This Chocolate Caramel Poke Cake recipe combines rich chocolate with gooey caramel to make the ultimate dessert. Made with cake mix and caramel sauce, saving you time preparing it and giving you more time to enjoy it!
Easy Chocolate Caramel Cake
Poke cakes are a quick and easy way to infuse flavor into any cake. The smooth caramel sauce is poured over the chocolate cake and the holes allow it to soak up all of the gooey goodness. I love chocolate and caramel together, so this is one of my favorite desserts to make. Plus, since it is made with a cake mix, it’s perfect to whip up for a special occasion or party!
What’s unique about this recipe is that you won’t be following the directions on the box. We tweaked it a bit to ensure that you end up with the fluffiest cake ever. With the addition of the caramel sauce, it also stays nice and moist. It’s topped with lightly sweetened whipped cream and crushed Heath for texture without making it cloyingly sweet.
What You’ll Need
Very few ingredients needed to make this cake. With the cake mix shortcut, you save on time as well.
- Chocolate Cake Mix: This can be any variety and brand that you prefer.
- Water
- Melted Butter: I use unsalted butter in this cake recipe.
- Eggs
- Caramel Sauce: Store-bought or homemade caramel sauce will work perfectly.
- Heavy Cream
- Powdered Sugar
- Vanilla
- Heath Bar: These will need to be crushed for topping.
- Dark Chocolate Chips
- Milk Chocolate Chips
- Coarse Kosher Salt
How to Make Chocolate Caramel Poke Cake
This incredibly easy recipe for chocolate cake with caramel is the best combination of salty and sweet. Plus, the prep time is very quick.
- Step 1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Step 2. Combine cake mix, water, butter, and eggs in a large bowl. Mix until just combined or for about 2-3 minutes.
- Step 3. Grease a 9×13 baking dish using the leftover butter that was melted. Spread with parchment paper or plastic wrap.
- Step 4. Pour the cake batter into the baking dish.
- Step 5. Bake for 30-39 minutes or until the cake is fully set.
- Step 6. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for about 1 hour.
- Step 7. After it has cooled, use the handle of a wooden spoon and make holes all over the cake.
- Step 8. Drizzle about ⅓ cup of caramel sauce over the cake.
- Step 9. In a medium bowl, add heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Beat with a hand mixer until you have stiff peaks.
- Step 10. Spread the whipped cream over the caramel chocolate cake.
- Step 11. Sprinkle Heath crumbles, chocolate chips, and coarse salt on top of the whipped cream.
- Serve 12. Enjoy!
How to Store Leftovers
Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Store at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze this chocolate caramel cake! Wrap in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil or an airtight container and place it in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Tips and Tricks
- There so so many delicious candies that incorporate chocolate and caramel together! Try making this chocolate caramel poke cake and top it with chopped Snickers or Milky Way.
- Do not use an electric mixer to mix the cake batter. A spoon or spatula will ensure that it isn’t over-mixed. This will give you a nice, moist chocolate cake.
- I like to drizzle extra caramel sauce on top of the cake.
More Poke Cake Recipes
- Monster Cookie Poke Cake
- Creamsicle Orange Poke Cake
- Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake
- Lemon Burst Poke Cake
- Thin Mint Chocolate Poke Cake
Chocolate Caramel Poke Cake
Ingredients
- 15.25 ounce chocolate cake mix
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 3 eggs
- ⅔ cup caramel sauce divided
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup Heath bar crumbles
- ⅛ cup dark chocolate chips
- ⅛ cup milk chocolate chips
- ⅛ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- In a large bowl add the cake mix, water, butter, and eggs. Mix for 2-3 minutes with a spoon until fully mixed. Set aside.
- Use parchment paper or plastic wrap to spread any leftover melted butter from the butter dish into the 9×13 baking dish.
- Transfer the batter to the baking dish.
- Bake for 30-39 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool for at least 60 minutes on a cooling sheet.
- With the end of a wooden spoon poke holes in the cake.
- Drizzle ⅓ cup of caramel sauce over the cake.
- In a large bowl add the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla.
- With a hand mixer mix for 4-7 until you have stiff peaks. When you shake the bowl the whipped cream doesn’t move in the bowl. Do not mix too much, as the whipped cream will separate.
- Transfer the whipped cream to the top of the cooled cake. Gently spread so the cake is completely covered.
- Drizzle ⅓ caramel sauce on top of the whipped cream.
- Sprinkle Heath bar crumbles and chocolate chips on top of the whipped cream.
- You can serve the cake immediately or even the following day.
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.Equipment
- bowl
- Spatula
- Measuring spoons and cups
- Large white bowl
- 9"x13" Baking Dish
- Cooling sheet
Notes
Nutrition
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