Easy Better Than Sex Cake (Chocolate Cake Recipe)

Better Than Sex Cake is an indulgent chocolate caramel poke cake with nuts, light-as-air whipped cream, and crunchy toffee bits. BTS cake is SO good and SO simple to make!

Better Than Sex Cake

In my opinion, some of the best desserts start with a doctored cake mix.

When time and money are tight, you can get a boxed cake mix on the cheap and make a wonderful dessert with it.

You could doctor up a yellow or white box cake mix to create a semi-homemade cherry dump cake. Or, use Devil’s food or chocolate to make cake mix cookies.

If you’ve ever wondered how to make box cake better, make our better than sex cake recipe. It’s a sinfully delicious chocolate caramel cake, and it’s so simple to make!

BTS Cake

So, what’s a BTS cake? It’s an irresistible dessert! Can you think of anything better than a poke cake made with Devil’s Food cake mix and caramel sauce?

Well, how about the addition of crunchy bits of toffee, whipped cream, and
chopped nuts?

This is everything the best chocolate caramel poke cake should be and more!

Better than sex cake is:

• Budget-friendly
• Terribly easy to make
• Sinfully delicious

The first letter of those words is yet another reason why this dessert has the nickname, BTS cake!

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

• Cake Mix – I find that Duncan Hines Devils Food cake mix has the best flavor and texture.
  
• Water, Eggs & Vegetable Oil – These are needed specifically for the Duncan Hines brand cake. If using a different brand, follow the directions on the box.
  
• Frozen Whipped Topping – Better known as Cool Whip, be sure to transfer this to the refrigerator the night before to thaw.
  
  If you forgot, you can simply float the sealed container in a bowl of cool water for 30-40 minutes.
  
• Caramel Sauce and Chocolate Syrup – Use your favorites from the store or make my homemade versions instead!

Making Sex in a Pan

This better than sex cake recipe is incredibly easy to make, but allow yourself plenty of time to make it.

You’ll need to let the cake cool first, and after you pour the warm caramel sauce over it, the dessert has to chill for a couple of hours.

1. Bake and cool the Devil’s food cake.
   
   Prepare the batter according to the instructions on the box. I can’t give you set measurements for the water, eggs, and oil because they differ by brand.
   
   Bake the cake batter in a 9×13-inch metal cake pan. If you don’t have a pan that size, a 10-inch bundt pan or two 9-inch round cake pans will work.
   
   Just keep in mind that not only will using a different-sized pan affect the baking time, but it also affects how the better than sex cake looks when it’s finished.

2. Poke and soak.
   
   For this step, you’ll need something sturdy and round to use for poking holes into the cake.
   
   I like to use the bottom end of a wooden spoon handle. A metal straw or a chopstick also works well.
   
   Your rows don’t have to be perfectly even — just be sure to cover the entire surface with holes so the cake can soak up the warm caramel sauce.
   
   After you pour the sauce over the top, allow the chocolate caramel poke cake to cool briefly.
   
   Then, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and chill it in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

3. Frost and garnish the dessert.
   
   Once the chocolate caramel cake is fully chilled, spread the whipped topping in an even layer over the top.
   
   Drizzle sex in a pan with sauces and top with chopped candy pieces and nuts before serving.

Storage and Freezing

You can keep better than anything cake in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you’ll be serving guests, I recommend making it no more than a day ahead of time.

It’s fine to freeze poke cake without any of the toppings added. Store it in a freezer-safe container, and it will last 2-3 months.

Refrigerate overnight to thaw, then add toppings to serve.

Prep Ahead

• Thaw frozen whipped topping in fridge
• Make caramel sauce and chocolate syrup
• Chop candy bars and nuts

Tips and Tricks to Make Perfect Better Than Anything Cake

• Use room temperature ingredients.

Be sure that the water isn’t too cold, and remove the eggs from the refrigerator about 30 minutes ahead of time.

This allows for easier mixing and also creates a more tender and moist better than anything cake.

• Leave space between holes.

If they are too close together, your cake will simply fall apart when sliced! Aim for 1/4 to 1/2-inch of space between each.

• How to cut clean slices.

Run a sharp knife under hot water, then dry with a clean towel. The metal will retain the heat and glide smoothly like butter through your sex in a pan dessert!

Kitchen Tools You Will Need

• 9×13 Baking Dish – This set is one of my favorites! It comes with a lid for easy storage and is great for casseroles too.
• Mixing Bowls – I like to have a variety of sizes on hand, and this set has them all.
• Whisk – These have held up for over 10 years and are still as good as the day I bought them.
• A Sturdy Wooden Spoon – Preferably one with a rounded handle. It creates properly sized holes for grabbing that gooey filling!

Better Than Sex Cake Recipe FAQ

Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours. 

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Originally published February 2021. Updated and republished January 2024

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