Double-Caramel Turtle Cake

Yield: 16 servings

Ingredients

• Cake:
• Cooking spray
• 1  tablespoon  all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2  cups  boiling water
• 3/4  cup  unsweetened cocoa
• 1 1/2  cups  granulated sugar
• 6  tablespoons  butter, softened
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
• 2  large eggs
• 1 2/3  cups  all-purpose flour (7 1/2 ounces)
• 1  teaspoon  baking soda
• 3/4  teaspoon  baking powder
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 
  Frosting:
• 2  tablespoons  butter
• 1/4  cup  packed dark brown sugar
• 2  to 3 tablespoons fat-free milk
• 2  teaspoons  vanilla extract
• 2  cups  sifted powdered sugar
• 
  Topping:
• 2/3  cup  fat-free caramel apple dip (such as T. Marzetti's)
• 1/4  cup  finely chopped pecans, toasted

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare cake, coat bottoms of 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray (do not coat sides of pans); line bottoms with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray; dust with 1 tablespoon flour.

Combine boiling water and cocoa, stirring well with a whisk. Cool completely.

Place granulated sugar, 6 tablespoons butter, and vanilla in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Lightly spoon 1 2/3 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 1 2/3 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture and cocoa mixture alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Pour batter into prepared pans; sharply tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.

To prepare frosting, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar and 2 tablespoons milk; cook 1 minute or until sugar melts. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Combine butter mixture and 2 teaspoons vanilla in a large bowl. Gradually add powdered sugar; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, beating until spreading consistency.

Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread top with half of frosting. Place caramel dip in a small zip-top plastic bag. Snip a small hole in 1 corner of bag; drizzle half of caramel dip over frosting. Top with other cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top of cake; drizzle with remaining caramel dip. Sprinkle with pecans.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

309 (24% from fat)

Fat:

8.4g (sat 4.3g,mono 2.9g,poly 0.8g)

Protein:

3.7g

Carbohydrate:

56.7g

Fiber:

1.9g

Cholesterol:

42mg

Iron:

1.5mg

Sodium:

249mg

Calcium:

41mg