Chocolate Turtle Cake

So, yeah, I'm kind of like a celebrity around here.

Before the show aired, I was on the local news (three times), in three papers, two magazines and on three radio stations. Two of which were country.
Shudder.
There's nothing I detest more than Randy Travis at nine AM.

I totaaally got recognized at Steak 'n Shake the other night by two teenage girls. It made my night, along with trying my first STEAKBURGER™. (Yes, you have to write it in all caps; that's how it is on their menu.)

Random people in the grocery store have been coming up to me, either giving me encouragement or advice. One woman said she was proud that she lived in the same town I was from. That's nice and all, but I don't know how proud she should be. I'm kind of a selfish smartass. But she doesn't have to know that. Shhhh.

Then, yesterday at Wal-Mart, I was practically stampeded by adoring fans. People wanting to touch my hand, get my autograph, and have me kiss their babies.
The crowd swarmed around me, making it nearly impossible to buy fruit-flavored Cheerios, wine and aerosol whipped cream.
I was like, whoooaa, come on now, haven't you ever seen a contestant from Ultimate Recipe Showdown before?

It's a big deal around these parts.

When I went to work at the cafe the other night I was surprised that I was recognized so much. I had some tables leave me good sympathy tips.

Okay, okay, here's what I'm going to do. Ready? Here's my plan: I put on an Academy Award-winning performance for every table that recognizes me from the show. I plan on telling them about the show, and how much I wanted to win the money for culinary school. Then I break down and start sobbing. At this point they'll take out a crisp twenty from their pocket and place it in my hand, giving me a pat on the back and some encouraging words.

The show aired several times last week, but I think it's finished now. I guess my fifteen minutes of fame are over. No longer living life in the fast lane. Heh.
Now that makes me sad. I like feeling like a celeb. I was just about to get addicted to Vicodin, become bulimic, and drive my car down the wrong side of the highway.

I can't think of anything more to cure my sadness than a slice of chocolate turtle cake. Yeah! That'll do the job... I'll pretend I'm eating it at Spago with Lilo and Brangelina. Seriously, chocolate cake always makes someone feel better. Unless you don't like chocolate. And that means you're un-uhmaricuhn and need to git out of this country.

This cake is incredibly chocolate-y, moist and rich. It's a dark chocolate cake with toasted pecans, mini chocolate chips, chocolate ganache and caramel.

Chocolate Turtle Cake (Recipe by Me)

Ingredients:
Cake
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup dark or regular cocoa powder
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted (I used Hershey's Dark)
1 1/3 cups whole milk

Ganache
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 cups dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans, toasted, plus additional whole pecans for decorating
1 tablespoon mini chocolate chips (optional)
Caramel sauce

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour 2 (9-inch) cake pans.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat 3/4 cup butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla, until creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Beat in 1 cup melted chocolate chips until combined. Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in flour mixture, alternating with milk, until well combined, about 2-3 minutes.

Evenly scrape batter into prepared cake pans and smooth the surface with a spatula. Bake at 350 degrees F, for 35-40 minutes, or until cake edges pull away from the pan, and a toothpick inserted into cake comes out with moist crumbs attached. Cool for 12 minutes before running a knife around edges and inverting onto wire racks to cool completely.

To make the ganache, melt 1/4 cup butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in heavy cream and bring to a boil; turn heat off and stir in 2 cups chocolate chips until melted and smooth.

Spread ganache evenly onto first layer of cake and top with about 1/3 of the pecans. Place second cake layer on top. Spread the rest of the ganache over cake top and sides. Sprinkle and top with remaining pecans. Decorate the top with whole pecans. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips over the top, and drizzle caramel everywhere.

Makes 8-10 servings