Holy Cow Cake is a decadent and delicious caramel chocolate poke cake, and it tastes better than anything! This is, hands down, the tastiest cake mix dessert, ever!
When you're short on time but want to make a chocolaty treat, a Holy Cow cake is the solution! It's simple to make, and seriously, this cake tastes better than anything!
It's perfect for a Valentine's Day dessert, or to take to a potluck.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Convenient and easy to make.
- Budget friendly. The caramel and chocolate cake mix are inexpensive. The egg, oil, condensed milk, and Cool Whip are affordable too!
- Rich, decadent flavor. A holy cow cake tastes better than anything you can make from a box!
Ingredients
See ingredient substitutions in the next section. ⬇️
- Devil's food box cake, plus the egg and vegetable oil to make it.
- sweetened condensed milk: Condensed milk is concentrated milk with sugar added to it. Eagle brand is a good one to use.
- caramel sauce
- Cool Whip is a non-dairy whipped topping. You can find it with the frozen foods.
- Heath candy bars
Substitutions and Variations
- devil's food mix: You can use any brand or flavor you like. The flavor of the fillings in this treat pair really well with chocolate and vanilla. You can even use a white cake from scratch.
- caramel: Most grocery stores stock this near the ice cream toppings. You can substitute it with homemade, or swap it out for hot fudge sauce, or even prepared instant pudding.
- non-dairy topping: For a richer flavor, use sweetened whipped cream.
- Heath Bars: Feel free to use your favorite candy on top of the holy cow cake. Maybe some crushed Butterfinger candy bars, cookie pieces, and/or mini chocolate chips.
How to Make Holy Cow Cake
Summary only. The complete recipe instructions are in the card at the bottom of this post ⬇️
- Mix the chocolate cake batter.
- Bake the cake following the box directions.
- Let the cake cool, then poke holes in the surface.
- Cover with a layer of condensed milk.
- Add caramel topping, then chill for 2 hours.
- Cover with Cool Whip and toppings.
Liz's Recipe Tips and Notes
- To save time, you can make the cake recipe a day ahead of time. Be sure to let it cool, then cover with plastic wrap until you're ready to continue.
- To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake, then remove it. If comes out dry or with a few moist crumbs, it's fully baked.
- Let the cake cool completely before making the holes to pour the milk into. Otherwise, the warm cake will crumble and stick to the the wooden spoon handle.
- Allow at least two hours of chilling time before adding the whipped topping and candy.
- Expect some condensed milk to absorb into the poke cake. Do not be alarmed if the holes are not as full as they were when you first added them. This doesn't affect the flavor or consistency. It still tastes better than anything else you can make from a box mix!
Serving Suggestions
It's best to serve this cake straight from the fridge with plenty of whipped topping and heath pieces on top. Enjoy it with a cup of coffee, hot cocoa, or a glass of milk!
Storing and Freezing
In the refrigerator: It will keep for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If you plan to serve it in warm weather, keep it in a fridge or over ice until you're ready plate it.
Freezer: Unfortunately, poke cakes do not freeze well. As it thaws out, it will turn into a soggy mess!
Holy Cow Cake Recipe FAQ
Why is my poke cake soggy?
If you cover the poke cake with condensed milk while it is still warm, it can cause the cake to be soggy. Allow the cake to cool completely before covering it with the milk.
Other Easy Box Cake Desserts
Holy Cow Cake
Holy Cow Cake is a decadent chocolate poke cake with rich caramel, and it tastes better than anything! This easy dessert is a must-make!
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Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 505kcal
Ingredients
- 15 ounces devil's food cake mix prepared according to directions on the back of box
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup caramel sauce
- 12 ounces non-dairy whipped topping thawed, or use sweetened whipped cream
- ¾ cup chopped Heath bars about 3 bars
Instructions
- Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with butter or non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Mix the batter and bake the cake according to the directions noted on the back of the cake mix box. Allow it to cool completely before moving on to the next step.
- When the cake is completely cool, use the handle of a wooden mixing spoon to make 3 rows of holes in the surface of the cake, poking 8 evenly spaced holes in each row. Important: Do not poke all the way through to the bottom of the pan! Stop just before the spoon handle touches the bottom of the dish.
- Cover the chocolate poke cake with condensed milk, allowing it to fall into the holes. If needed, use a rubber spatula to spread milk into an even layer over the entire surface.
- Repeat the previous step using the caramel sauce.
- Cover the cake with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 2 hours before moving on to the next step.
- Spread the whipped topping over the cool caramel chocolate cake. Some whipped topping may seep into the holes, this is okay. *Be sure to use enough topping to completely cover the holes and cake surface.
- Top with crushed candy bar pieces and place back into the refrigerator to chill for an additional 30 minutes before serving.
Helpful Notes and Tips From Liz
- To save time, you can make the cake recipe a day ahead of time. Be sure to let it cool and cover with plastic wrap until you're ready to continue.
- To check for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake, then remove it. If comes out dry or with a few moist crumbs, it's fully baked.
- Let the cake cool completely before making the holes to pour the milk into. Otherwise, the warm cake will crumble and stick to the the wooden spoon handle.
- Allow at least two hours of chilling time before adding the whipped topping and candy.
- Expect some condensed milk to absorb into the poke cake. Do not be alarmed if the holes are not as full as they were when you first added them. This doesn't affect the flavor or consistency. It still tastes better than anything else you can make from a box mix!
Nutrition
Serving: 1square | Calories: 505kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 313mg | Potassium: 298mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 58g | Vitamin A: 326IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 172mg | Iron: 2mg
Jay K.
Absolutely delicious! Making for a second time and tracking nutrition. Curious how you able to get 4g of fat (one egg has more than 4g fat, the cake mix requires 3, plus the oil and candy). Can I ditch the yolks next time and just use the whites?
Liz Marino
I'm so glad you like it! I'm so sorry but there was an error in the nutrition facts. This has 21g of fat per serving with the eggs and oil. I don't know how omitting the egg whites will impact how the cake cooks. I've seen people sub applesauce for the oil which would decrease the fat content dramatically but I have never personally tried it. I'm so sorry for the error in nutrition facts! Thanks for understanding!
Terri
The instructions say to poke 12 evenly spaced holes in the cake but the picture shows 24 holes. Does the number of holes effect the end result?
Liz @ Tasty Treats & Eats
No it doesn't! That's a typo - I recommend 24 but you can do as many as you like!
Jess
Would it be okay to mix together the condensed milk and the caramel sauce together and then pour it all over the cake at once?
Liz @ Tasty Treats & Eats
I haven't tried it. I don't think it would make much of a difference, but there's also no need to mix them together and dirty another container 🙂