Let the wild rumpus start

It was the King of Keratoconus' 43rd birthday last week and we celebrated with Julia Child's infamous Boeuf Bourguignon, chocolate cake a la Cafe Latte Turtle Cake and a diorama of Where the Wild Things Are. I have been making this cake for a few years now but I have always used chocolate ganache for the frosting. This time I used the frosting from the recipe and though it seemed too sweet right out of the bowl it was just perfect on the cake. If I can scrounge up two cups of flour this may become today's home from school snack.

Cafe Latte Turtle Cake

Cake

1 egg
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups flour
1 3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 TABLESPOON baking soda, I have inadvertently made it with one teaspoon of baking soda not good
1 cup hot coffee

Preheat oven to 350. Grease two 9 inch round cake pans, it can also be made in a 9x13 inch pan. Combine egg, oil and buttermilk. In a separate bowl combine flour, sugar, cocoa, salt and baking soda. Combine the egg mixture with the flour mixture, mixing well. Slowly mix in the hot coffee. Turn into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes if in two round pans or 40-45 in the 13x9 pan. Frost when cooled.

Frosting

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup milk
5 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1/2 cup caramel topping
1 cup toasted pecans

Mix sugar and milk in a saucepan, add butter and bring to a boil. Place chocolate chips in a bowl and pour hot mixture over them and mix until smooth. Spread over cooled cake. Drizzle caramel topping over the frosting and crunch toasted pecans over caramel.