Heath Bar Cake Easy Dessert Recipe

Between the moist and fudgy chocolate cake infused with milk and caramel, the billowy whipped cream, and crunchy Heath bits, this is decadence galore! The combination of moist and gooey textures and sweet and salty flavors is absolute heaven. Just do yourself a favor and ignore the calorie count. After all, you deserve to indulge once in a while! And I promise the calories in this Heath Bar cake are more than worth it.

Easy Heath Bar Cake Recipe

I know it sounds like a complicated recipe, but don’t be fooled! It’s one of the easiest desserts around. This Heath bar cake is actually just a poke cake that starts with a simple box cake mix. You’ll make it extra scrumptious by poking holes in it and drizzling it with an infusion of sweetened condensed milk and caramel. This neat little trick transforms the humble cake into a delectable dessert with wonderfully complex flavors! Finished with whipped cream and, of course, crushed Heath bits, this cake is ultimate perfection.

Ingredients

Heath Candy Bars – the main attraction of the cake. Top tip #1: Freeze the bars for 20 minutes so they won’t melt as you crush them. Top tip #2: Crush the bars before removing them from their wrappers. German Chocolate Cake Mix – regular chocolate cake or devil’s food cake works, too, and you can use whatever brand you prefer. In case you’re curious, I like Duncan Hines.Eggs – for binding the ingredients together.Oil – the key to a moist chocolate cake!Water – the liquid ingredient that saturates the cake mix. You can also use equal parts milk for a more decadent cake.Caramel Ice Cream Topping and Sweetened Condensed Milk – together, they create the luscious mixture that seeps into the cake to give it a sweet, salty, and decadent flavor. It also makes the cake impossibly moist! Whipped Topping – nothing makes a cake look prettier than fluffy, billowy whipped cream on top. The lightness also balances out the denseness of the poke cake flawlessly.

How to Make Heath Bar Cake

Step 1: Bake the German chocolate cake in a 9×13-inch baking dish, following the package instructions. You can also make the cake from scratch. Here’s an excellent recipe for chocolate cake that’s perfect every time! Step 2: Poke holes in the cake. It’s called poke cake for a reason! Allow the cake to cool first – about 10-15 minutes should do the trick. Just be sure it doesn’t cool completely. Step 3: Pour condensed milk and caramel topping over the cake. The holes will help the liquids seep through the cake and do their magic. I like to pour them separately, so you get pockets of sweet and salty in every piece. But you can also mix them first, so it’s uniform. Step 4: Once cooled, top the cake with whipped topping and garnish with crushed Heath bars. The cake should be completely cold at this point; otherwise, the topping will melt. Step 5: Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Believe me; it’s worth the wait.

Tips for the Best Cake

Use room-temperature eggs as they incorporate with the rest of the ingredients better. Just let the egg sit out at the counter for 30 minutes before you plan on baking. Alternatively, soak them in warm water for several seconds to speed things up. As someone very forgetful, I find this hack super helpful!Want a chocolate cake that stays moist for days? The secret is oil. Cocoa powder is a very dry ingredient, so adding oil, not butter, is the key to keeping it moist. Not just any kind of oil, though – you’ll want to use corn oil. I’ve tried several types of oil when baking chocolate cake, and corn oil is hands down the best. It doesn’t solidify in cold temperatures, so it’ll still stay nice and moist even if you refrigerate the cake.Don’t overmix the batter, or your cake will be dense and rubbery. Stop mixing as soon as you no longer see streaks of cake mix. I recommend using a wire whisk over an electric mixer; that way, you can easily control the speed. For a deeper flavor, add 1/2 cup of instant coffee to the batter. It won’t make the cake taste like coffee. It’ll just enhance its flavor. Just be sure to use this instead of the water, not as well as!Use a nice baking dish for baking the cake in. You’ll be serving the cake in the same baking dish, so pick a pretty one for the presentation.Don’t overbake the cake and stick to the prescribed oven temperature. If your oven tends to run hotter than usual, place a kitchen thermometer inside. This will help you monitor the temperature and adjust if needed.Don’t poke the cake right away. Trust me; you’ll massacre the sponge if you do! The cake needs a bit of time post-baking to fully set, about 10 to 15 minutes.Slice off the top part of the cake, especially if it’s formed a crust. This will help it absorb the milk and caramel faster. It will seem like you’re adding too much milk and caramel but trust the process. The cake can and will absorb all of that liquid, so don’t be tempted to pour less.For best results, make the cake a day in advance. You have to let it soak in the condensed milk and caramel for at least 4 hours – but it’ll be better if you can leave it overnight. This time will allow the cake to absorb the liquids and make it incredibly tasty and moist.If you don’t plan on serving the cake right away, don’t sprinkle the Heath bars yet. Just garnish right before you serve so the candy won’t lose its crunch.Use frozen whipped topping. Because it’s more stable, Cool Whip is able to hold its shape even when you refrigerate the cake, unlike whipped cream, which will melt after a few hours.

Cake Variations

This recipe is a terrific base for so many different flavors and combinations. For example:

Don’t limit yourself to just German chocolate cake mix. Try other varieties to make other cake flavors! I think spiced, or banana cake mix with caramel would be heavenly.Try adding other candy bars for different flavors and textures. Butterfingers, M&Ms, peppermint patties, and really any crunchy candy you can think of.Again, this isn’t the time to count calories, but if you want a healthier option, swap out the condensed milk and caramel for fat-free versions. You can also get lite whipped topping.Add extra toppings for a prettier presentation and more texture. Toasted coconut, fresh fruit slices, cherries, chocolate chips – let your creative juices flow!

How Long Can You Keep Heath Bar Cake in the Fridge?

Heath Bar cake will keep in the fridge for 4 to 5 days as long as it’s wrapped tightly with plastic wrap. However, if you use real whipped cream instead of Cool Whip, it will only last a day or less. Also, the candy will lose its crunch over time, so avoid adding it until you’re ready to serve. If you have leftovers, I suggest removing the toppings before covering it with plastic. Then, add fresh cream and candy when you’re ready to finish it off!