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You’ll love this semi-homemade Butterfinger Poke Cake recipe! Starts with a moist & buttery golden butter cake mix, ‘poked’ with caramel and hot fudge, and then topped with whipped cream and chopped butterfinger candy. It’s a simple yet irresistible easy dessert that everyone loves.
For more delicious candy bar inspired poke cake recipes be sure and try this Oreo Poke Cake and Reese’s Poke Cake.
Butterfinger Poke Cake Recipe – Easy Cake Recipe!
You will love this easy butterfinger cake recipe! Complete with a golden and buttery yellow cake mix, poked with hot fudge and caramel, and then finished off with whipped cream and tons of butterfinger candy bar pieces. This fun recipe is always a hit and will hopefully become your new favorite dessert!
The moist and fluffy cake is a huge hit wherever it goes. Easy and simple to make, you’re going to love this dessert. Let’s learn how to make it with all my helpful tips and detailed instructions below.
Poke Cake Ingredients Needed
- Golden Butter Cake Mix : I love this version of a class yellow cake mix. It’s buttery and has a richer flavor. Feel free to use a yellow cake mix if you can’t find the golden butter cake mix.
- Large Eggs
- Whole Milk : The higher fat is best to use in this cake recipe. I recommend using whole milk or half & half. 2% milk is the lowest-fat milk I would recommend using when making this poke cake.
- Melted Butter : I use salted butter for all baking recipes but unsalted butter an be used if that’s what you prefer.
- Hot Fudge : This is the jarred ice cream sundae topping hot fudge sauce.
- Caramel Sauce/Topping : Again, the jarred or bottled ice cream sundae topping. It’s best to use the thicker caramel topping or sauce and not the caramel syrup. The syrup usually comes in the plastic bottle and it’s much thinner than the sauce or topping.
- Cool Whip : You can also make your own whipped topping. See below for how-to directions.
- Butterfinger Candy Bars : The top of the cake calls for crushed butterfingers. Chop up whole butterfinger bars or use a bag of butterfinger baking bits. You can find the baking bits in the baking aisle at some grocery stores. I think using whole butterfinger candy bars, that have been chopped, taste better than the bag of bits.
Simple Steps For How To Make Easy Butterfinger Cake (With Recipe Card)
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 cake pan with nonstick cooking spray or you can spread shortening or softened butter into the pan.
- Add the cake mix, eggs, whole milk, and melted butter into a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer until combined well and smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cake bounces back when gently touched and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes (inside the cake pan).
- Poke holes all over the top of the cake with the end of a wooden spoon, large straw, or other larger in diameter item. Remember, don’t poke all the way down to the bottom of the pan but rather only 3/4 of the way down.
- Carefully pour the hot fudge over the cake, ensuring that it gets into each hole in the cake, instead of on the sides of the cake or the top.
- Spread the caramel topping over the cake, again ensuring that it gets inside the holes, rather than on the sides or top of the cake.
- Allow the cake to cool completely at room temperature.
- Once cooled, spread the Cool Whip over top the cake and cover the pan with plastic wrap or a lid. Refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours before serving.
- Right before serving, add the butterfinger pieces over top the whipped cream and cut the cake into squares.
What Is The Best Way To Poke Holes For a Poke Cake?
Because we are ‘poking’ the cake with thicker items like hot fudge and caramel topping, it’s important to use something that will create bigger and wider holes in the cake. You can use the handle of a wooden spoon, a large straw (like a smoothie straw), a cupcake corer, or even the end of a larger sized chopstick. I don’t recommend using something small like a wooden skewer, as it won’t create holes large enough in order for the hot fudge to nestle down into it.
Are There Any Changes I Can Make To This Poke Cake Recipe?
You can change up this recipe to suit your preference and/or dietary restrictions. Here are a few possible modifications to get you started.
- Cake Mix Variations : Use a yellow cake mix or make it extra chocolatey and use a chocolate cake mix instead. Try using a gluten-free cake mix, although I have not tested it so make sure to watch the size of the box you’re using.
- Toppings : While this is called a butterfinger poke cake, don’t let that stop you from switching up the toppings to whatever you want. Use any candy bar like a Snickers bar or Twix (which would compliment the hot fudge + caramel sauce poked into the cake), or try adding some chopped heath bars to compliment the flavor of the butterfinger candy bars.
- Sauce For The Poked Holes : While the recipe suggests using hot fudge and caramel topping, there are lots of other options you could consider. Substitute either the hot fudge or caramel with a can of sweetened condensed milk, use dark chocolate topping instead of hot fudge, use some butterscotch topping, or even peanut butter topping instead of one of the toppings called for in the recipe. Another option is to mix in some creamy peanut butter into the hot fudge, caramel topping, or sweetened condensed milk.
How To Store Butterfinger Poke Cake
To store leftover cake, cover it tightly with plastic wrap or cover the cake pan with a lid, and place it inside the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. You can also store individual pieces of the cake inside an airtight container.
The longer it sits in the fridge, the softer and almost soggy-like the cake will become. I recommend eating it and serving it within 2 days of the initial fridge time called for in the recipe.
This cake is best served after the initial 4-6 hour fridge time. Poke cakes are best served chilled from the fridge.
Recipe Tips For Success
- Ice Cream Sundae Toppings & Sauce : For the hot fudge and caramel topping, you need to use the ice cream sundae toppings that come in the glass jars and NOT the thinner syrups that come in the plastic bottles. Use the thicker toppings or sauces instead of syrups in this poke cake.
- Use The Golden Butter Cake Mix : After testing this recipe with other cake mixes, the golden butter is the best one to use. I highly recommend finding it and using it in this recipe.
- Poke Large holes : It’s important to poke big enough holes, not all the way to the bottom, in order for it to hold the thicker hot fudge and caramel topping inside of it. Not too small like with a wood skewer, but rather something with a larger diameter like the end of a wooden mixing spoon, large smoothie straw, or some other larger circle object.
- Make Your Own Whipped Cream : This is something I do often when making this recipe. Add 1.5 cups heavy whipping cream + 1/2 cup powdered sugar into a large mixing bowl and beat until stiff peaks form. Start at low speed and increase speed as needed. This takes about 4-5 minutes. Use this in place of the tub of Cool Whip for the topping. I also like to mix the butterfinger chunks and pieces into the homemade whipped cream. It helps flavor it better and dispersed the toppings better. I also add more chopped butterfinger pieces right before serving, after the chill time.
- Butterfinger Bits : I recommend leaving some in bigger chunks and then crushing some of the candy bar up finer. The difference in textures is really good on top of this poke cake.
More Favorite Poke Cake Recipes
Easy Boxed Cake Mix Desserts
- Easy Lemon Lover’s Layered Cake
- Blueberry Dump Cake
- Easy Pineapple Pistachio Cake
- Berry Crisp Dump Cake
- Funfetti Cake Batter Cookie Bars
- Chocolate Brownie Bundt Cake
Butterfinger Poke Cake
You'll love this semi-homemade Butterfinger Poke Cake recipe! Starts with a moist & buttery golden butter cake mix, 'poked' with caramel and hot fudge, and then topped with whipped cream and chopped butterfinger candy. It's a simple yet irresistible easy dessert that everyone loves.Â
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 box (15.25 oz) golden butter cake mix
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/3 cup salted butter melted
- 2/3 cup hot fudge (room temperature)
- 1 cup caramel topping (room temperature)
- 8 ounces Cool Whip
- 1 cup chopped butterfingers (or more to taste)
Instructions
- Prep : Preheat the oven to 350℉. Grease a 9×13 cake pan with cooking spray, softened butter, or shortening. Set aside.
- Cake Batter : In a large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the cake mix, eggs, milk, and melted butter for 1-2 minutes until combined well. * You can also use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment to do this.1 box (15.25 oz) golden butter cake mix, 3 large eggs, 1 cup whole milk, 1/3 cup salted butter
- Bake : Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 26-31 minutes or until the cake bounces back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 minutes.
- Poke Holes : Poke holes all over the cake using the end of a wooden mixing spoon, a large smoothie straw, or a cupcake corer. Make sure to only poke about 3/4 of the way down and NOT all the way to the bottom of the pan.
- Spread the hot fudge over top the cake making sure that it gets into all the holes.2/3 cup hot fudge
- Spread the caramel topping making sure that it gets inside all the holes.1 cup caramel topping
- Let the cake cool completely at room temperature.
- Chill Time : Once cooled, add the Cool Whip over top and cover the cake pan with plastic wrap or a lid. Refrigerate for 4-6 hours.8 ounces Cool Whip
- Serve : When ready to serve, add the chopped butterfinger pieces over top the whipped cream and cut into squares. The poke cake is best served chilled from the fridge.1 cup chopped butterfingers
Video
Notes
Butter : 1/3 cup is equal to 5.333 tablespoons. On the stick of butter there is a line for the 1/3 cup of butter. It’s about 5 tablespoons + 1/3 tablespoon.
Ice Cream Sundae Toppings & Sauce : For the hot fudge and caramel topping, you need to use the ice cream sundae toppings that come in the glass jars and NOT the thinner syrups that come in the plastic bottles. Use the thicker toppings or sauces instead of syrups in this poke cake.
Use The Golden Butter Cake Mix : After testing this recipe with other cake mixes, the golden butter is the best one to use. I highly recommend finding it and using it in this recipe.Â
Poke Large holes : It’s important to poke big enough holes, not all the way to the bottom, in order for it to hold the thicker hot fudge and caramel topping inside of it. Not too small like with a wood skewer, but rather something with a larger diameter like the end of a wooden mixing spoon, large smoothie straw, or some other larger circle object.Â
Make Your Own Whipped Cream : This is something I do often when making this recipe. Add 1.5 cups heavy whipping cream + 1/2 cup powdered sugar into a large mixing bowl and beat until stiff peaks form. Start at low speed and increase speed as needed. This takes about 4-5 minutes. Use this in place of the tub of Cool Whip for the topping. I also like to mix the butterfinger chunks and pieces into the homemade whipped cream. It helps flavor it better and disperse the toppings better. I also add more chopped butterfinger pieces right before serving, after the chill time. I typically use closer to 1.5 cups of chopped butterfinger pieces.
Butterfinger Bits :Â I recommend leaving some in bigger chunks and then crushing some of the candy bar up finer. The difference in textures is really good on top of this poke cake.Â
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