Fluffy cubes of butter pecan cake between layers of caramel cream filling, chocolate ganache, salted caramel, and toasted pecans!
Although I love ALL desserts, I would definitely say that my favorite is the trifle. The possibilities are literally endless, and they always look so impressive despite how easy they are to make. Trifles are also perfect for large gatherings, which is why I always have to make at least one during the holidays.
So with Christmas just around the corner, you might want to consider making THIS heavenly beauty for your friends and family…
With pillowy soft cubes of butter pecan cake, fluffy salted caramel cream filling, generous drizzles of chocolate ganache AND salted caramel, as well as crunchy toasted pecans, this Turtle Trifle most definitely has it all. Every single spoonful is nothing short of divine. It’s one of those desserts where you won’t feel the least bit of shame for licking the entire plate clean.
As I mentioned earlier, trifles are one of the easiest desserts to make. This is especially true when you start things off with a cake mix, like I did. Sure, I could’ve gone the extra mile of baking the cake from scratch, but since everything else in the trifle is made from scratch, I decided to allow myself at least one shortcut. I deserve it, don’t I?
For this trifle, I went with Betty Crocker’s butter pecan cake mix. However, white or yellow cake mix would work just as well. And if you really feel like mixing things up, chocolate cake would be absolutely divine in this trifle!
Once your cake is baked and cooled, it’s time to move on to the salted caramel. Now, you’re more than welcome to substitute the homemade caramel with store-bought caramel. HOWEVER, I’d highly recommend you give my homemade version a try. Not only is it a lot easier to make than you think, but there’s really no comparison when it comes to the richness in flavor you get from homemade.
I’ve actually used this salted caramel recipe in several other desserts over the years, and it’s never ever let me down. Not only is it the best-tasting caramel I’ve ever had (in my VERY humble opinion), but it’s not overly-complicated. In fact, it doesn’t even require a candy thermometer. Simply cook some granulated sugar and water in a medium saucepan until the mixture reaches a golden amber color. Instead of using a spoon to stir, I just swirl the pan around occasionally making sure everything cooks evenly.
Once the right color is reached, remove the pan from the heat, pour in the heavy cream (it will boil up), and stir until smooth! If it’s still lumpy, you can place the pan back on the heat (over low), and stir until there are no more lumps or hard pieces of sugar. The salt is added at the very end.
See? Making homemade salted caramel isn’t that painful, now is it?
While the salted caramel is cooling, you can get started on the rest of the chocolate ganache!
You’ll start by heating up some heavy cream until it begins to simmer. This can either be done on the stove or in the microwave. I prefer to heat the cream in a glass measuring cup in the microwave since it requires less dishes. Once you’ve got your hot cream, pour it over a bowl of semi-sweet chocolate (chips or chopped), cover it with plastic wrap, and allow it to sit for about 5 minutes. Remove the plastic wrap and stir until smooth! If you still see a few unmelted pieces in the ganache, return the bowl to the microwave for 15-20 seconds.
Now that the caramel has had some time to cool, you can work on the salted caramel cream filling. You’ll start by beating some cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Then you’ll take a half cup of the salted caramel and beat it into the cream cheese. Once these two ingredients are smooth and combined, whipped topping is folded in to lighten things up a little.
The fun part is definitely assembling the trifle. There’s just something so incredibly satisfying about piecing the different-sized cake cubes together like a puzzle, and adding layer upon layer of deliciousness on top of each other.
As for the finishing touches, I simply spooned dollops of whipped cream along the border and then garnished the top with my favorite chocolate turtles. Because if you want to make a true Turtle Trifle, you definitely can’t forget the always iconic chocolate turtle!
Oh, and here’s a great tip! If you have any leftover trifle, simply scoop it into pint-sized mason jars and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. When ready to devour, take the jar out of the freezer and allow it to sit at room temperature for about an hour until it thaws out. Grab a spoon and dive right in!
Turtle Trifle
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 box butter pecan cake mix plus all of the ingredients needed*
Salted Caramel:
- 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
Ganache:
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
Caramel Cream Filling:
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- ½ cup Salted Caramel from recipe above
- 8 ounces whipped topping
To Assemble:
- 2 cups toasted pecans chopped
- Whipped Cream
- Chocolate Turtles
Instructions
Make the Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Prepare the cake batter according to the directions on the box. Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing out the batter. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven, and cool completely.
Make the Salted Caramel:
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar and water and gently swirl (NOT stir) the pan around occasionally as it begins to boil. Continue boiling until the caramel reaches a golden amber color, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Remove pan from the heat and carefully whisk in the heavy cream. Caramel will sizzle and bubble up. Stir in the salt, and continue whisking until caramel is smooth. If needed, return pan over medium-low heat, stirring until caramel is smooth. Transfer to dish or glass measuring cup to cool completely. Caramel will continue to thicken as it cools.**
Make the Ganache:
- Place the chocolate chips into a medium bowl; set aside. Pour the heavy cream into a microwave-safe bowl (or glass measuring cup) and heat in the microwave until it starts to boil--keep a close eye on it.
- Immediately pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Allow to sit for 5 minutes, before removing the plastic wrap and stirring until smooth. If you still see unmelted pieces of chocolate, return the bowl to the microwave and heat 15-20 seconds more until completely smooth. Set aside to cool.
Make the Filling:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and salted caramel until light and creamy. Add half of the whipped topping, beating until just combined. Remove bowl from mixer and fold in the remaining whipped topping.
To Assemble:
- Cut the cake into bite-sized cubes. Place half of the cake cubes into the bottom of a large trifle dish or bowl. Spoon half of the caramel filling on top, spreading evenly. Drizzle half of the chocolate ganache over the mousse, followed by half of the salted caramel. Sprinkle half of the pecans on top. Repeat steps with the remaining cake, filling, ganache, salted caramel, and pecans.
- Spoon dollops of whipped cream along the border of the trifle and garnish with chocolate turtles. Refrigerate until ready to serve.