Some people call it “Better Than Sex Cake” while others call it “Almost Better Than Sex Cake.” I’ll let you decide which name suits this cake best…
Where or where do I even start with this cake? I suppose we’ll start with the name. Some people call it “Better Than Sex Cake” while others call it “Almost Better Than Sex Cake.” I’ll let you decide which name suits this cake best for you. :) All you need to know is that it is sinfully delicious, it oozes with caramel and it comes together SO fast.
The first time I ever heard of Better Than Sex Cake, I was perusing one of the MySpace groups that I belonged to. Yeah, remember MySpace? And your top friends? And Tom? And finding cool themes for your page? Woah, seems so long ago, doesn’t it? This was probably around 2004ish, shortly before Facebook entered the scene. Anyhow, I belonged to a recipe group and a bunch of people were talking about this cake. I’m not gonna lie, the name sucked me in and I found myself in the kitchen putting together what has turned out to be one of our all-time favorite cakes.
There are several variations of this cake, floating out there on the interwebs. This is the first version I tried, and that saying rings true here, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” We love this cake as-is, so I’ve never tried any of the other variations out there. It’s simple, really, all you need is one box of devils food cake mix, 1 container cool whip, some sweetened condensed milk, caramel, and Heath bar pieces (toffee/chocolate chunks). The result, as I mentioned, is SO sinful, and SO delicious, it will be hard to have just one piece.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 box Devil’s Food Cake
- 1 8-oz tub cool whip
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 bottle caramel ice cream topping
- 1 package Heath bar pieces (found in the baking aisle by the chocolate chips)
DIRECTIONS
- Cook Devil’s food cake in a 9 x 13 inch pan, according to package directions and let it cool.
- In a large bowl, combine caramel and sweetened condensed milk.
- Using the end of a wooden spoon, poke holes in the cake every couple of inches. Alternatively, you can use a fork to poke holes.
- Pour the caramel/sweetened condensed milk over the top of the cake so that it fills all of the holes.
- Spread Cool Whip over the top of the cake.
- Sprinkle Heath bar pieces on top.
- Enjoy! PS: Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
I’ve made this for many years now, however the recipe I had for this called for hot fudge not caramel. I’ll have to try the caramel sometime. I also switch it up from time to time & use peanut butter chips or mint chips in place of the heath bars.
Hi Tina- wow, hot fudge sounds amazing, as do the peanut butter chips! Despite loving this version so much, I may need to switch it up next time! :)
I have made this exact cake for years, only my recipe calls it Heath Bar Cake.
It’s definitely a popular cake, and I’ve learned that there are a variety of names for it.
You can save some calories and amp the protein a bit by using Greek yogurt, water, and the cake mix to make the cake. To one box of cake mix I use 1 cup Greek yogurt and 1 cup water to make the cake. That is it! NO eggs, NO oil. I serve this to groups and get raves. This week I was even told that cake made by someone else was good, but mine is better. It works! Enjoy.
I have heard this tip before but haven’t tried it! Definitely plan to though!
I need to say that 1 cup Greek yogurt and 1 cup water can be used with ANY FLAVOR regular cake mix. Remember, no eggs, no oil.
I actually use both caramel and hot fudge in my recipe. and I don’t combine them with the condensed milk. I just layer each one after I poke the holes in the cake and while its still fairly warm. Everyone loves it and its always gone very fast!
I make this cake but I put butterfinger pieces on top. Ive always called it butterfinger cake. Never heard anyone call it better than sex cake but it makes sense ;)
Great idea with the buttefingers…my hubby doesn’t like skor, so thanks for the substitute!
I had tried it for the first time and I’m addicted to it!!!! Love it!!!….
My sister makes this and it is called a better than sex cake
Ive also heard of people doing this cake with yellow cake mix instead. never tried it though.
Hi Bobbie… oooh… Butterfingers sound yummy too. I’m such a chocoholic that I don’t know if I could part with the Devil’s Food cake and try yellow cake mix. But the Butterfingers would be amazing! :)
Hi, I’m Jane.
And I head that you use pudding insted of the carmel
the yellow cake mix and pudding is the tropical version of better than sex cake , it starts off with surgar and pinapple crush cook for 10 min then poking holes on the cake then pouring the sryup on top until cool the adding the vanilla pudding mix then slice bannas and let se set in the fridge over nite , then add the whip creamcheese frosting i make homemade thentosted coconuts white choclolate shredded and nuts!!
I use caramel, and I do Kit Kats on top, although Twix are good too. We also chill it between all the layers, and don’t mix the condensed milk & caramel topping. Oh, and we do German chocolate cake mix instead of devils food, but that sounds delicious!
Try 4 Buttetfinger bars, busted up into chunks and fold them into your cool whip for your topping. A-mazing!!!!
I’m going to have to make this cake every week for a year to try all these delicious sounding variations! :)
Came for the “sex”, staying for the love! I wandered onto this site looking for an “Almost (wink) Better Than Sex Cake” recipe. Found it and so many more beautiful, easy-to-follow recipes with well-written introductions. Love it here! Btw, Hubby didn’t feel like cake tonight, so I riffed on another dessert recipe.
Welcome PhzGrl, thanks so much for the love! I try to post a few new recipes a week, so check back often! :)
We’ve made Banana Better than Sex Cake and Strawberry Better than Sex Cake for years! Both made with yellow cake – banana pudding and sliced bananas on one, strawberry glaze and sliced strawberries on the other, cover with cool whip! I’ll just have to try this chocolate one – sounds delicious!
I remember the first time my Mom made this, about 30 years ago. She doesn’t have the recipe anymore and I’ve been looking all over for it. I remember hers having walnuts, fudge, and chocolate chips on top of other ingredients I can’t remember. This looks great. I think I may have to give this one a try, though. It looks delish!
I’ve been making this for years, except I use both hot fudge and caramel. YUMMY! My sister just requested I make it for our Sunday family dinner this week.
That sounds delicious Kylie!
Question about your cake do you use a full bottle of hot fudge and Carmel do you still put sweetened cloned see milk with it too ?
What size jar of caramel topping did you use?
Thank You, Theresa
Hi Theresa, I used a 20 ounce bottle which is quite a lot of caramel. Feel free to reduce it a bit if it seems like too much. :)
Did you use the whole can of sweetened condensed milk?
Yes, I did use the whole can. Cut it back if it seems like too much to you. :)
I use a small can large is way to much
I love all the ideas for this cake!! The way that I have always made it is with German Chocolate Cake with butterscotch caramel topping, condensed milk, cool whip, and 4 Heath bars crushed on top! The butterscotch caramel topping is sometimes hard to find!
Hi Brittany – I’ve never seen butterscotch caramel! It sounds wonderful though!
Gonna try this soon…do u think it’d be a nice top layer to an icecream cake…trying to bake both for the holiday…why not all in one?
Mmmmm…. sounds delicious Teresa! I say go for it, but be sure to let us know how it turned out! :)
I use the Butterfinger, I also use the German chocolate cake because it has bigger pockets in it (less dense) than Devil’s food, so the condensed milk and caramel soak the cake better. I’ve been making it this way for at least 20 years…..always come back home with an empty pan.
I like this cake, but sex is better!!
Better than sex cake is one of the best cakes I’ve ever had!
Made this cake for Thanksgiving .. using yellow cake mix and a can of pumpkin puree. Mix cake & pumpkin together adding no other ingredients and bake as directed on the box. Let cool, poke the holes in cake with end of wooden spoon, fill the holes with condensed milk (I believe the 10 oz can..small one), put in the fridge overnight. Works best left in fridge for the night. For the topping, blend 8oz light cream cheese, cool whip, and 1/3 cup powdered sugar. Cover cake, add heath bar pieces and drizzle with caramel. You will not be disappointed in this one!
Linda, sounds great! Love the idea of adding pumpkin to make it seasonal. Can’t wait to try! :)
A regular-sized can of pumpkin and a box of yellow or spice cake mix make a wonderful cake. I like the spice better. I add a little water if the batter is too thick. I do NOT use eggs or oil, so this is relatively healthy. I bake it in a Bundt pan, which is wonderful. Of course it could be baked in a 9″ X 13″ pan to add the toppings given above! Enjoy.
Sounds good Eldonna, thanks!
I do the first recipie above but I whip a package of cream cheese, coolwhip and some powdered sugar together for the icing.
Yummmmmmmmmmm……
Holy moly, that sounds amazing!
Wow, no calories, right?:)
Of course not!! ;)
The best chocolate cake. Ever. Made it for the first time over the weekend and everyone loved it.
Hi AJ, yes, this recipe is definitely a crowd please. So glad everyone loved it! :)
This cake is SOO delicious but it not better than the sex i get
I can’t wait to cool so I put this in the fridge to cool faster : ) this is such a good cake, had it many times but finally making it for the first time tonight. Easy easy!
Amber, you remind me of me! I lack patience sometimes too! :) Hope oyu enjoyed!
This recipe was absolutely amazing!! I did add one thing though. I used Smucker’s hot fudge topping. I drizzled the fudge on the cake as the final touch. It scrumptious!!
Sounds phenomenal, Duane!
Sounds delicious. I wonder though does the cake get soggy from the condensed milk?
Hi Pia, the cake actually doesn’t get soggy. I’ve been making it for years and wouldn’t ever consider it to be mushy or soggy- although you’d think it would be!
We use German Chocolate cake instead I’d devil food.
Sounds good, Sharon!
Please help
Do u simmer the condensed milk and caramel together or how do u do it?
Hi, do you simmer the condensed milk and caramel together in a sauce pan or what? how do u do it?
I did a red velvet cake, and carmel in the jars. After the cool whip and heath pieces on top i added marichino cherries on top. Amazing!!!
Sounds great, Bitty! :)
The first time I made this cake (using German Chocolate cake mix, btw) was for a birthday party for one of my kids several years ago when they were in early teens. I made it for the parents who would be here for the party as I didn’t think kids would like such a rich sounding cake. I made a homemade carrot cake for the kids. All the kids absolutely loved it! I was very surprised. And what surprised me even morr is that this cake does not taste overly sweet. I thought that between the condensed sweetened milk and the caramel topping, Cool Whip, and Heath bars that it would be outrageously rich and sweet. To my surprise it actually tasted less sweet than a regular cake with buttercream frosting! The kids really love my carrot cake, but they fell in love with this one, too. What I want to try sometime is to bake a devil’s food cake and poke the holes as usual, pour the Eagle Brand milk over it, and then, instead of caramel, I will use cherry pie filling. The topping will be Cool Whip mixed with the original Ovaltine (not chocolate). This would be a take on a Black Forest Cake. I think it will be wonderful. I’ll let you know when I try it. BTW the cake reminds me somewhat of a Tres Leches cake but much better! Tres Leches tends to absorb too much of the milks and can be very soggy, but this cake is never soggy. Simply amazing!
What you just described reminds me of an ice cream combo my husband and I get at an ice cream shop called Coldstone Creamery – it’s called “Black Forest Dream” – chocolate ice cream, brownies, cherry pie filling, and fudge. I may need to steal your idea, it sounds amazing!
Best cake ever!!
It’s one of my favorites, that’s for sure!
Me and my babe just made it and its sooo good! Oh Em Gee!
Love it! Have been eating it for years. Don’t know for sure that it’s better than sex – but I do know I get it more often! LOL
Just found this site and already in love with it!!!!!!!!!! This cake sounds amazing… I am going to try it as soon as possible… and all the variations are mind boggling!!!!!!!!!!WOW!! AWESOME
Who knew there were SO many variations? I had no clue! Thank you so much for the comment!
I found a recipe like this just before christmas but it called for peppermint mocha coffee cream to mix with the sweetended condensed milk, then a layer of hot fudge mixed with crushed oreos and more peppermint mocha creamer and topped with coolwhip and chocolate/crushed candy cane! I seen a chocolate toffee creamer at the store I bet you could sub instead of the peppermint and top it with toffee!
I was given this recipe by a customer, went home to make it couldn’t really remember recipe so did my own version….Devils Food cake mix according to directions, punch holes, sweetened condensed milk, caramel topping, pecans, later added hot fudge and covered with cool whip and more pecans. Everybody loved it. The funny thing is I named it “Better Than SEX Cake”. Guess it just had to be!!!
That’s funny. Love the idea to add hot fudge!
I make this cake all the time, but we call it CoalMiners Daughter Cake!
I’m learning there are so many different names for this dessert. This is the first time I’ve heard it called Coal Miners Daughter Cake, though!
Still a favorite in our house! Been making this since you posted it and everyone who I’ve made it for is in love with it!!! Just made it again for the 10+ time last week! Yum!
The cake is actually from Betty Crocker. I think they called it better than anything cake. To put sex in the name is vulgar and NOT family friendly.
Hi there, thanks for the comment. I understand that “sex” may be a little vulgar, however, I made the decision to stick with the original name of the cake as it was given to me many years ago. It’s not the name I came up with, rather, just the name that was written at the top of the recipe card.
S Johnson- lighten up!
Wow, sex is part of how we all get here. My 13 year old son came to me and asked me to make him a “better than sex” cake, and Here I am :) I keep screen shotting all the variations. I’m excited to try this!
I agree
I was thinking of melting peanut butter and mix with the sweetened condensed milk and use Butterfingers on top
That sounds AMAZING Denise!