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.
- Bake cake according to instructions but add ½ cup bittersweet chocolate chips to the batter. Poke holes in warm cake.
- Add the sweetened condensed milk over the entire cake and let it soak into the holes for a minute or two.
- Warm the hot fudge sauce and add it. Let it soak into the cake for a minute or two.
- Cover with the caramel sauce. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- Cover the top of the cake with chopped Butterfingers.
- Top with the whipped cream mixture.
- Cover with more crushed Butterfingers.
- 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!
You could freeze it before you put the topping on and it should be good for up to 3 months. The texture may change a bit, though.
Cover it tightly and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. After that it will still be good but the texture really goes downhill.
easily serve 16 people. It's rich enough that I'd be comfortable saying that you could serve 32 people if it's something like a potluck where this isn't the only dessert.
Yes! Butter cake or yellow cake work well.
Yep. Most ice cream toppings work well. Butterscotch is especially nice if you're using a yellow cake.
💭 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!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it a 5 star rating. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Holy Cow Cake
Print Pin Recipe SaveEquipment Needed
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 chocolate cake, boxed mix or homemade
- ½ cup chocolate chips, bittersweet
- 8 full sized Butterfingers candy bars, chopped
- 28 ounces Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk, or your favorite brand
- 1 ½ cups caramel sauce
- 1 ½ cups chocolate sauce
Topping
- 1 pint heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon instant pudding mix, , white chocolate or vanilla
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Instructions
Step one: Bake cake
- Mix the batter for the chocolate cake according to the instructions but stir in ½ cup bittersweet chocolate chips.
- Bake the cake according to the recipe directions.
Step two: Add syrups
- Poke holes in hot cake using a small dowel or straw.
- Pour the Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk over the hot cake, giving it a few seconds to soak in.
- Pour the chocolate syrup over the cake, giving it a few seconds to soak in.
- Pour the caramel over the cake.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Next day sprinkle the cake with 5 chopped Butterfingers.
Topping
- Whip the cream with the sugar and instant pudding mix until it is thick and spreadable.
- Top the cake with the whipped cream mixture.
- Cover with the remaining chopped Butterfingers.
Notes
- Use a butter cake recipe or mix instead of the chocolate.
- Try substituting chopped Heath bars for the Butterfingers.
- 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.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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We'll never share your email or send you spam. Pinkie swear.First published July 14, 2007. Last updated November 3, 2021 for better images and reader experience.
Mary Wilson
Is there any way you can place a picture of item to cook with the recipe?
I love to see what it is supposed to look like when I use a recipe. I am more likely to bake/cook it if I see a picture of item to be cooked. Thank you so much! I do enjoy your recipes & look forward to seeing what you are cooking next.
Marye
There is one. Don't you see it?