Butterfinger Poke Cake combines chocolate, peanut butter, and the crunch of Butterfinger bars for a crowd-pleasing dessert, perfect for any occasion!
Poke cakes are my go to cake to make when I need a quick and easy dessert. They use minimal ingredients and can be customized with different flavors and toppings. This Butterfinger poke cake is no exception, and a must-try for any chocolate and peanut butter lover.
Making a Butterfinger layer cake is super easy and starts with a box cake mix, then filled with a sweet mix of caramel and peanut butter and topped with whipped cream and crushed Butterfinger candy bars.
It’s a winning combination that will have everyone asking for seconds!
If you love this Butterfinger cake, you’ll also go crazy over this Quadruple Poke Cake. It’s a similar concept but made with 4 different kinds of chocolate!
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Why This Butterfinger Poke Cake Recipe Works
- Easy to make – using a box cake mix and a few simple ingredients, this Butterfinger Poke Cake comes together in no time.
- Customizable – you can use any flavor of cake mix and toppings to make this cake your own.
- Perfect for any occasion – from potlucks to birthday parties, this cake is sure to be a hit with any crowd.
- Delicious combination of flavors – the chocolate, peanut butter, and Butterfinger candy bars make for a mouthwatering dessert that everyone will love.
Butterfinger Poke Cake Ingredients
- Box cake mix: I used Duncan Hines chocolate cake mix but you can use a devil’s food or yellow cake also.
- Eggs, water, vegetable oil: Use amount listed on the cake box.
- Sweetened condensed milk: Used to add a sweetness to the filling mixture.
- Caramel sauce: Use the thicker caramel sauce instead of the syrup.
- Peanut butter: I recommend using creamy peanut butter for this recipe and not natural peanut butter or crunchy peanut butter.
- Powdered sugar: Adds sweetness to the filling mixture.
- Vanilla extract: For a hint of vanilla flavor to the filling mixture.
- Cool Whip: For cake topping but you can also use homemade whipping topping if you’d prefer.
- Butterfinger candy: About 8-10 fun size bars chopped up for the mixture and cake topping. You can also use the large candy bars just less of them.
How to Make Butterfinger Poke Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Prepare cake mix in a large bowl according to box instructions.
- Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Pour batter into a prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Let the cake cool completely, then poke holes (only going halfway down) all over the top using the end of a wood spoon, skewer or straw.
- In a medium bowl, mix condensed milk, caramel sauce, peanut butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and half of the chopped Butterfingers.
- Pour mixture over cake, ensuring it fills the holes.
- Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
- Top with whipped topping and remaining crushed Butterfingers.
- Slice, serve and enjoy!
Tips for Making the Perfect Poke Cake
- Make sure your cake is completely cooled before poking those holes. This will prevent the cake from crumbling or getting soggy too quickly.
- Use a wooden spoon handle or a chopstick to create evenly spaced holes in the cake.
- Don’t poke holes too far down or the cake will get soggy.
- Pour the sweetened condensed milk, peanut butter and caramel sauce over the cake evenly for a flavorful cake throughout.
- Don’t skip the chill time as this is important to allow the cake to set properly.
Variations and Toppings Options
- Use a different flavor cake mix, such as devil’s food or yellow cake.
- Instead of caramel sauce, try using chocolate sauce or hot fudge for a different flavor profile.
- Add a layer of chopped peanuts or peanut butter chips between the cake and the filling for extra crunch.
- Top with crushed Oreos or Reese’s Pieces in addition to or instead of Butterfinger pieces.
- Drizzle melted peanut butter over the whipped cream for a beautiful and delicious presentation.
- Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a cold and creamy addition.
- Add chocolate shavings on top if you’d like.
- You can turn this into a Butterfinger cupcake recipe. Divide batter evenly into lined muffin tins, bake, poke holes, fill with sweetened condensed milk, peanut butter, and caramel mix, chill, then top with whipped cream and crushed Butterfinger.
How to Store
- Refrigerator: Store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: This cake freezes nicely for up to 2 months. Make sure to wrap tightly before placing in the freezer and allow to thaw it in the fridge before serving.
FAQs
Can I use a different candy bar instead of Butterfinger?
Absolutely! Feel free to experiment with your favorite candy bars like Snickers, Reese’s, or Heath bars.
How long does the cake need to chill before serving?
It’s best to let the cake chill in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours so that all the flavors meld together and sets perfectly.
Can I make this poke cake ahead of time?
Yes, you can prepare this poke cake a day in advance. Just store it covered in the fridge until ready to serve.
More Poke Cake Recipes
Recipe
Butterfinger Poke Cake
Ingredients
- 1 (15 oz.) box of duncan hines chocolate cake mix
- 1 cup water
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
- 1 (14 oz.) can of sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup of caramel sauce
- ⅓ cup peanut butter creamy
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tub Cool Whip, thawed
- 8-10 fun sized Butterfinger candy bars, chopped (save ½ cup for the topping)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Prepare cake mix in a large bowl according to box instructions.
- Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Pour batter into a prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Let the cake cool completely, then poke holes (only going halfway down) all over the top using the end of a wood spoon, skewer or straw.
- In a medium bowl, mix condensed milk, caramel sauce, peanut butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and half of the chopped Butterfingers.
- Pour mixture over cake, ensuring it fills the holes.
- Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
- Top with whipped topping and remaining crushed Butterfingers.
- Slice, serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Refrigerator: Store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: This cake freezes nicely for up to 2 months. Make sure to wrap tightly before placing in the freezer and allow to thaw it in the fridge before serving.
Nutrition Disclosure
Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
Lexie
Am I missing something or where does the whipping cream come in to play? Do I mix that with the Cool Whip?
Alison
Sorry about that. You can use either a tub of Cool Whip or make your own whipped topping with heavy whipping cream. I updated the recipe so it’s correct now.