You are not going to believe just how easy it is to make this Pumpkin Turtle Cake!
With just three easy recipes and no mixers required!
Pumpkin Turtle cake is going to have you obsessed!
Dripping with chocolate ganache and toasted pecans with gobs of date caramel in between
I opted for Date Caramel this time because I just didn’t want refined sugar overload with a traditional caramel recipe
So while this is still perfectly sweet and caramel-y as can be, it is natural date sugar instead!
This website may contain links as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, which means when you click a link and make a purchase through my website I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you
Notes For Success:
I am baking the layers in 3-6″ cake pans but if you only have 8″ cake pans simply divide the batter
Some people have trouble getting cake flour in which case all purpose can be used in the same amount as listed below, minus 3 Tbs
I tested this recipe 3 separate times with three different pumpkins
1) Libby 2) No Name Brand 3) Homemade Pumpkin Puree *not sponsored
If you have trouble finding canned pumpkin to make this or other recipes
I have a homemade pumpkin puree recipe and video tutorial for you!
The homemade puree will always be a thinner consistency compared to canned pumpkin |
So my resulting batter was lighter in color and thin like a pancake batter.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL YOUTUBE VIDEO TUTORIAL FOR HOW TO MAKE THIS CAKE
Pumpkin Turtle Cake
Ingredients
- Vegetable Oil 6 Tablespoons 90ml
- Light Brown Sugar ½ cup 105g
- Plant Milk *I use soy ¾ cup 177ml
- Vinegar 1 teaspoons 5ml
- Vanilla Extract 1 teaspoon 5ml
- Canned Pumpkin ½ cup 125g *see notes for homemade puree in the article above the recipe
- Salt ½ teaspoon
- All Purpose Flour ½ cup 65g
- Cake Flour 1 cup 120g *see notes in text above the recipe box
- Baking Soda 1 teaspoon
- Ground Cinnamon ½ teaspoon
- Ground Ginger ½ teaspoon
- Ground Cardamom ¼ teaspoon
- Ground Cloves pinch
- Ground Nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon
- OR 1½ teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
For the Date Caramel:
- Pitted Dates 2 cup approximately 12-20 large dates
- Nut Butter- I used tahini 6 Tablespoons
- Vanilla Extract 2 teaspoons 10ml
- Soy Milk 1 cup 237ml *any plant milk is fine
- salt 1 teaspoon
Optional Icing
- 1 Recipe Ganache
- 2 cups roasted chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F
- Grease your cake pans with then line with parchment paper liner
- Combine the vinegar with the soy milk & the vanilla extract (soy milk is the only milk that will thicken with vinegar)
- In a larger mixing bowl combine the oil, brown sugar, salt, pumpkin, and then the thickened vinegar/plant milk and whisk to combine well
- Sift the flour with all the spices and the baking soda and add it all at once to the wet mixture in the bowl
- Whisk smooth
- Bake immediately in the preheated 350°F oven for 10 minutes
- Then turn the oven temperature down to 300°F and bake for another 12-15 minutes or when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean
- Cool the pumpkin cakes in the pans until you can touch it without burning your fingers, then turn it out onto a cooling rack to cool all the way
- Meanwhile prepare the date caramel by combining all of the ingredients for that recipe together in a food processor and process smooth
- Prepare the chocolate ganache
- Once everything is prepared and the cakes are cooled to cold you can build your cake as shown in the video or however you prefer!