Heath Bar Poke Cake

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Toffee lovers, this one is for you. Start with a baked devil’s food chocolate cake in a 9×13, poke some holes with the handle of a mixing spoon, and pour over sundae caramel topping and sweetened condensed milk while it’s still warm. It turns the cake almost fudgy! Once cool, slather with plenty of Cool Whip and scatter bits of crushed Heath bars. This one is truly as good as it sounds!

Steps + Photos to make this recipe for Heath Bar Poke Cake

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F and gather equipment and ingredients. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray or use butter and flour to coat.

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Step 2: Prepare the Devil’s Food cake mix according to the package instructions. Pour the batter into the greased pan and bake as you would for a 9×13-inch cake.

Step 3: Once a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, remove the cake from the oven with hot pads. While still hot: Use the end of a wooden spoon to poke holes about ½ inch apart across the surface. (See photo below.)

Step 4: Don’t quit now. While the cake is still warm, pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the cake, letting it soak into the holes. Use a spatula to coax the milk to every edge, if necessary.

Then drizzle the caramel ice cream topping over the entire surface.

Step 5: Let the cake cool completely to room temperature — about an hour — so it can fully absorb the sweetened condensed milk and caramel.

Step 6: On the full cooled cake: Spread the Cool Whip to every edge.

Sprinkle Heath Bar bits (or a crushed toffee of your choice) generously across the top (use half the bag, or more if you like extra crunch). This topping will soften over time, so if you want that crisp snap in the leftovers too, keep some back to impart new crunch as you plate the leftovers.

Step 7: Slice and serve immediately (though it might be more like a scoop until it chills), or refrigerate until ready to serve. For cleanest slices, let it sit in the fridge for about 45 minutes.

Tips for Success

• Be prepared for an almost “molten chocolate lava cake” gooey experience if serving right away. If you’d prefer cleaner slices, loosely cover the pan and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.
  
• Keep back a few handfuls of the Heath Bar bits — the toffee sprinkles soften a bit and adding a sprinkle to each serving of leftovers brings the crunch back.
  
• Crush full-size Heath Bars in a baggie with a rolling pin if the baking bits aren’t available. Four bars should cover the cake just fine. You can also use any toffee, particularly at Christmas time.
  
• While devil’s food cake has a sturdy cocoa flavor that helps cut the sweetness of all that caramel and sweetened condensed milk, it’s ok to use any chocolate cake you have on hand. You can even use my recipe for homemade chocolate cake (you won’t need the buttercream frosting, though.)

Want more poke cakes? I got you. 

• Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake
• Festive Christmas Poke Cake
• List of 37 Poke Cake Recipes

The bottom line

This Heath Bar Poke Cake will rocket caramel and toffee lovers through the stratosphere. Yes, it’s sweet, but the devil’s food cake helps add balance. The whipped topping adds a light, creamy note to every slice. One thing I love about 9×13 cakes is how portable they are, so if you’re ready to make an entrance with dessert, this is the chocolate caramel dessert of your dreams.