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This Better Than Sex Cake is a rich chocolate caramel poke cake, soaked with sweetened condensed milk and caramel sauce, then topped with fluffy whipped topping and crunchy Heath toffee bits. It starts with a boxed cake mix and needs just 15 minutes of hands-on prep. Expect to bring home an empty pan, it’s that good!
More Easy Poke Cakes to Try: Chocolate Coconut Poke Cake | Caramel Apple Pie Poke Cake | Strawberries & Cream Poke Cake
Before You Get Started
This cake is hard to mess up, but a few small details decide whether it soaks all the way through or ends up with a puddle of caramel on top.
- Poke the cake while warm — A warm cake soaks up the milk and caramel evenly. Once it’s fully cool, the sauces tend to pool on top instead of sinking in.
- Use a wooden spoon handle — It makes bigger holes than a skewer or fork, so more caramel and condensed milk reach the middle of every slice.
- Chill at least 2 hours — The cake needs time to soak up the sauces and firm up. If you top it too soon, the whipped topping slides around and the slices fall apart.
RECIPE OVERVIEW
How to Make Better Than Sex Cake
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
Whether you call it Better Than Sex Cake or the more potluck-friendly Better Than Anything Cake, the method is the same. Bake, poke, soak, chill, and top.
1. Bake the Chocolate Cake
Bake the cake mix in a 9×13-inch pan, following the directions on the box. I like Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge best. The darker chocolate balances out all the sweetness from the caramel and condensed milk.
Let the cake cool for about 20 minutes. It should still feel warm, but not so hot that it falls apart when you poke it.
Prefer to bake from scratch? Any moist chocolate cake baked in a 9×13 pan works here. My Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake makes a rich, tender base.
2. Poke Holes All Over the Top
Use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes about an inch apart across the whole cake. Go almost to the bottom of the pan, but not all the way through. Holes that hit the pan let the sauce collect underneath, and the bottom turns soggy.
Give the handle a little wiggle as you pull it out to open each hole up. Don’t skip the edges and corners, since that’s where the sauce tends to run.
3. Pour On the Sweetened Condensed Milk
Pour the sweetened condensed milk slowly and evenly over the warm cake, a little at a time. Give it a few seconds to sink into the holes before adding more, so it soaks in instead of running off to the sides of the pan.
It will look like a lot at first. Most of it soaks in as the cake sits.
4. Add the Caramel Sauce
Pour the caramel over the cake the same way, slowly and evenly, filling the holes as you go. A pourable caramel sauce, like the jarred ice cream topping kind, works best here.
5. Cover and Chill
Cover the pan and refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours, or overnight. As it chills, the cake soaks up most of the sauce and firms up enough to slice cleanly.
Don’t worry if the top still looks glossy and a little sticky. That’s normal, and the whipped topping covers it.
6. Top and Serve
Spread the whipped topping evenly over the chilled cake, then sprinkle the Heath bar pieces over the top. Finish with an extra drizzle of caramel or chocolate syrup if you’d like.
Cut with a sharp knife and wipe the blade clean between slices for neat squares.
Candy Swaps: Heath is the classic topping, but chopped Reese’s, Snickers, Milky Way, or Kit Kats all work. Chopped pecans or walnuts add a nice crunch too.
German chocolate twist: Use a German chocolate cake mix and sprinkle toasted coconut and chopped pecans over the whipped topping instead of toffee.
Storage Tips
Make Ahead and Storage
Make it the day before: This cake actually tastes better after a night in the fridge. Bake, poke, and soak it the day before, then cover and chill it overnight.
Top it the day you serve: Spread the whipped topping on up to a few hours before serving. Add the Heath bits shortly before you serve it, since they soften and start to bleed color into the topping when they sit overnight.
Taking it to a potluck: Keep the cake covered and cold, and use a cooler for long drives. Pack the toffee bits separately and sprinkle them on when you get there.
Storing leftovers: Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days. Because of the moist texture and the dairy in the sauces and topping, it shouldn’t sit at room temperature. The toffee softens by the second day, but the cake is still delicious.
I don’t recommend freezing this cake. The whipped topping changes texture as it thaws, and the soaked cake turns soggy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of caramel sauce works best?
A pourable caramel sauce, like the jarred ice cream topping kind, soaks in best. Thick caramel dip or very cold caramel won’t sink into the holes, so warm it in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds until it pours easily.
Salted caramel sauce works too, and helps cut the sweetness. Homemade caramel sauce is great here as well. Just let it cool until it’s warm, not hot, before pouring.
Can I use homemade whipped cream instead of Cool Whip?
Yes, but plan to serve the cake within a day or two. Real whipped cream starts to weep and deflate after 24 to 48 hours, while store-bought whipped topping holds up longer. To help it last, add a pinch of cream of tartar while you whip the cream, and spread it on the day you serve.
Why is my cake soggy or the sauce sitting on top?
Sauce sitting on top usually means the holes were too small or the cake had cooled completely before you poured. A soggy bottom usually means the holes went all the way through to the pan.
Pouring too fast can also send the sauce running to the edges. Use a spoon handle, poke while the cake is still warm, and pour slowly. If the top still looks wet, give it more time in the fridge before topping.
Can I make a half batch?
Yes. Bake half the cake batter in an 8×8 or 9×9 pan, and use about half of the condensed milk, caramel, and whipped topping. A smaller pan usually bakes a few minutes faster, so start checking early. Bake the rest of the batter as cupcakes, or save it for another day.
More Chocolate and Caramel Desserts
- Salted Caramel Cake
- Salted Caramel Brownies
- Mississippi Mud Cake
- Texas Sheet Cake
- Chocolate Lasagna
- Nutella Brownies
Better Than Sex Cake
Ingredients
- 1 (15.25-ounce) box dark chocolate or devil's food cake mix plus the ingredients listed on the box
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup caramel sauce plus more for drizzling (optional)
- 16 ounces whipped topping thawed
- 1/2 cup Heath toffee bits or more if desired
- Extra caramel sauce or chocolate syrup for garnishing if desired
Instructions
- Bake the cake. Prepare the pan and bake the cake mix according to the package directions for a 9×13-inch cake. Let it cool for 20 minutes.
- Poke the holes. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes about 1 inch apart all over the warm cake, going almost to the bottom of the pan but not all the way through.
- Add the condensed milk. Slowly pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the cake, letting it sink into the holes and corners.
- Add the caramel. Pour the caramel sauce evenly over the cake the same way, filling the holes as you go.
- Chill. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
- Top and serve. Spread the whipped topping evenly over the chilled cake and sprinkle with the Heath toffee bits. Drizzle with extra caramel or chocolate syrup, if desired. Cut into squares and serve.
Notes
- Cake mix: I used Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge when testing this recipe. The darker chocolate helps balance the sweetness. Any dark chocolate or devil’s food cake mix works, or a from-scratch chocolate cake baked in a 9×13 pan.
- Caramel: Use a pourable caramel sauce. If it’s thick, warm it for 15 to 20 seconds in the microwave so it soaks into the holes.
- Whipped cream swap: Real whipped cream works in place of the whipped topping, but it only lasts 24 to 48 hours before it gets weepy. Add a pinch of cream of tartar while whipping to help stabilize it.
- Make ahead: Bake and soak the cake up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate it overnight. Add the whipped topping up to a few hours before serving, and the toffee shortly before serving so it stays crunchy.
- Candy swaps: Chopped Reese’s, Snickers, Milky Way, or Kit Kats can replace the Heath bits.
- Storage: Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days. Because of the moist texture, don’t store it at room temperature. Freezing isn’t recommended.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
