Are you looking for an easy spin on a chocolate cake with caramel? This Box Mix Turtle Cake is chocolate cake with a rich layer of caramel and pecans in the middle. If you love variations of chocolate cake you’ll enjoy this recipe!
Turtle Cake from a Box Mix
We are a family of chocolate lovers. All of us, all sides of the family love chocolate, especially chocolate cake. Our go-to chocolate cake is our Best Moist and Rich Chocolate Cake, but sometimes it’s nice to mix it up and surprise people.
I recently made three desserts for our family reunion. Chocolate Delight, Pistachio Pudding Cake and this easy Turtle Cake. Turtle Cake is one of those tried and true rich chocolate desserts that everyone loves and grabs a piece of. The Chocolate Delight is a favorite pudding dessert and the Pistachio Cake has fresh and unique flavors that the crowd enjoyed after trying, but they had to fill up on chocolate before venturing out to try something new.
This Turtle Cake is so easy to make because it starts with a box mix, but the gooey caramel layer gives it that special touch that people really enjoy. I like to frost with a jar of purchased Coconut Pecan Frosting, but chocolate frosting works great too. Surely there are other options I haven’t tried yet that would also be delicious. I will warn you that when using Coconut Pecan Frosting people may think that you have a German Chocolate Cake.
Another delicious chocolate dessert using a German chocolate cake mix is our Marble Chocolate Cream Cheese Bars. It’s a cross between a cake and a super easy cheesecake.
Ingredients Needed to Make Turtle Cake
- Box German Chocolate Cake Mix
- Eggs
- Vegetable oil
- Kraft caramels
- Butter
- Evaporated milk
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Pecans
- Can of icing
How to Make Box Mix Turtle Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 13 x 9 inch cake pan
- Mix cake mix according to directions
- Pour half of batter into greased pan, bake for 15 minutes
- Melt caramels, butter and evaporated milk in a medium saucepan stirring constantly
- Pour melted caramel mixture over baked cake
- Sprinkle chocolate chips and pecans over cake
- Pour remaining cake batter evenly over pan and bake about 20 more minutes until cake is set
- Frost with a can of icing, we like Coconut Pecan but chocolate icing works well too
Tips for Making Easy Turtle Cake
- Unwrap caramels before beginning the recipe – I always underestimate how long this step will take
- Stir caramels continuous while melting to avoid burning in the pan
- When cake is done baking cover with plastic wrap to hold in moisture
- Sprinkle extra pecans on top if desired
Other Easy Cakes from a Box Mix
- Smores Dessert Cake
- Orange Cake with Pineapple Icing
- Easy Pistachio Pudding Cake
- Best Rich and Moist Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake
- Heath Bar Cake
Printable Recipe for Turtle Cake from a Box Mix
Box Mix Turtle Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box German chocolate cake mix
- 1 bag Kraft caramels
- 1 stick butter
- 1/4 cup evaporated milk
- 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and spray non-stick cooking spray on a 13 x 9 inch cake pan.
- Mix cake according to directions.
- Pour half of batter into greased pan and bake for 15 minutes.
- While baking melt caramels, butter and evaporated milk in a medium saucepan stirring constantly.
- Pour melted caramel mixture over baked portion of cake.
- Sprinkle chocolate chips and pecans over cake.
- Pour remaining cake batter evenly over pan and bake about 20 more minutes until cake is set.
Notes
- Unwrap caramels before beginning the recipe - I always underestimate how long this step will take
- Stir caramels continuous while melting to avoid burning in the pan
- When cake is done baking cover with plastic wrap to hold in moisture
- Sprinkle extra pecans on top if desired
Equipment
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition
Shared on Meal Plan Monday and Weekend Potluck
I am glad I found this recipe. This is my daughter’s favorite cake. I know it’s a easy cake but I couldn’t remember all the ingredients. Thank you for posting this. My daughter will be very happy when I surprise her with this cake.