Butterfinger Cake Recipe

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This Butterfinger cake is the easiest poke cake you’ll ever make. Featuring a chocolate cake base and topped with caramel topping, Butterfinger candy, and Cool Whip, it’s the definition of a deliciously decadent dessert.

Slice of Butterfinger cake.

 

 

It’s true, everyone I know loves this Butterfinger cake recipe. Grown men swoon for it, and children polish their halos and change their vocabulary to “mother dear” for it. No cake I have ever had in a restaurant holds a candle to this indulgent poke cake. 

This is the ultimate in decadence and guess what else? EASE! This is the easiest cake on earth to make. Never have you stopped a show with so little effort. All you have to do is bake the boxed cake mix according to the instructions, smear your cake with a sweet and addictive condensed milk and caramel topping combination, then add a thick layer of whipped cream and crushed Butterfinger crumbs. Just like that, you’re ready to enjoy a slice of your deliciously moist Butterfinger cake.

In case you didn’t know, I’m a big fan of poke cakes because they’re easy to make and mouthwateringly delicious. Here are some more of my favorite poke cake recipes: s’mores poke cakeJell-O poke cakepineapple poke cake, and Candy Corn poke cake.

Recipe Ingredients

  • Devil’s Food Cake Mix (the cheaper the better, we want a good old coarse cake).
  • Can of sweetened condensed milk
  • Caramel topping
  • Cool Whip
  • Butterfinger candy bar

How To Make Butterfinger Cake Step by Step

Bake cake according to instructions and then poke holes.

Prepare cake mix and bake cake according to the package directions.

When it comes out, poke holes all in it with a fork or the handle of a wooden spoon, just like we did on the pineapple poke cake. Don’t stop until it looks like a swarm of four toothed mosquitoes attacked!

 

Combine condensed milk and caramel topping.Pour the entire can of sweetened condensed milk into a bowl, add the caramel topping, and stir to combine.

Smear condensed milk mixture over the cake.

How to Make it a Poke Cake

While the cake is still hot, pour the caramel/condensed milk all over the top and spread it around evenly. Then let it soak in. Oh my good lord almighty, this is gonna be good.

Crumble Butterfinger candy bar.

Chop up your Butterfinger bar and crush it like above.

Add Butterfinger crumbs to cake.

Sprinkle 3/4 of the chopped Butterfinger crumbs over the cake. Now let it cool a bit. I stick mine in the fridge at this point.

Top Butterfinger cake with Cool Whip and Butterfinger crumbs.

Once it is cooled, top with the whole thing of whipped cream and remaining Butterfinger bits. Refrigerate.

Now, you can eat this now but it really and truly should get good and cold before you do.

Alright so go ahead and eat a bit now if you have to, but just promise me you’ll have another slice once it cools. You may even need to have two or three slices once it is good and cold so you can make sure you are tasting it fully as it would be quite rude to serve something to others which you have not adequately tasted – for their own good, of course.

Storage

  • Because of the whipped topping, you must store any Butterfinger poke cake leftovers covered in the fridge. They’ll last for up to 3 days.
  • If you want to store leftovers in the freezer, I recommend freezing the cake without the whipped topping and candy crumbs for best results. Store the cake in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Recipe Notes

  • Instead of the chocolate cake mix, you could use a yellow cake mix or fudge marble cake mix instead.
  • Alternatively, substitute the Butterfinger candy bar for your favorite, whether that’s Snickers, KitKat, or Twix. You could even use a combination of your favorites. Just chop them up and sprinkle them on top!
  • If you want to add an extra indulgence to your cake, drizzle it with peanut butter, extra caramel sauce, or some chocolate syrup.
  • The Canadian and UK version of a Butterfinger bar is a Wunderbar. 

Recipe FAQs

What is a poke cake?

A poke cake is a cake that is poked full of holes to allow icing, Jell-o, pudding, or in this case, sweetened condensed milk and caramel, to slide on through. By “poking” the top of the freshly baked cake the syrup or cream runs down into those holes, settles in there real good, and enhances the taste of the cake. Poke cakes gained popularity around the 70s when cake mixes were introduced.

What is the difference between Butterfinger cake and Better Than Anything cake?

The main difference between these two cakes is that Better Than Anything cake uses Heath bars rather than Butterfinger candy bars. But the rest of the recipe is basically the same.

Can I make this poke cake in advance?

Yes, if you want to assemble the entire Butterfinger cake recipe ahead of time, you can store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. However, the Butterfinger crumbs will lose their crunch after a day or so. Another option is to make the cake ahead of time and then add the toppings before serving.

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Butterfinger Cake

With a chocolate cake base and topped with caramel topping, Butterfinger candy, and Cool Whip, this easy Butterfinger poke cake is the definition of a deliciously moist and decadent dessert.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cake, chocolate
Servings: 4
Calories: 547kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 box Devil’s Food Cake Mix
  • 1 bottle caramel topping
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 large tub Cool Whip
  • 1 Butterfinger bar

Instructions

  • Prepare the cake according to package directions. Immediately after removing the cake from the oven, poke several holes all over the top with a fork.
    1 box Devil’s Food Cake Mix
  • Mix sweetened condensed milk and caramel together and pour it over the hot cake. Make sure to spread it over the entire cake. Chill well.
    1 bottle caramel topping, 1 can sweetened condensed milk
  • After the cake has chilled completely, spread the Cool Whip over the top and sprinkle the crushed Butterfinger bar on top of the whipped topping.
    1 large tub Cool Whip, 1 Butterfinger bar

Nutrition

Calories: 547kcal
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176 Comments

  1. Yes, this cake is to die for! I’ve had the better than sex cake, but it is basically the same thing…Great recipe!!!

  2. Bill, I’m glad you found me, too!
    Especially since I am still laughing from your comment and just had to call my mother, sister in law, and husband to read it aloud to them!!!!
    I hope you have half as good a day as you just set up for me!
    Still laughing!
    Christy

  3. …Have less of an environmental impact? Pizza Rolls?
    It musta been the part of the recipe that said to burn down a national forest and pour crude oil on Seagulls while your waiting for the cheese to melt.
    Sheesh!

    Anyway, this cake looks GREAT!

    You have awesome food, Glad I found you!

  4. Leslie: You are the embodiment of all a southern lady should be! ~hands you a vat of butter~ I just love you!

    Holly: I hope you enjoy it! Welcome to Southern Plate and let us know if you give it a try!

    Stephanie: Yup, you’re right on all accounts! hehe!!
    Man, I want pizza rolls. I think I’ll make them this week!

    TheQueenOfCuisine: This is my sister in law and Georgia counterpart, Tina. She KNOWS good food, y’all! See? You just had Christy Jordan and Christina Jordan telling you this is to die for, now you HAVE to make it!!!
    :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

  5. I have made this cake on numerous occasions and I am always asked for the recipe. It is really easy to prepare and it travels really well! When I tell them how it’s made, they can’t believe it was that easy. If you have never made this cake before, you don’t know what you are missing. It is fantastic!

  6. Holy Divine Decadence, Batman! That looks amazing!

    You know, the anonymous pizza rolls comment was technically correct, I suppose, but what’s the point of Southern cooking if you’re so worried about all that nutrition and the environment stuff? I thought the pizza rolls recipe was brilliant!

    And this cake recipe is brilliant too. 🙂

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