Better Than Sex Cake – a heavenly trio of rich chocolate, gooey caramel, and crunchy toffee.
One bite will have you weak in the knees.
Featuring moist chocolate cake laced with luscious caramel and covered with creamy whipped topping, it’s about as dreamy as dessert gets.
It’s also topped with bits of crunchy chocolate-covered toffee, making it incredibly decadent.
Rich, indulgent, and absolutely divine, this Better Than Sex cake is even better than you can imagine.
Better Than Sex Cake (What Is It?)
This bad boy starts off with Devil’s Food cake. So already you know it’s gonna be insanely good!
But it’s not just a chocolate cake. It’s a chocolate poke cake filled with caramel that seeps into every nook and cranny.
Top it off with creamy whipped topping and chopped toffee bits, and it’s impossible to resist.
And if you’re serving kids, feel free to call it by another name.
“BTS cake”, “Better Than Anything cake”, or “Robert Redford cake” are some of the most popular alternatives.
What’s a Poke Cake?
A poke cake is a baked sponge cake with holes poked all over the top with a wooden spoon or skewer.
Also known as a “poke-and-pour” cake, some kind of liquid or filling is then poured/spread over the top, such as caramel or pudding. It seeps into the holes, making it flavorful and super moist.
In some cases, you’ll see pockets of the filling, and in other recipes, the liquid is so thin, it soaks into the sponge.
Either way, it’s a terrific way to enhance and sponge or fix a dry cake.
Ingredients
This recipe is super straightforward and served right in the baking dish. So, like a good sheet cake, it needs minimal decorating.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Cake Mix – this recipe calls for Devil’s Food cake mix for the best, most chocolatey taste. Of course, you can use any cake mix you like (so long as it pairs well with caramel).
- Eggs, Water, Oil – follow the instructions on the box to bake the cake.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk + Caramel Sauce – they form the thick sauce that you’ll drizzle all over the cake, making it extra moist, rich, and decadent.
- Whipped Topping – while you can also use freshly whipped cream, Cool Whip is more stable and won’t melt into the cake.
- Toffee Bits – for a sweet and crunchy finish.
How to Make Better Than Sex Cake
Since you’ll use a cake mix, this recipe couldn’t be easier. Just mix, bake, poke, pour, and serve!
- Preheat the oven and gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175°C) and lightly grease a 9×13-inch glass or white ceramic baking dish.
- Make the cake per the instructions on the box. In most cases, you’ll whisk the eggs, oil, and water, then stir in the cake mix. Bake the cake for the suggested amount of time, then let it cool for about 5 minutes.
- Make the filling. While the cake is baking/cooling, combine the sweetened condensed milk and caramel in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until smooth, then set aside.
- Poke holes over the cake and add the sauce. Use the top of a wooden skewer, chopsticks, fork, or anything else with a sharp end to make the holes. Poke all over the cake, but be sure to not go all the way through. Then, pour the warm sauce all over the top and spread it out with a spatula.
- Let the cake cool, then add the toppings. Let the cake cool completely, then refrigerate it for at least 2 hours. When you’re ready to serve, top it with Cool Whip, toffee bits, and more caramel.
Serve as-is or with vanilla ice cream on top. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
This is one of my absolute favorite dessert recipes because it’s impossible to mess up. But I have a few tips to guarantee success:
- Poke the cake while it’s warm. The sponge develops a slight crust on top as it cools, which can crack if you poke it.
- Don’t poke the cake all the way through to the bottom. If you touch the baking dish on every poke, the sauce will seep out and under the sponge, making a tasty-gooey mess on the bottom.
- Poke the holes evenly, about 1 inch apart. If the holes are too close to each other, the cake will turn out wet. If they’re too far apart, the filling won’t spread enough.
- Leave the cake in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving. This’ll give the cake time to absorb the filling, making it exceptionally rich and moist.
- Use Cool Whip if you plan to make it ahead. It’s more stable than whipped cream. But if you plan to serve it right away, use whichever you prefer.
Variations
The thing I love about poke cakes is how customizable they are!
This recipe makes a phenomenal cake, but you can also make a few swaps here and there to make an entirely different but equally delectable dessert.
If you’re looking for inspiration, check out these suggestions:
- Different Cake Flavors: change up the flavor with white, yellow, or even spiced cake mix.
- Candy Toppings: if you’re not a toffee fan or can’t find Heath bars anywhere, use whatever candy bar you like. I love chopped Reese’s cups or M&Ms.
- Chopped Cookies: decorate the cake with chopped Oreos, chocolate chip, or toffee cookies for a decadent finish.
- Mini Chocolate Chips: white, milk, dark, a combination of all three – go for whatever your taste buds tell you.
- Different Sauces: swap out the caramel for cream, hot fudge, or chocolate syrup.
How to Store Better Than Sex Cake
To Store: In case there are any leftovers, which is highly unlikely, cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate the cake for up to 3 days.
Keep in mind, this will only work if you use Cool Whip or if you don’t add the whipped topping (like when making it ahead).
If you try to refrigerate whipped cream, it’ll start to go watery after a day or so.
So if you plan to make it ahead, just make and bake the cake, then add the caramel.
Cover and refrigerate the cake for up to 2 days, then add the topping and serve.
To Freeze: You can also freeze this better than sex cake recipe.
This method will only work for the baked and poked caked – not the finished cake with creamy topping.
To freeze, cover the pan with plastic wrap and aluminum foil, label accordingly, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Let the cake thaw in the fridge before serving.
More Cake Recipes You’ll Love
Too Much Chocolate Cake
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Death by Chocolate
One-Bowl Chocolate Cake
Chocolate Lava Mug Cake
Better Than Sex Cake (Easy Recipe)
24
servings30
minutes30
minutes236
kcalWith a combination of chocolate, caramel, and toffee, the Better Than Sex cake is as tantalizing as advertised. One bite will have you weak in the knees.
Ingredients
1 (15.25-ounce) package of Devil’s Food cake mix
1 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
7 ounces sweetened condensed milk
8 ounces caramel sauce, divided
3 1/4 (1.4-ounce) bars of chocolate-covered toffee, chopped and divided
1 (8-ounce) container of frozen whipped topping, thawed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175°C), and lightly grease a 9×13-inch glass or ceramic pan with non-stick spray or butter.
- Beat the cake mix, water, vegetable oil, and eggs in a large bowl on medium speed. Then pour the batter into the greased pan.
- Bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then poke holes all over the top using the end of a wooden spoon (don’t poke all the way through).
- While the cake bakes, stir the sweetened condensed milk and 6 ounces of caramel sauce in a saucepan over low heat.
- When it’s smooth, and the cake is ready, carefully pour the caramel evenly over the warm cake. Use a spatula to spread it evenly.
- Set aside 2 tablespoons of chopped toffee and sprinkle the rest across the cake.
- Let the cake cool completely, then refrigerate it for at least 2 hours.
- When it’s time to serve, spread the whipped topping evenly over the cooled cake and top it with the remaining toffee and caramel.
- Slice into squares. Serve and enjoy!
