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Better Than “Anything” Cake
Do you remember waaaaaay back in the early 2000’s (which is like decades ago in Internet years), there were recipe exchanges via email? I don’t remember exactly how it worked, but there was a list of people in an email chain… you sent a recipe to everyone on the list and you got a recipe back in return from each person. A lot of the recipes that are my favorites to this day were procured through this email recipe exchange, this cake chief among them. While this cake is better know with an R-rated title, I cleaned it up a bit and called it Better Than Anything Cake to make sure I stay out of the junk filters, but the flavor combination is unmistakable: a chocolate poke cake infused with sweetened condensed milk and caramel sauce, then topped with Cool Whip and toffee bits.
Watch How to Make Better Than Anything Cake!
I typically use chocolate cake recipes from scratch when making desserts, but I also love having a few recipes in my back pocket that can be whipped up quickly using a box mix if I’m in a bind. My other favorite for these types of situations is the Ho Ho Cake (which I tend to make multiple timesย during the month of December!). If you prefer, you could definitely use your own homemade chocolate cake recipe; my recipe of choice would be the Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Cake, baked in a 9×13-inch cake pan.
Do you have any old recipes from recipe exchanges? What about a favorite poke cake flavor combination?
Three years ago: Minestrone Soup
Four years ago: Maple-Bacon Kettle Popcorn
Did you make this recipe?
Better Than Anything Cake: The G-rated title for the popular cake made with devil's food chocolate cake, infused with sweetened condensed milk and caramel sauce, topped with Cool Whip and Heath toffee bits.
- 1
box devil's food cake mix
- 14
ounce
can sweetened condensed milk
- 12
ounce
jar caramel ice cream topping
- 8
ounces
Cool Whip
- ยฝ-1
cup
Heath toffee bits
Bake the cake according to the directions on the box.
Remove the cake from the oven and immediately poke holes all over the top using either the bottom of a wooden spoon, a skewer or a fork.
In a medium bowl, stir together the sweetened condensed milk and caramel sauce, then slowly drizzle the mixture all over the cake. Allow the cake to cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Spread the Cool Whip over the top of the cake, top with the Heath toffee bits and refrigerate again for 1 hour. Serve cold and refrigerate any leftovers.
Nutritional values are based on one serving
Calories: 464kcal
Fat: 12g
Saturated fat: 4g
Cholesterol: 18mg
Sodium: 598mg
Potassium: 365mg
Carbohydrates: 86g
Fiber: 1g
Sugar: 44g
Protein: 7g
Vitamin A: 3.7%
Vitamin C: 1.4%
Calcium: 23%
Iron: 13.3%
Did you make this recipe?
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It is always a good idea to have a few quick dessert recipes up your sleeve – this one looks fantastic! I think I would sprinkle with chopped up reese’s cups to fuel my PB obsession!
This cake would be fantastic with a scoop of Coffee Heath Bar Crunch, another fave!
What a great cake and perfect for busy, hot summer days! I never do boxed cakes, but I would for this one! The flavors sound awesome!
I’m super excited for this cake recipe! It sounds amazing and I can’t believe there are so few ingredients! Pinned! ;-)
I wasn’t part of the recipe exchanges, but I remember my Mom was! And she used to make some of the best treats with the recipes she got. This looks so freaking good! Can’t wait to try!
This looks delicious!
I totally remember those emails!!!!!
This cake looks like the most amazing thing ever!
I definitely was part of those recipe exchanges, and actually got my favorite french onion soup recipe out of it! This cake looks awesome, and the simplicity of it has me sold! I’ll definitely be making this next time I reach for a good cake recipe!
My favorite poke cake is similar to this one except you pour a can of cream of coconut over the cake while warm. Frost with whipped topping or top each serving with a dollop of whipped cream. Tasts just like a Mounds Bar. Yum.
I love Mounds. Do you use a chocolate cake or white cake?
Definitely a chocolate cake for the “mounds bar” taste.
I’ve done this with a white cake, too – and it makes a very moist coconut cake….Simple and fabulous.
We’ve been calling this “Better than Birthday Cake” for years. I only make it twice a year–when requested on my girls’ birthdays. Delicious!!!
I look forward to checking my Brown Eyed Baker post each day. Thank you for enlivening each day!
here’s a “blast from the past” the pistachio cake… do you remember that one, If you need the recipe just holler, I’ll send it in an e-mail…;)
Hi I would love to have your recipe for pistachio cake
I would like to have your pistachio cake recipe, I love anything pistachio. Thank you
I would like to have this recipe too…pistachio cake…sounds yummy!
Pistachio cake recipe for me too please? :D
a little late but i love pistachios can you send me the recipe?! thanks!
I would love to try your pistachio cake recipe. I have a pistachio ice cream cake recipe if you’d like in return. Thanks
I would luv to try your recipe. I luv Pistachios!!
I would love your pistachio cake recipe! Thank you!
Just found ur post would LOVE TO HAVE IT! Thanks!
would LOVE a pistachio cake recipe… was looking over this recipe for the billionth time and i always think the toffee bits in the pic look like pistachios. might mix 3/4 toffee with 1/4 pistachio as the topping for this cake recipe.
I’d lo the Pistachio Cake recipe, please.
Want you’re pistachio recipie
That definitely looks better than anything! Love it.
It’s a little but less rich but still delicious when you use German chocolate cake rather than devil’s food cake mix.
Love this cake but boy is it RICH…
Awesome cake! I don’t think I’ve ever been part of a recipe exchange like the one from early 2000s but I’m so glad you were able to retrieve this recipe. I’m really loving the simplicity of it because at the end of the day, you just want a chocolate cake to dive into, especially on Mondays!
Love the heath bar topping!
This looks so simple yet sensational! What would be a substitute if you couldn’t eat heath bars?
Crumbled up Reese’s pb cups would be good I bet!
Chopped up peanuts
I like both of those recommendations… chop up your favorite candy!
butterfinger bars work well. About The Same Texture
I always use Snickers. I’m not a huge fan of Heath bars. Everyone always loves the Snickers on it though!
Score bars!
I’ve had a version of this where a little bit of kahlua mixed with dark chocolate sauce were poured over the hot cake then after it cooled it was cut into small chunks and made into a trifle layered with the ingredients already listed with the addition of chocolate pudding. The toffee is just a little crunchy decorative bonus. In the Kahlua version you could crush the hard coffee candies.
OMG, Jana, that sounds fabulous.
i would love this full recipe, I cant find the one that I had but this sounds very similar.
I have always used two cold from the frig. candy bars – 1 nestle’s crunch and 1 Hershey bar and grated both over the cool whip
I like this name better than the R version and this looks yummy!! I did a recipe exchange via email once before but I never got a recipe sent back to me! Oh well!
LOL wouldn’t have thought a country that finds something in Las Vegas to be proud of could acually be prudish-!!! ;)
There are so many versions of this cake floating around on Pinterest – going under the Better Than… title as well as the Poke Cake title. I have neither recipe in my arsenal! And good for you for having a quickie boxed cake mix recipe for those times when you just need one! Like…after you move into a new house and are likely unpacking or before moving and you’re trying to clean out a pantry and have no time anyway :) Great flavors in yours!
This cake looks amazing!!! I actually tried doing an email recipe exchange once but none of my contacts responded! Darn them!!
Me too! i’ve done several of them and not one recipe came back to me. :-(
Never tried an email recipe exchange before because I don’t think anyone would want to participate with me. Oh, well. Cake looks great!