GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. – Cafe Latte has been a fixture on St. Paul's Grand Avenue since 1984. On Monday, they will celebrate their 30th anniversary with music, wine and tastings.
Ali Boese and Bryce Quinn stopped by KARE Saturday to discuss the anniversary party and share the recipe for Cafe Latte's famous Turtle Cake. Boese and Quinn say that what makes their Turtle Cake special is the consistency of the chocolate and caramel and type of pecans.
Cafe Latte is located at 850 Grand Avenue in St. Paul. For more information, visit their website here.
Recipe
Ingredients
1 egg
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup good quality cocoa
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. baking soda
1 cup hot coffee
Frosting
1/2 cup milk
1 cup sugar
6 tbsp. butter
2 cups good-quality semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup caramel
1 1/2 cups toasted pecans
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 3 (9-inch) cake pans. Cover each bottom with disk of parchment paper.
In bowl, combine egg, oil and buttermilk. In large separate bowl, mix together flour, sugar, cocoa, salt and baking soda. Gradually add wet ingredients to dry until well mixed. Gradually add hot coffee. Scrape batter into prepared pans.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Let cake rest in pans for 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks to cool.
To make frosting
Mix sugar and milk in saucepan. Add butter. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add chocolate chips to pan. Using wire whisk, mix until smooth. If frosting is too thick or grainy, add 1 or 2 teaspoons hot coffee.
To assemble cake
Place one cooled cake layer, top-side down, on cake plate. Spread with one-third of frosting, pushing it out gently from edges to make a petal effect. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup pecans, Drizzle with 1/4 cup caramel. Add next layer, again top-side down. Repeat frosting and sprinkle with 1/2 cup pecans and drizzle with 1/4 cup caramel. And final layer top-side up, frost with petal effect and finish with remaining pecans and caramel.
