Mom Loves Baking

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Chocolate Turtle Poke Cake

Cakes & Pies· Holidays

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Chocolate Turtle Poke Cake

The kids are out of school all week for the Thanksgiving holiday, so we came to Alabama to visit family for a few days. I think it’s wonderful that the children get 9 whole days off! Not having to wake up at 6 am for a few days is just fine with me. Plus, I love visiting my relatives.

One of the nice things about having a blog as your full time job is that you can make your own schedule. I can also blog while I’m out of town and that’s what I’m doing today.

Since I’m always baking sweet treats, of course I wanted to bring something yummy to share with my family. I wanted something extra special that would also travel well.

Enter Chocolate Turtle Poke Cake. It’s so ooey, gooey good! If you’re a fan of chocolate turtles, then you will love this cake. Plus, it’s very simple to make using the Caramel Flavored Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk. (Note: If you can’t find the seasonal flavor of the Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk, you can substitute 1 cup of caramel flavored syrup, found in the ice cream section of your grocer.)

“Caramel Flavored and Chocolate Flavored Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk are limited-edition seasonal flavors which make great shortcuts while you’re baking delicious holiday favorites for your friends and family. Both the chocolate and caramel varieties of sweetened condensed milk bring the rich, creamy texture to holiday recipes that the entire family will love. Try them now, because just like the holidays, they’re here only for a short time.”

Chocolate Turtle Poke Cake

Chocolate Turtle Poke Cake starts with an easy chocolate cake mix prepared according to package instructions. Then you poke holes in the top with a wooden spoon handle. Pour caramel flavored sweetened condensed milk over the cake and spread all around. Refrigerate for an hour. Then frost with chocolate frosting and sprinkle with pecans and mini chocolate chips.

This is a great dessert to serve your guests at a holiday party. It’s sure to please all of those chocolate lovers in your life. It also looks impressive although you can whip it up in no time.

Eagle-Brand

Caramel is something that’s usually a bit tricky to make from scratch, but don’t worry, you can use Eagle Brand Caramel Flavored Sweetened Condensed Milk right out of the can. No stirring over a hot stove and messing with a candy thermometer.

But it’s a limited edition item, so make sure you try some during the holidays before it’s gone! It also comes in Chocolate for a limited time only.

“The two new flavors provide the same quality that Eagle Brand consumers have trusted for over 150 years.”

Cake-Batter

Making this cake couldn’t be easier. Start by mixing up your favorite chocolate cake mix (I used my Kitchenaid mixer) and bake as directed in a greased 13″ x 9″ baking pan.

Click below to order either the Kitchenaid Mixer or 13″ x 9″ Wilton Baking Pan on Amazon (affiliate):

Cake-Poke

I baked mine for about 35 minutes. Let it cool slightly, then use the handle of a wooden spoon to punch holes all over the cake. That’s the fun part! It brings out the kid in me and makes me feel like it’s something I’m not supposed to do. Didn’t your mom ever tell you you’re not supposed to punch holes in your cake with your spoon! Punch away!  (You could also use a straw to punch smaller holes.)

Click below to order the wooden spoon on Amazon (affiliate):

Chocolate Turtle Poke Cake

Next, pour a can of Eagle Brand Caramel Flavored Sweetened Condensed Milk over the cake (or caramel syrup if you can’t find the seasonal Eagle Brand). Spread evenly, so the caramel gets into all of the holes. Put it in the refrigerator to chill for about an hour.

Cake-Frosted

Frost with store bought chocolate frosting.

Cake-Decorated

Add chopped pecans, mini chocolate chips and drizzle more caramel syrup on top.

Chocolate Turtle Poke Cake

It’s ready to serve!

Chocolate-Turtle-Poke-Cake-3

Once you slice it and place on a plate, you can drizzle more caramel syrup down the sides for dramatic effect. Who can resist caramel dripping down the side of your chocolate cake!

Chocolate-Turtle-Poke-Cake-4

With chocolate, caramel and pecans, you can’t go wrong! Try Chocolate Turtle Poke Cake at your next holiday party.

For more great recipes, check out the Eagle Brand Facebook Page and the Eagle Brand Pinterest Page.

Chocolate Turtle Poke Cake
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Chocolate Turtle Poke Cake

Chocolate Turtle Poke Cake is a moist chocolate cake with holes poked in, then covered with caramel sauce, chocolate frosting, pecans, chocolate chips and more caramel sauce. If you're a chocolate turtle candy fan, this is the cake for you! It's so delicious! And quick, easy to make too!
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time35 mins
Refrigerator1 hr
Total Time55 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 20 servings
Author: Lise Ode

Ingredients

  • 1 15.25 oz package chocolate cake mix, prepared according to package instructions
  • 1 14 oz can Eagle Brand Caramel Flavored Sweetened Condensed Milk
  • 1 16 oz can store bought chocolate frosting
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
  • Store bought caramel syrup for drizzling on top of cake
  • Note: If you can't find the seasonal flavor of the Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk you can substitute 1 cup of caramel flavored syrup, (found in the ice cream section of your grocer). If it's too thick to pour, heat in microwave according to package instructions before pouring over cake.

Instructions

  • Bake cake according to package instructions. Let cool for 10 minutes. Punch holes in top of cake using the handle of a wooden spoon.
  • Pour can of Eagle Brand Caramel Flavored Sweetened Condensed Milk over the top of cake. Spread to make sure it gets into all of the holes. Put cake in refrigerator for 1 hour. Frost cake with chocolate frosting. Add nuts and chocolate chips on top. Drizzle with caramel syrup. Slice and serve. Store covered in refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Chocolate Turtle Poke Cake is featured on Meal Plan Monday #27 over at the Southern Plate blog.

Chocolate Turtle Poke Cake

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  4. Jennifer says

    I have been waiting to find a recipe(s) so I can use mine that I bought back at Thanksgiving. They were only limited edition so I grabbed what I could. Thank you!

    Reply

  5. KC says

    You can make your own caramel sauce using eagle brand sweetened condensed milk in the crockpot! Either transfer the milk from the can to a small mason jar or just take the label off and cook it in the can. Cover with water and cook in the crock pot on low for 9-10 hours (much easier in the mason jars as you can see the color)

    Reply

  6. DEBBIE says

    I have to make this for church on Sunday for in between services. We have bible studies and people love to have coffee and a snack. GHEY WILL LOVE IT!!!!!

    Reply

    • Jacalyn says

      I also found the flavored sweetened condensed milk at Walmart today. They had quite a bit of
      it left. Making cake today, so if I like will go back and stock up before gone.

      Reply

  9. Starla says

    I just wanted to say this, one I love this recipe. And two you are an awsome blogger! Just so up best and interesting. Thanks for not being boring with just directions. You tell a story again thank you.

    Reply

  14. Sherry says

    Cheaper alternative to Eagle Brand milk. I use lots of it in recipes. Buy the off-brand of sweetened condensed milk. There are many brands. Saves at least $1 a can. You can carmelize it yourself. From an old family recipe: Take the label off the can, submerge the can in boiling water, simmer for 3 hours replacing any evaporated water as it simmers, remove and let cool just enough to handle, open and it will be extra thick. Beat it with your mixer and it will get thinner. It has turned a beautiful carmel brown. Go do something else while waiting to simmer or cool! Experiment, it might only take a couple of hours, this old recipe calls for it to start out thick, so I’m not sure. It says simmer 3 hours. LOve this recipe, will sure try.

    Reply

  16. Chelsea says

    Im gonna try yhj for the superbowl, but gonna make iy extra rich, by using brownie instead of chocolate cake and crushed pretzels instead of pecans. And maybe even a peanut butter drizzle on top instead of more caramel!!!

    Reply

  17. Angie B. says

    I just made this and omg… sugar overload!! At least cut the condensed milk by half or just use the caramel condensed milk. I would omit the frosting and the mini choco chips too. Way too much sugar goin on with this original recipe and I ♡♡♡ sugar! ????

    Reply

  18. Diane says

    I could eat that cond. milk with a spoon and pretty much did so with the first 2 cans that I bought. It’s good over popcorn too. I have a cake in the oven as I’m typing this.

    Reply

  20. Jacalyn says

    I agree with you Angie B! Way too much sugar, and found it to be too wet for my liking. I would for sure, only use the caramel milk. Thought too much chocolate as well!

    Reply

  21. Anna says

    This recipe looks great! Can’t wait to try it 🙂 But, it’s not vegan. Most cake mixes, syrops, as well as frostings are not vegan

    Reply

    • Milly says

      You could just make a Vegan chocolate cake, vegan frosting, and vegan caramel sauce and combine them like she does… I am using my own recipes not store bought stuff to make this cake!

      Reply

  25. Andy says

    For Australia and New Zealand,just boil a can of condensed milk for 2 hours,and you’ll have caramel condensed milk,tastes real good as well,also,do the same with the coconut condensed milk for Coconut caramel condensed milk,so good!

    Reply

  28. Melinda says

    The original link where I saw this posted listed both the caramel and chocolate sweetened condensed milk. But in this recipe I only see the caramel sweetened condensed milk. So should you use one or both? Please clarify. Thanks

    Reply

    • Mom Loves Baking says

      This recipe calls for one can of caramel sweetened condensed milk. Since it is a seasonal item, you can substitute 1 cup of caramel flavored syrup (found in the ice cream section of your grocer).

      Reply

  32. Babz. U.K. says

    If the Eagle brand is not available, I’m pretty sure the brand Nestle is known for condensed milk and caramel. By the time one simmers the condensed milk to make caramel, it would probably cost more! Have never tried ‘poke’ cake,( I believe to be called) ‘pokay’? Shall make a chocolate/ caramel and lemon blueberry. Love the recipes!

    Reply

  33. Jenj says

    I mix a can of the condensed sweetened milk & 6-8 oz of caramel syrup in a saucepan & heat on lowest temp possible while I the cake bake (make sure you stir it frequently so it doesn’t scorch). I usually heat it was he last ten minutes of baking. Then remove it from heat after you pull cake outta oven (while its resting for 10-min). This allows the sauce to thicken just enough (just as good as eagle brand caramel flavor). If a receipe calls for one can of flavored sweetened milk then mix half a can of sweetened milk & 8oz of caramel sauce. I used the whole can of milk for this receipe and 6 oz of caramel sauce just cuz I like the cake to be moist!!!! Just a lil tip…hopefully its useful!!!!

    Reply

  34. Dianne says

    I made this today for dinner with some of my high school girlfriends (we are in our 60s). It was a hit. Everyone loved it.

    Reply

  35. Diana says

    This is one of the best cakes I have ever made and my family loves it. It is easy to make and who doesn’t love chocolate and caramel? This will be added to my recipe book under “favorites” and since the book has been passed down through my family it will be passed to my daughter and so forth and so on so as I see it the Chocolate Turtle Poke Cake recipe shall live on forever! Thanks for sharing it otherwise I would have gone through the rest of my life without ever enjoying all that gooey chocolate and caramel!

    Reply

  37. Kim says

    One of the best desserts I have ever made at home! It was so nice to get the gooey-ness from the caramel and chocolate while also getting that light, fluffy factor from the cake. The pecans and chocolate chips also added a good crunch to the dessert also. I have to admit I found myself struggling to stop eating it! Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply

  38. Mary Neveln says

    I use Mrs. Richardson’s caramel ice cream topping (in the jar) for my poke cake. I also add a dab of Cool Whip on each piece when serving it.

    Reply

  40. Joan says

    OK…I’m going to have to make this for a pot luck, reunions, B-B-Q’s, you name it!
    Oh, here’s an addition to making your own caramel with the condensed milk…..on gal said she makes at least 5 or 6 at a time! Sure saves Time in the long run. She used for a lot of things
    This looks Great too! So…THANX for the recipe again!

    Reply

  41. Amy Deleon says

    You can also open a can of condensed milk, pull off the outside paper. Open with a can opener. Puqt it in a slow cooker over night. Fill your small slow cooker to the rim but not over fill and let it cook slowly. 6 hours should be enough. It’s the same as you buy it in the store ?

    Reply

  43. LC says

    Does caramel gets soaked up by the cake that were in the holes? Or when you cut the cake with a fork, you can see caramel coming out of those holes? Thank you for posting it, definitely will try to make it.

    Reply

  45. Erica says

    Buy cans of REGULAR sweetened condensed milk, take the paper wrapper off and boil WHOLE cans for 3.5 hours. Boiling water steams away quickly so make sure water stays well over the tops of the cans. After 3.5 hours, let cans completely cool before opening can. Mix with wish or fork. I’ve opened it too early and the caramel oozed out. It’ll be the easier, most delicious caramel sauce EVER!! I just boiled three cans tonight!!

    Reply

    • Mom Loves Baking says

      Hi Erica, That is a terrific method for making caramel, but I wouldn’t recommend it for this cake. The boiled sweetened condensed milk comes out very thick and it won’t sink down into the poked holes unless you try to thin it out with cream maybe? I would suggest using the store bought caramel sauce that is more of a liquid consistency for this particular recipe if you can’t find the SEASONAL Eagle Brand Caramel. Thank you for you comments.

      Reply

  46. Linda says

    You can get condensed milk and also a caramel in the UK made by Carnation. They also have a chocolate type in same sort of tin which I have used as a cake covering, all of these products are great.

    Reply

    • Mom Loves Baking says

      If you can’t find the Eagle Brand Caramel, you can use caramel sauce. It’s in the ice cream topping section of your grocer. Make sure it’s a liquidy kind and not too thick. I think Smuckers has one in a squeeze bottle.

      Reply

  50. Joy says

    Some,people may have their negatives but on a positive,I just made this for our christmas dessert and it rocked so thank you so much for the recipe

    Reply

  51. Candance S. Harrison says

    I had cakes mixes and frosting already(I try to keep something on hand) and the condensed milk flavors were already here(my late mother bought them last winter)…I wasn’t sure how I’d use them before finding this recipe. I baked two versions of this last night in my 9×13″ Chicago Metallics brownie pans (without the slicing insert in) pricked the cakes all over with a fork since I didn’t have a spoon like the one you used, poured the condensed milk, put the lids on the pans and then refrigerated them…will this affect the way the cake soaks in the milk?

    The other version I made was red velvet with the chocolate condensed milk…great or gross, we’ll have to see as I still have to frost and top them!

    Reply

  53. jennifer says

    i haven’t read all the comments but you know you can make caramel from condensed milk, you just boil it in a pot for like 3 hours

    Reply

    • Mom Loves Baking says

      Yes, thank you. But when you make caramel from the condensed milk, it’s very thick. For this recipe, the caramel sauce works better if you can’t find the Eagle brand caramel flavored condensed milk.

      Reply

  54. Kristi says

    I’m skipping the frosting and doing Mrs. Richardson
    Carmel sauce then sprinkle choc chips and pecans
    On it. Yummm! Do you refrigerate it when it’s
    Complete?

    Reply

  57. Leili says

    Nestle brand markets Dulce de Leche in a can labelled La Lechera & it’s available all year anywhere, at least here in Texas (& likely anywhere there is a large Hispanic-American or Caribbean population). It’s comparable to the seasonally available Eagle Brand Caramel or to what we get preparing it the way our grandmas did when they boiled sweetened condensed milk still in its can to caramelize the contents.

    True caramel is made with butter & sugar & no cans are involved, but the results in taste & texture are similar enough to the pantry-friendly (and less messy!) caramelized condensed milk that they’re usually interchangeable in easy & fun deserts like this one.

    Reply

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