Holy Cow Cake: Decadently Rich Chocolate Cake

This decadent cake is made with Butterfinger candies and lots of caramel ice cream topping, hot fudge sauce, and whipped cream - you'll love it!

❤️ Why you'll love this recipe

Let me introduce you to your new favorite dessert!

• Made all in one pan.
• Easy to transport to potlucks and picnics.
• Always a huge hit.

Holy Cow Cake (aka Butterfinger cake) is a decadent chocolate poke cake recipe. It's so easy because you start with a box cake mix.

Sheet cake is soaked with syrups, topped with chopped Butterfingers candy bars, and covered with whipped cream - absolutely one of the easiest desserts you'll ever make! There're even more Butterfingers on top of the cake!

Perfect for taking to potlucks and church suppers!

Looking for a layer cake? Try my Dark Chocolate Layer Cake with Irish Cream Frosting! 

🧾 Ingredients

This Butterfinger poke cake recipe is SO easy - y'all are going to love it!

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• cake mix
• Butterfingers
• hot fudge sauce
• caramel sauce
• sweetened condensed milk
• instant pudding mix
• sugar
• vanilla
• heavy whipping cream

🔪 Instructions

Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the green recipe card below.

If you are very visual, like me, sometimes it's nice to have step by step images of the process.

Make the cake as directed on the package, but stir the chocolate chips into the batter just before baking.

1. Bake cake according to instructions but add ½ cup bittersweet chocolate chips to the batter. Poke holes in warm cake.
2. Add the sweetened condensed milk over the entire cake and let it soak into the holes for a minute or two.
3. Warm the hot fudge sauce and add it. Let it soak into the cake for a minute or two.
4. Cover with the caramel sauce. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

1. Cover the top of the cake with chopped Butterfingers.
2. Top with the whipped cream mixture.
3. Cover with more crushed Butterfingers.
4. Serve and enjoy!

🥫 Storage

Store the cake tightly covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to about 3 days.

Once the cake has been frosted it doesn't freeze well.

👩🏻‍🍳 Frequently asked questions

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about this cake - if you have any that aren't answered here be sure to leave a comment or email me!

💭 Tips for success

Expert Tip: Don't chop the Butterfingers bars too small. I like them chopped in larger pieces but you can chop them smaller if you like.

• Most Holy Cow Cake recipes call for whipped topping but I like real whipped cream on top. I stabilize it with just a touch of instant pudding mix so that it stays fluffy and yummy for days as long as it's in the fridge - which isn't very long at our house.
• There's no turning the cake  out, stacking, or anything like that. Bake it, frost it, and serve it in the same pan.
• If you have leftover cake, which is unlikely, be sure to keep it tightly covered in the refrigerator.
• I've made this with homemade chocolate cake and with a boxed mix and there really isn't much difference. This is one of those cakes that you can make when you need something super easy.
• It is much better if you can keep it until the next day- but you absolutely must let it chill for at least 6 to 8 hours.

📖 Variations

• Use Cool Whip instead of the whipped cream
• Substitute Heath Bars for the Butterfingers
• This is great with a butter cake mix
• Yellow cake mix works as well
• Use butterscotch sauce instead of caramel

📚 Related recipes

I love layer cakes but when it comes to choosing the best cake to take to some sort of get-together I prefer a sheet cake. They're so much easier to transport! Here are a few of my favorites I think you'll love, too.

• Pig Pickin' Cake is full of orange and pineapple flavor with a delectable whipped frosting that will have you licking the bowl.
• Boston Cream Pie Poke Cake has all of the flavor of Boston Cream Pie - the rich Bavarian cream, the buttery cake, and the sweet chocolate topping - but it's so much easier and definitely easier to take to potlucks.
• Original Texas Sheet Cake is a fudgy juxtaposition of candy and cake but I like the White Texas Sheet Cake just as well.
• Lemon Cream Cake is perfect for the lemon lovers in your life! Buttery cake topped with a mile of whipped lemon frosting.
• Lime White Chocolate Tres Leches Cake will have your taste buds dancing all over your mouth. I can't even begin to describe the goodness in each bite.
• Cracker Barrel Double Chocolate Fudge Coca Cola Cake is one of my favorite desserts - and this recipe is definitely a close copy!

📞 The last word

This easy Holy Cow cake (or Butterfinger cake recipe - whatever you'd like to call it!) definitely deserves a spot on your "A" list!

It's one of our family favorites - and often requested for birthdays.

I love this recipe for potlucks and family get-togethers because people just go nuts over it. The chocolate cake soaks up all of that sweet, syrupy goodness and it stays  moist forever and a day because of it, too.

Make ahead easy!

The Butterfinger candy bars add crunch and flavor - if you are a fan of them then this is the cake for you. Don't be afraid of adding more chopped up Butterfingers, either... I have been known to double them.

Love chocolate as much as I do? Try these Mexican hot chocolate cupcakes!

First published July 14, 2007. Last updated November 3, 2021 for better images and reader experience.