Turtle Cake
10 servings
120 minutes
The 'Turtle' cake is a cozy and family treat popular in Russian cuisine. It got its name from its original shape resembling a turtle's shell. The dessert is based on tender, slightly crispy cookies soaked in sour cream that make them soft and juicy. The cocoa and butter glaze gives the cake a rich chocolate flavor, while the coconut flakes add a light texture. This cake not only delights with its unusual appearance but also charms with a harmonious blend of sweetness and slight tartness. It's perfect for cozy family evenings, festive events, and children's birthdays. Its preparation is an engaging process that allows for creativity in making cute legs, a tail, and a head. The simplicity of the ingredients makes this dessert accessible, yet its taste can bring true joy.
1
I start by whisking eggs with sugar, then add flour and let the dough rest a bit. We will bake round cookies from this dough.
- Chicken egg: 6 pieces
- Sugar: 3.5 glasss
- Wheat flour: 2.5 glasss
2
I take a baking tray, lay parchment paper on it, and simultaneously turn on and preheat the oven to 180–200 degrees.
3
I take a teaspoon, scoop the dough with it and carefully slide it onto the paper on the baking tray to fill the tray with these pancakes. Keep a distance between each pancake as the dough will spread a bit. Place in the oven for about 5-7 minutes until they are golden brown. The most important thing is to quickly remove them from the oven with a spatula and place them in a container or on newspaper; if you leave them too long, you won't be able to peel them off later. So our cookies are baked; now let's move on to soaking.
4
Soaking for the cake: sour cream and sugar. The proportions are up to you. I take a small container, put sour cream in it, start adding sugar, mix (can be whipped) and taste periodically to ensure it's not too sweet. Take a pancake and spread the soaking on each side with your hand (don't dip, but spread!) and arrange it on a plate in a circle like a shell in a checkerboard pattern, and don't forget to place the head, four legs, and tail at the beginning, then lay the shell on them.
- Sour cream: 1.5 jar
- Sugar: 3.5 glasss
5
To cut the tail and claws on the paws: when you take the last batch of pancakes out of the oven, take a few and cut them with a small knife according to your imagination. BUT — the main thing is to cut while the pancakes are still hot, because if they cool down, they will just break!
6
Let's continue, we've laid everything out, if there's any syrup left, it can be poured on top of the cake.
7
Preparing the glaze: take a container, place it in a water bath, melt 50 g of butter, add 3 tablespoons of sour cream or milk, then add 5 teaspoons of sugar and 2 teaspoons of cocoa, stirring and cooking for 10 minutes. Let it cool slightly and then pour it over the cake.
- Butter: 50 g
- Sour cream: 1.5 jar
- Sugar: 3.5 glasss
- Cocoa: 2 teaspoons
8
You can sprinkle heart-shaped coconut flakes on top, like in my photo.