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Snickers Poke Cake is one of the best easy candy bar cakes you’ll ever make! This easy poke cake starts with a boxed chocolate cake mix, poked with holes filled with caramel sauce, whipped cream, chopped peanuts, chocolate sauce, and chunks of Snickers candy bars on top.
Do you want more Snickers recipes? Be sure and also try this Snickers Apple Salad, Snickers Cookies, and No Bake Snickers Cheesecake Pie.
Easy Snickers Poke Cake Recipe
Snickers poke cake is a super easy cake recipe complete with a moist chocolate cake, layers of gooey caramel, snickers bars, chocolate sauce, salty peanuts, and whipped topping.
It’s a delicious treat that is always a family favorite & crowd favorite. If you have kids that don’t love traditional birthday cake (I have 2 of them!) then try making it for a birthday cake. Everyone loves candy bars especially in this favorite cake recipe.
Ingredients Needed
- Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix : A chocolate box cake mix is the base of this easy poke cake; using a chocolate cake mix also simplifies the preparation process, making the recipe easy and accessible for anyone to make.
- Eggs, Water, & Oil : These are the standard wet ingredients called for on the back of the boxed cake mix. Eggs add structure and richness, water hydrates the dry ingredients, and oil contributes to the moistness and tenderness of the cake. Use vegetable oil or canola oil for best results.
- Caramel Sauce : The caramel sauce gets dumped into the ‘poked holes’ which allows the sweet buttery sauce to spread through the cake.
- Cool Whip : Homemade whipped cream can also be used if you prefer. You also don’t need to use the entire tub of Cool Whip.
- Chocolate Syrup/Sauce
- Chopped Peanuts : Crunchy peanuts add a crunchy and salty contrast to the sweetness of the caramel and chocolate. The peanuts also help match the flavors of the Snickers candy bars as well.
- Snickers Candy Bars
How To Make A Snickers Poke Cake (Printable Recipe Card)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 9×13 baking pan/cake pan and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
Prepare the chocolate fudge cake mix according to the package directions (eggs, water, and oil). Pour the chocolate cake batter into the prepared baking dish.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean with no wet batter on it.
Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 10-15 minutes. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes evenly across the surface of the cake, about 1-inch apart. Let the cake cool completely for about 30 minutes.
Reserve 1/4 cup of the caramel sauce and set aside for later.
Place the remaining caramel sauce into a piping bag and cut the corner, or place it inside a Ziploc bag with the bottom corner cut, or you can use a squeeze bottle, and pipe the caramel sauce into the holes.
Use an offset spatula to evenly spread the Cool Whip evenly over the top of the cake.
Drizzle the chocolate syrup and reserved caramel syrup over top the whipped cream topping. Sprinkle the chopped peanuts and chopped Snickers candy bars over top.
Cover the cake pan with a lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2-4 hours before serving.
Cut the cake into squares and serve. Enjoy!
How To Store Leftover Poke Cake
After the cake is assembled with the toppings, cover it tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days. It’s best to serve the cake within the first 2 days for best texture and flavor. The cake can be made up to 24 hours ahead of time and stored covered in the fridge until ready to serve.
Leave the cake inside the cake pan for storage or remove individual slices to an airtight container for storage.
Can I Make Homemade Whipped Cream?
Yes, I actually prefer making homemade whipped cream when I make this easy poke cake with Snickers candy bars. The freshly whipped cream makes such a big difference – but of course, the Cool Whip is so delicious and super easy too!
Add 3 cups heavy whipping cream + 3/4 cup powdered sugar into a large mixing bowl. Use an electric hand mixer to beat until stiff peaks form. This takes about 4-5 minutes. Make sure to start on low speed, to avoid splashing, and increase the speed as it thickens and as needed. Evenly spread the whipped cream on top of the cake when the recipe calls for it.
Recipe Tips For Success
- Chop the Snickers bars into small pieces for a balanced bite in every slice. This ensures that the nougat, caramel, and chocolate from the candy bars are evenly distributed across the cake’s surface.
- Ensure the cake is warm but not piping hot when poking holes. It’s important to follow the directions and allow the warm cake to cool for 10-15 minutes (at room temperature) before poking the holes into it. If the cake is too warm when the holes are poked the caramel sauce might get absorbed too quickly, making the cake soggy instead of creating a distinct caramel-filled pockets.
- Using a squeeze bottle or piping bag is an easy way to drizzle the chocolate and caramel sauce over the whipped cream topping. Pour each sauce into a separate squeeze bottle, piping bag, or Ziploc bag. Using one of these tools will help you achieve clean lines when you drizzle the syrups.
- Make sure to take your time to fill each hole with the caramel sauce.
Variation & Substitution Ideas
- Use Your Favorite Candy Bars : Use any candy bar in this easy cake recipe. Milky Way, a different variety if Snickers bar, or Twix candy bars are another great choice that matches the caramel + chocolate flavors of the cake.
- Use The End of a Wooden Spoon : The best thing to use to ‘poke holes’ into the cake is the end of a wooden spoon. If needed, use something in similar to size. You want the holes big enough to really hold that thick caramel sauce and not too small that the thick caramel sauce can’t soak down into the holes.
- Chocolate Cake Mix : Any variety of cake mix can be used for this recipe – milk chocolate, dark chocolate, devils food cake, etc.
- Whipped Cream Tip : I like to sometimes add the chopped Snickers candy bars into the whipped cream before I spread it on top of the cake. I then also add some additional chopped Snickers on top of the cake for serving.
- Other Topping Ideas : Mini chocolate chips are another garnish option for the top of the cake. You could also drizzle some warmed peanut butter over top if using the peanut butter Snickers in the cake.
More Favorite Easy Desserts That Use Candy Bars
- Candy Bar Brownies
- Halloween Candy Cookie Bars
- No Bake Heath Toffee Cheesecake Pie
- Butterfinger Cookies
- Cookies & Cream Oreo Brownies
- Butterfinger Poke Cake
- Golden Grahams S’mores Krispie Bars
- Reese’s Poke Cake
Snickers Poke Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box (13.25 oz) chocolate fudge cake mix (plus ingredients called for)
- 1 jar (14 oz) caramel sauce divided
- 1 container (16 oz) Cool Whip thawed
- 1/2 cup chocolate sauce or syrup
- 1/2 cup chopped peanuts
- 1½ cups chopped Snickers candy bars
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Prepare a 9×13 baking pan/cake pan and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Prepare the chocolate fudge cake mix according to the package directions on the back of the box (eggs, water, and oil). Pour the chocolate cake batter into the prepared baking dish.1 box (13.25 oz) chocolate fudge cake mix
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean with no wet batter on it.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 10-15 minutes.
- Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes evenly across the surface of the cake, about 1-inch apart. Let the cake cool completely for about 30 minutes.
- Reserve 1/4 cup of the caramel sauce and set aside for later. Place the remaining caramel sauce into a piping bag and cut the corner, or place it inside a Ziploc bag with the bottom corner cut, or you can use a squeeze bottle, and pipe the caramel sauce into the holes.1 jar (14 oz) caramel sauce
- Use an offset spatula to evenly spread the Cool Whip evenly over the top of the cake.1 container (16 oz) Cool Whip
- Drizzle the chocolate syrup and reserved caramel syrup over top the whipped cream topping. Sprinkle the chopped peanuts and chopped Snickers candy bars over top.1/2 cup chocolate sauce or syrup, 1/2 cup chopped peanuts, 1½ cups chopped Snickers candy bars
- Cover the cake pan with a lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2-4 hours (or overnight up to 12 hours) before serving. Cut the cake into squares and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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