Indulge in Decadence: The Ultimate Easy Better Than Sex Cake Recipe
Prepare to dive into a dessert experience that truly lives up to its audacious name: the Better Than Sex Cake. This incredibly decadent and surprisingly easy recipe takes a humble chocolate cake mix and elevates it into a show-stopping creation. Imagine a moist, rich chocolate cake, generously soaked with luscious caramel and sweet condensed milk, then crowned with a fluffy whipped topping and a generous sprinkle of crunchy toffee bits. It’s a symphony of textures and flavors that will undoubtedly become a new favorite for special occasions, potlucks, or simply when you crave an extraordinary treat.
Why This Decadent Recipe Is a Must-Try
The name “Better Than Sex Cake” might be a bit provocative, but it’s truly the best way to convey the sheer delight and tantalizing taste of this caramel-soaked chocolate masterpiece. It’s a dessert that demands attention and delivers an unforgettable experience with every bite. Sometimes, a recipe name needs to convey a powerful message, and this one certainly does! Just like other famously named desserts such as slutty brownies and sex in a pan, the name itself sparks curiosity and excitement.
At its heart, this Better Than Sex Cake is a variation of a classic poke cake, which means it’s astonishingly simple to prepare, especially with the help of a boxed cake mix. The magic lies in creating small holes in the freshly baked cake, allowing a luscious mixture of sweetened condensed milk and rich caramel sauce to seep deep into every crevice. This process ensures an unparalleled moistness and infuses the cake with incredible flavor from within. The final touches of a creamy whipped topping and delightful crunchy toffee bits complete this irresistible dessert, making it easy, quick, and guaranteed to impress even the most discerning palates. It’s a perfect blend of convenience and gourmet taste, proving that extraordinary desserts don’t always require hours in the kitchen.
Essential Ingredients for Your Better Than Sex Cake
Creating this irresistible dessert requires a surprisingly short list of readily available ingredients. You’ll love how easily these components come together to form such a rich and flavorful cake. For exact measurements, detailed ingredient lists, and comprehensive instructions, please refer to the printable recipe card located at the conclusion of this post.
Ingredient Insights and Smart Substitutions
Let’s delve a little deeper into the key ingredients that make this cake so phenomenal, along with some helpful substitution tips to ensure your baking success.
- CAKE Base: For this particular recipe, we utilized a Betty Crocker Devil’s Food Cake mix, ensuring a deep chocolate flavor that pairs perfectly with the caramel. The quantities for eggs, water, and oil in our recipe are aligned with the instructions found on a standard Betty Crocker box. However, if you opt for a different brand of cake mix, simply follow the preparation guidelines provided on that specific box. The beauty of this recipe is its flexibility: while Devil’s Food offers a rich, dark chocolate experience, you can easily substitute it with a regular chocolate, vanilla, or even a white cake mix, depending on your personal preference. Choose your favorite flavor to customize this delightful dessert!
- Caramel Sauce: To keep this recipe wonderfully simple and quick, a good quality store-bought caramel sauce is absolutely perfect. It saves time without sacrificing flavor, allowing you to get to the delicious result faster. However, if you’re a fan of homemade touches and have a little extra time, creating your own caramel sauce can add an extra layer of gourmet indulgence. We highly recommend trying our homemade caramel sauce recipe for an even more exquisite flavor profile and a smooth, rich texture.
- The Creamy Topping: For ultimate convenience and a reliably stable topping, we chose Cool Whip. It’s light, airy, and holds its shape beautifully. While Cool Whip is our go-to for ease, you can certainly make your own whipped cream from scratch. If you choose this route, we strongly suggest preparing a homemade stabilized whipped cream. Regular whipped cream can quickly deflate, especially when layered over a moist cake. Stabilized whipped cream, however, will maintain its fluffy texture and elegant appearance for much longer, ensuring your cake looks as good as it tastes.
- Crunchy Garnish: The delightful crunch of toffee bits is essential for contrasting with the cake’s softness. Both regular-sized Heath bars, chopped into pieces, or a bag of pre-crushed Heath toffee bits or similar toffee candy will work perfectly for the garnish. We found that using approximately a full 10 oz. bag of the mini Heath bars provides an ideal amount of crunchy goodness to distribute generously across the cake, ensuring every slice gets that irresistible toffee crunch.
Effortless Steps to Create Your Better Than Sex Cake
These step-by-step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
Creating this sensational caramel chocolate poke cake is a straightforward process that yields incredibly impressive results. Follow these simple steps to ensure your cake is perfectly moist, flavorful, and ready to delight.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C), preparing it for optimal baking.
- In a spacious mixing bowl, combine your chosen cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, and water. Beat these ingredients together on medium-high speed for about 2-3 minutes until the batter is smooth and well-incorporated. This ensures a consistent cake texture.
- Carefully transfer the prepared cake batter into a 9×13 inch baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack for about 30 minutes. This cooling period is crucial before the next step.
- Once the cake has cooled slightly, use a skewer or the handle of a wooden spoon to carefully poke holes all over the top of the cake. These holes are essential for allowing the sauces to penetrate deeply.
EXPERT TIP – It’s important not to poke too far down into the cake, as this could cause the delightful sauces to pool at the bottom instead of absorbing evenly. Aim to poke holes about 1 inch apart and about two-thirds of the way down into the cake, creating perfect little wells for the moisture to settle.
- Generously pour the sweetened condensed milk first, followed by 1 cup of the caramel sauce, evenly over the entire poked cake. Watch as these rich liquids seep into the holes, promising an incredibly moist and flavorful result.
- Cover the cake tightly with plastic wrap and transfer it to the refrigerator. Allow it to chill for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour. This chilling period is vital, as it gives the sauces ample time to absorb and set, creating that signature moist texture.
- Once thoroughly chilled, remove the plastic wrap and evenly spread the Cool Whip (or stabilized whipped cream) over the entire top of the cake, creating a fluffy white cloud.
- For the grand finale, drizzle the remaining caramel sauce artfully over the whipped topping. Then, liberally sprinkle the chopped Heath bars (or toffee bits) over the entire surface, adding a fantastic texture and burst of flavor.
- Finally, slice your magnificent Better Than Sex Cake into individual pieces and serve immediately. Prepare for rave reviews!
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips for Perfection
To maintain its freshness and decadent texture, store any leftover Better Than Sex Cake in an airtight container. Alternatively, you can tightly cover the baking dish with plastic wrap. Always keep it in the refrigerator, where it will remain delicious for up to 5 days.
Absolutely! This cake is an excellent choice for preparing in advance. You can bake and assemble the cake, then cover it securely with either an airtight lid or plastic wrap. Store it in the refrigerator overnight, or even a full day, until you’re ready to slice and serve. Making it ahead often allows the flavors to meld even more beautifully.
Yes, Better Than Sex Cake freezes wonderfully! To do so, ensure the cake is fully chilled. Wrap the entire cake (or individual slices) first with a layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. This double wrapping helps prevent freezer burn. Store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, simply thaw the cake in the refrigerator overnight before serving. The texture and flavor will be almost as good as fresh!
Beyond the FAQs, here are a few more expert tips to ensure your Better Than Sex Cake turns out perfectly every time:
- Temperature is Key: While the cake can be slightly warm when you pour the condensed milk and caramel, it absolutely must be cold before you add the whipped topping. Applying whipped cream to a warm cake will cause it to melt and become runny, ruining the presentation and texture. Similarly, ensure any extra caramel drizzled over the top is cool, not warm.
- Even Poking: Don’t rush the poking process. Take your time to create evenly spaced holes. This ensures that the sweet liquids are distributed uniformly throughout the cake, leading to consistent moisture and flavor in every bite.
- Quality Ingredients Matter: While this recipe uses a cake mix for convenience, investing in a good quality caramel sauce and fresh toffee bits will significantly enhance the overall taste and experience of your cake.
Creative Serving Ideas for Your Decadent Cake
The Better Than Sex Cake is truly a showstopper on its own, a complete dessert that needs little embellishment. However, if you’re looking to customize it or cater to different tastes, the possibilities for toppings are virtually endless! If toffee or Heath bars aren’t your preference, don’t hesitate to experiment with other delightful garnishes. Consider sprinkling mini chocolate chips, chopped nuts (like pecans or walnuts), elegant shaved chocolate curls, or even a different flavored drizzle such as chocolate ganache. For candy lovers, chopped Snickers, Milky Way, Twix, or any of your favorite candy bars can add a fun and delicious twist.
This cake is best served chilled, allowing the flavors to fully develop and the creamy toppings to hold their structure. However, some prefer it slightly above room temperature for an even softer texture. No matter how you choose to present it, this dessert is guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser and the highlight of any meal. Prepare for compliments and requests for the recipe!
Discover More Irresistible Poke Cake Recipes
If you loved the simplicity and deliciousness of this poke cake, you’ll be thrilled to explore other variations from our collection. Poke cakes are a fantastic category of desserts that are not only easy to make but also incredibly versatile, offering endless flavor combinations. Dive into more moist, flavorful, and easy-to-prepare treats with these related recipes:
- Sex in a Pan
- Raspberry Poke Cake
- Chocolate Poke Cake
- Pineapple Sunshine Cake
- Cream Puff Chocolate Eclair Cake
- Black Forest Poke Cake
Each of these offers a unique flavor journey while maintaining the beloved ease of the poke cake method. Happy baking!
I absolutely adore spending time in the kitchen, experimenting with new flavors and perfecting classic recipes, and then sharing those experiences with all of you! Keeping up with new recipes can be tricky, which is why I’ve made it easy for you. I offer a convenient newsletter that delivers a brand-new recipe directly to your inbox every time I publish one. Simply subscribe today and start receiving your free daily recipes, so you never miss out on delicious inspiration!
Better Than Sex Cake
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
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Ingredients
- 15.25 ounce Devil’s Food Cake Mix we used Betty Crocker
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 ¼ cup water
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 1 ¼ cup caramel sauce divided
- 8 ounces Cool Whip thawed
- 1 cup chopped Heath bars 1 – 1 1/2 cups. or toffee bits
Things You’ll Need
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13×9 baking dish
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Large mixing bowl
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Wooden spoon
Before You Begin
- **We used a Betty Crocker cake mix for this recipe. The egg, water, and oil portions in this recipe are the same as those on the cake mix box. If using a different brand of cake mix, prepare the cake as indicated on the box.
- If preferred, you can swap the devils food cake mix with regular chocolate, vanilla, or white cake mix – choose your favorite.
- The cake can be slightly warm when pouring the toppings over, but it needs to be cold when topping with Cool Whip so that the Cool Whip doesn’t melt.
- The caramel sauce should also be cool when pouring over the Cool Whip.
- You can use regular size Heath bars or a bag of the minis. We used close to a full 10 oz. bag of minis.
- Store leftover cake in an air-tight container or tightly covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To freeze, wrap the cake with plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
- You can prepare this cake a day in advance then cover it with either an air-tight lid or plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F.
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In a large bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, oil, and water. Beat on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes.
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Transfer batter to a 9×13 baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes.
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Use a skewer or the handle of a wooden spoon to make holes in the cake. Don’t poke too far down into the cake, otherwise the sauce will pool at the bottom. Poke the holes about 1 inch apart.
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Pour the sweetened condensed milk and 1 cup of caramel sauce evenly over the entire cake.
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Cover the cake with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes – 1 hour.
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Top with Cool Whip.
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Drizzle remaining caramel sauce over the top and sprinkle with the chopped Heath bars.
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Slice into pieces and serve.
Nutrition
The recipes on this blog are tested with a conventional gas oven and gas stovetop. It’s important to note that some ovens, especially as they age, can cook and bake inconsistently. Using an inexpensive oven thermometer can assure you that your oven is truly heating to the proper temperature. If you use a toaster oven or countertop oven, please keep in mind that they may not distribute heat the same as a conventional full sized oven and you may need to adjust your cooking/baking times. In the case of recipes made with a pressure cooker, air fryer, slow cooker, or other appliance, a link to the appliances we use is listed within each respective recipe. For baking recipes where measurements are given by weight, please note that results may not be the same if cups are used instead, and we can’t guarantee success with that method.