Chocolate Caramel Turtle Cake Roll (Cake Mix Cake Roll Recipe)

Close up shot of chocolate caramel turtle cake roll with one slice falling off

5 from 44 votes

Chocolate Caramel Turtle Cake Roll (Cake Mix Cake Roll Recipe)

Chocolate Caramel Turtle Cake Roll - this EASY cake roll recipe starts with a cake mix! The chocolate cake roll is filled with caramel ganache and topped with chocolate ganache and pecans, like a turtle candy!

Prep Time45

Cook Time15

Chill Time3

Total Time4

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 524kcal

Author: Dorothy Kern

Cost: $8

Ingredients

For the Cake:

3 large eggs
1 ¾ cups Chocolate Cake Mix (I used Betty Crocker SuperMoist Devil's Food)
⅓ cup (79ml) water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

For the Caramel Buttercream:

½ cup (113g) unsalted butter , softened
¼ cup (59ml) caramel sauce
2 cups (226g) powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Frosting:

1 cup (237ml) heavy whipping cream
1 cup (170g) chocolate chips
1 cup chopped toasted pecans

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a jelly roll (15x10x1-inch) pan with foil and spray with baking spray that has flour in it.
Beat eggs in a large bowl on high speed for about 5 minutes, or until they are thick and lemon colored. Add cake mix, water, and oil. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds and then medium speed for 1 minute, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Pour into pan.
Bake 11-14 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Do not overbake - mine cooked in about 11 minutes. Remove from oven and run a knife around the edges of the pan if the foil did not cover the whole thing to make sure the cake does not stick.
Lay a clean kitchen towel on a flat surface. Sprinkle with the powdered sugar. Turn the hot cake upside down on the towel and remove the foil. While hot, roll up the cake in the towel, starting at the short end. Cool completely on a cooling rack, while rolled up, about 1 hour.
Make the buttercream: Cream butter and caramel sauce until butter is broken up and chunky, then add powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until smooth and fluffy.
Make the ganache: Add the heavy cream and chocolate chips to a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup. Heat for 1 minute, then whisk until smooth, heating additional 30 seconds if needed to get the chocolate chips to melt.
Once cake is cooled, unroll the cake carefully. Spread the caramel buttercream evenly over the cake. Reroll the cake. It should roll easily.
Place the cake on a cooling rack with a cookie sheet underneath to catch any drips. Drizzle the cake with the ganache. Top with toasted pecans.
Store loosely covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Video

Notes

Original Caramel Ganache Filling: For the original filling for this recipe you'll need 30 unwrapped chewy caramels and 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream. Add caramels and heavy whipping cream to a large, microwave safe bowl. Heat about 2 minutes (up to 2 1/2) on HIGH, stirring every 30 seconds, until the caramels dissolve into the cream. Stir until smooth. Chill in refrigerator until completely cooled, about 2-3 hours. Once cooled, using a hand held mixer, whip the caramel until it is spreadable, like frosting, about 3 minutes.
To use the entire cake mix, double the recipe.

Nutrition