brewed hot coffee
- ½ cup caramel sauce (120 ml), from recipe above or store bought
Topping
- 2 cups whipping cream (480 ml), 33-35% MF, cold from the fridge
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- caramel sauce
- chocolate sauce
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
Homemade Caramel Sauce
- Add the sugar to a large heavy bottom saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. The sugar will start to form clumps and then melt into an ember liquid. Continue stirring until the sugar has no lumps.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Working carefully, stir in the chopped butter. It will boil up – so be careful.
- Once the butter is melted, drizzle in the cream while constantly stirring.
- Add the pan back to the burner over low heat. Gently stir together until the sauce is an even consistency with no lumps.
- Remove from the heat. Let sit for a few minutes, then stir in the vanilla extract and salt. Cool fully. If making in advance, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use.
Chocolate Sheet Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (180℃). Spray a 9×13 inch metal cake pan with non-stick cooking spray, or lightly grease and dust with cocoa powder. Set aside.
- In a very large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Then whisk together until the cocoa powder is evenly distributed throughout the flour. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla. Keep whisking until you no longer see lumps of egg. Then whisk the almost boiling water into the mixture. Go carefully so that the hot water doesn't splash.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Whisk together until there are no lumps. You can also use an electric mixer for this. Be sure that there are no clumps of flour at the bottom of the bowl.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan (it will be thin). Bake in the middle of the preheated oven for about 35-40 minutes or until the top looks set and the sides are starting to pull away from the pan. An inserted toothpick should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs but no gooey cake batter.
- Cool the cake (in the pan) for about 30-60 minutes.
- Taking a wooden spoon or large straw, poke holes in the cake. Each hole should be about ¾ -1 inch apart (about 1½-2 cm) and go about ⅓ to ½ down into the cake.
- If the caramel is cold, warm it up in the microwave for 45 seconds on medium power, then stir. Repeat until the caramel is warm enough to pour. Alternatively, warm up the sauce in a small saucepan over low heat. Measure out ½ cup and pour over the cake. Be sure to get the caramel into the holes. Place the cake in the fridge until ready to serve.
Whipped Cream
- Using the whisk attachment of a stand or hand held electric mixer, beat the cold cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. The whipped cream can be store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to top and serve.
Serve
- Add the whipped cream to the cake (make sure the cake isn't warm- otherwise the cream will melt). Spread into an even layer.
- Drizzle with more caramel sauce and chocolate sauce, then sprinkle with chopped pecans.
Notes
- Caramel Sauce: Feel free to use your favorite store bought variety or your favorite homemade recipe.
- Cocoa Powder: Be sure to use natural cocoa powder. Do not use Dutch processed (sometimes called Dark or Specialty Dark). If using Dutch processed cocoa, the cake won’t rise properly.
- Storage: Always store covered in the fridge.
- Nutrition: Details are an estimate only, based on 1 slice, assuming the cake is sliced into 15 uniform pieces.
