This Better than Sex Cake recipe is made with chocolate cake soaked in homemade caramel sauce and topped with fresh whipped cream. Whether or not you think it lives up to it’s name, it’s always a crowd favorite!
I’ve got cake recipes for every occasion and tastebud! Some of my favorites include, German Chocolate Cake, Gooey Butter Cake, Classic Yellow Cake, Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake, Homemade Rum Cake and more!
What is Better than Sex Cake?
This infamous cake is also referred to as, “Better than Anything Cake” and “Is it really better than sex cake?”. It’s a chocolate cake with caramel and sweet milk poured throughout and topped with whipped topping.
What I love about this recipe:
- Box Mix or Homemade – Obviously I prefer homemade chocolate cake, but you can use a cake mix for ease!
- That Caramel Sauce! I’ve used a jar of Mrs Richardson’s caramel topping when I was in a hurry, but honestly, it’s amazing with the homemade caramel!
- Heath Bar Topping – Use a bag of heath bits, to save time (you can find them by the chocolate chips at your grocery store). Store leftover heath bits in your freezer, or use them for this yummy trifle.
How to Make Better Than Sex Cake:
Bake Chocolate Cake: Any chocolate cake will work but we love this Hershey’s Chocolate Cake (baked in a 9×13” pan). Use the handle of a wooden spoon to carefully poke wholes all over the cake.
Pour Sauce: Pour caramel sauce and sweetened condensed milk evenly on top of the cake.
Spread Whipped Cream: Top with fresh whipping cream, spreading it to the edges.
Add Candy: Sprinkle candy on top, we love crushed heath candy bars. Store leftover better than sex cake in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Make Ahead Instructions:
To Make Ahead: Make the chocolate cake up to 1 week ahead of time. Cover it well and store in freezer. Thaw completely before poking holes and adding topping. Make the homemade caramel sauce several days in advance, to save time. It can be poured on the cake warm or cold.
More Cake Recipes:
- White Texas Sheet Cake
- Hershey’s “Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Cake
- Mississippi Mud Cake
- Chocolate Mug Cake
- Easy Carrot Cake
- German Chocolate Cake
- Lemon Cake
- Tres Leches Cake
- Berry Cake
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Recipe
Better than Sex Cake
Ingredients
- 1 chocolate cake , baked in a 9×13” pan
- 1 recipe caramel sauce , or one 16oz jar caramel topping
- 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 3-4 heath candy bars , chopped*
Instructions
- Bake cake in a 9×13'' according to recipe directions. Allow cake to cool, then poke holes in it with a fork or wooden skewer.
- Pour caramel sauce all over the cake, followed by sweetened condensed milk (I usually use about ½ of the can but the traditional recipe uses an entire can).
- Add whipping cream to a mixing bowl and beat until soft peaks. Add powdered sugar and then beat the mixture until stiff peaks. Smooth the fresh whipped cream over the cooled cake. Sprinkle with heath candy pieces.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to one day, before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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I originally shared this recipe March 2017. Updated June 2020 and July 2023.
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Love this cake! And luv luv the homemade caramel sauce!!
Have you made cupcakes with this recipe? I’d like to, but if it doesn’t turn out then, cake it is 😉
This cake is definitely NOT better than sex…or you’re doing it wrong!
Absolutely the best!!!
How would I make this as a layer cake?
you don’t
Could I make with yellowcake ?
Sure! Sounds great!
Thanks for the recipe 🙂 I like that your variation uses real whipping cream to make it extra delicious.
(I did want to kindly point out that one label on the ingredient photo is incorrect. The label over the sweetened condensed milk says “evaporated milk”. The picture is of sweetened condensed milk and the recipe states that but for visual, not detailed-folks-winging’-it-in-the-kitchen like me, it may get overlooked and lead to a wah wah wahhh recipe. No shade, just a friendly heads up 🙂
This cake was so amazing! And the caramel sauce was the best I’ve ever had ❤️ it doesn’t even compare to store bought caramel!!! I definitely agree a half can of sweetened condensed milk would’ve sufficed. It’s too sweet with a whole can! I found some local Utah toffee truffle bars to use instead and it was perfect! Thank you so much ☺️
We loved this cake. Hershey’s cake recipe is one of my favorites also. New to you site
Name is accurate! Thank you for not renaming! If kids associate the word sex with cake, isn’t it a win win? Lol
This recipe has been around for along time and has always been called this. You don’t need to change the name. People just need to watch who’s reading with them if they don’t like the name! I was looking for this recipe to make for my sons birthday. Thank you!
So yummy! Kiddo wanted Oreo cake so we lined the bottom w/Oreos amd poured the homemade chocolate cake batter over it. Don’t be surprised, they float! We only used a third or so of the caramel sauce (used the homemade recipe given), the whole can of sweetened condensed milk, and cut the sugar in the whipped cream. A family favorite!
I have 3 kids and I’m not offended at all. I don’t take the name literally and I don’t assume the internet is censored. There are more pop up ads way worse than the word sex. But just my opinion. Thank you for the recipe, my family loves it no matter what you call it!
Are you serious??? I get on here to find recipes for meals and I love your recipes, but I’m sitting here with my young kids who can read and this cake pops up on the front page!!! Can’t you rename it something classier than this? Come on!
I’m sorry Nicole–I originally named it “Better than Anything Cake” but that is just not the search term (this is a well known cake, so I it was necessary for me to changed it to the traditional name so it can be found on search engines).
I agree! It’s not a very family named recipe.
My mother always called it this and it’s accurate. Cake is better then sex. Can confirm it’s delicious! Keep the name. The Karen’s can just call it something Bible friendly 😉😂
Lol!!!! Yes tell them Karen’s what’s up! I understand completely why she can’t or won’t change the name of the cake and if people really have such an issue with it they need to find the person who originally named the cake and complain to them. My mom has been making this cake since I was about 6 years old and I’ve always known what it was called and I turned out just fine.
Who cares !! Get real !! It the best !
That’s the name of the cake… you should probably change your browser to 13 and younger so words such as “se*” won’t come out. Don’t take the name so literal Karen. Anyways, My family and I LOVED the cake, very delicious!
Maybe the Karen’s should never go on the internet, watch tv or not leave their house. LOL. Man oh man. Anyway, I made this cake as requested and she loved it!!! Great recipe thank you so much and thank you for not renaming it!!
Sex is a natural part of life, my husband and I have 4 beautiful children from it…that’s how we all, well some of us got here, some way, form or fashion…the name of this cake is just fine with me…and it’s a great and delicious recipe! My family LOVES IT!
She didnt name the cake. Its been around for many years. I’ve been making this cake for over 20 years now. Might search for the origin cake recipe owner. Talk with them about your complaint. And she is right it is very well known as this name.
It’s nobody else’s job to police your children. Also, “sex” isn’t a vulgar term. If your children are old enough to read, they’ve probably already heard about sex at school. Better to teach them proper terms for these things now so they can communicate if someone does something to them. I didn’t know what sex was when it was first mentioned to me by the man who molested me which made it easier for me to “agree” to it.
Plus, it says better than sex. Let’s hope all our kids think stuff like cake is better than sex. At least until they’re married. Lol.
WE LOVE THIS CAKE!!! I have made this sooooooooo many times, for funerals, kids, holidays, and just for the neighbors. Everyone loves it. They want me to try with just chocolate pieces, Reese cups, 3 musketeers, and on and on. I love it most the way you made it first. Quick, easy, make ahead, and really tasty. Love your sight.
Have you used Cool Whip instead of making your own whipped cream?
Yes, that will work if you want.
Does this cake need to be refrigerated after serving?
Yes
Do you think you could make this into a round, layered cake? Or would it be too heavy?
I think it could work, you may just not want to pour all of the liquid over it–just enough for the cake to soak up, and not have excess dripping out.
Can this be made into cupcakes? I’m planning on doing them for a wedding, making the holes with a fork and pastry brush, but any extra tips are helpful! Thank you.
Sure, that would be fine! Enjoy!
I’ve made a lot of yummy cakes in mylife- this is by far the last cake I would make again! It was just a mediocre
cake!!!
Honey , this cake is fabulous and easy ! I’m not a baker ! But I have mastered this one ! Always gobble up !
Delicious cake, was very moist and the perfect amount of sweetness only using half the can of condensed milk with the caramel! Recommended 10/10!
Thanks Haylee!
Can I make this cake 2 days prior to taking it to a party. And if so, when would I put the whipped cream topping on?
Hi Valarie, yes, that would be fine. I’d wait until the day of to do the topping, or the night before.
Best cake ever! And so easy to make.
How long could it last in fridge? Do you think it would keep for a week?
Should I freeze it?
Thank you.
It keeps well for up to a week 🙂
I like to warm it just a bit before eating my slice. I gets so soft and goes down great with a huge cup of milk.
There is a misprint in your instructions. Your section on the whip cream. You wrote you like to make your own. Then your wrote after that “Just pour some in a bowl and add….”. You never said what the “some” was. I am not a big baker but its easy to google homemade whipped cream. I just thought you might want to fix that for beginners. I am making this tonight for Thanksgiving tomorrow. Can’t wait to try it out
Hi Amanda, I’m confused by your comment. The directions do list the amounts for making the whipped cream topping (1 1/2 cups cream and 1/4 cup powdered sugar)
I’ve made this cake with Cool Whip for years – if you use real whipped cream, does it deflate or get runny after sitting a day or so?
Not if you use POWDERED SUGAR in the whip cream, it will hold up fine.
Seriously AMAZING!!
I made this for the first time, but one of my coworkers doesn’t like chocolate so I had to completely change everything. So I used a French vanilla cake, Carmel sauce, condensed milk, your whipped cream topping and added chopped pecans and Carmel chips. I hope it’s not too sweet. I’m on a ketogenic diet so I won’t be able to taste it, so I hope my coworkers like it.
This was my first time making better than sex cake, at let me just say, I see how it got its name!! I made two, one with birthday cake oreo topping & one with butterfinger topping! BOTH were to die for!! THANK YOU!!
Do you think it would work the same with a gluten free chicolate cake?
I’m sure it would 🙂
Hi,
Can you make this recipe with brownies?
Sure, although I would suggest cutting back on the amount of caramel and sweetened condensed milk added since brownies are so dense. In this brownie recipe I poked holes in it and poured caramel sauce on top. Yum! https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/caramel-poke-rocky-road-brownies-2/
Just wanted to know if you can freeze this cake after it’s completed
Hi Trudy, I haven’t tried freezing this cake, but I probably wouldn’t suggest freezing it with the toppings on it (and definitely not with the whipped cream). If it were me I would bake the chocolate cake, let it cool, poke holes in it and then freeze it. Then the day of, or 1-2 days in advance you could pour the sauces over it and add the whipped cream. Good luck!
Can u eat vanilla ice cram with it.
Of course! 🙂
Do you still need to use powdered sugar if you use cool whip instead of heavy cream? If so do I just fold onto whip cream?
No need for the powdered sugar 🙂 It’s only used to sweeten the heavy cream. Hope you enjoy the cake!
Delicious!!! I have made this twice. The firat time I used the candy bars and crushed them. The second time I cheated and bought the bits in a bag. It is worth the extra effort to crush the candy bars. Great cake for busy moms.
What is the heavy whipping cream for? I’m a little confused about the topping.
Hi Bonnie, the heavy cream is whipped with the powdered sugar (step 5) and is spread over the cake after it has cooled. It acts as the “frosting” on the cake.
Does the homeade whipped cream go on the night before too.?
It definitely could, or you could put it on fresh, just before serving. Either way would work 🙂
This looks really amazing! My best friend would love this cake. She likes anything with caramel.
How would dulce de leche instead of caramel sauce?
That would be fantastic! I would leave out the sweetened condensed milk as well, and just use the dulce de leche.
Do you pour the milk over the top with the carmel? Or is it in the fluff?
The sweetened condensed milk is drizzled over the top of the cake, along with the caramel (all before the whipped cream is added at the end/0.
This cake is looking absolutely too delicious!!! I think I am going to try it this weekend.
When I bake this type of cake, I use a German Chocolate cake mix. It’s not so chocolate forward, and actually brings out more caramel flavor.
It is great with just the sweetened condensed milk. That is how I make it for my son. It’s his favorite. I over it lightly with plastic wrap and serve it the next day. I also like it with a German chocolate cake.
Would love to try this. Would it go bad if you omitted the condensed milk?
You could definitely omit the condensed milk. It will still taste amazing 🙂
Can I make this cake 24 hours in advance? If so do I keep it in the fridge the whole time?!
You can definitely make it that far in advance! Yes, store it in the fridge 🙂
I was first introduced to the Better than Cake back in 2001 approximately.
My only change was a from scratch German Chocolate Cake, not a fan of the convienence boxed cakes.
I use the entire can of sweetened condensed milk and also the complete jar of caramel topping……might do from scratch. I have a buttermilk caramel sauce which is delicious so can see trying that.
The longer this sits the better the flavour, I made last month for Easter and allowed three days before tasting, delicious. Did not last long and a favourite in my house. Enjoy!
That’s the right name. I used to make it years ago, but lost the recipe. Always got rave reviews!
LOVED this cake! It was delicious. Heath bits aren’t available in my area so I used chopped Butterfingers instead.
Please note that you have to whip the cream for at least 5 mins before it starts to thicken.
Love this recipe!
So happy you liked it! And the butterfinger substitution sounds delicious!
Hi. I’ve made the Better Than Sex Cake, but it’s made quite different than your cake. Mine is actually made in layers and I use cream cheese, powdered sugar and cool whip on top of a flour and chopped pecans or walnut mixture that is baked to make a crust and 3rd layer is instant chocolate pudding and then garnished with rest of cool whip. It’s been very popular at get together. Do I have the wrong name for it? Because that is what I was told by the person I first got the recipe from? You’re sounds very yummy also. Thanks for sharing it!
I make the recipe you are talking about. We call it “Chocolate Dream Dessert “ . It is also also known as “Better than Sex Dessert” . It has the crust on bottom, but it does not have a cake layer like this one.
I’m not a fan of caramel. But this sounds so good. Does it taste really “caramel-ly”? Also can you suggest a different sauce that would taste good? Chocolate maybe? It just sounds so wonderful. Thanks!
I don’t think it tastes overly “caramel-y” but you could leave the caramel out completely and just use the sweetened condensed milk, if you want. Or you could pour a butterscotch or chocolate sauce over top instead.
I put Smuckers butterscotch ice cream topping over the cake after holes are poked……yum!!!!
Love that idea!
Do you think it would be too sweet if I made a whipped buttercream frosting instead of whipped cream?
For me personally, I think it might be too sweet. I would suggest only adding the caramel sauce (not the sweetened condensed milk) and then frost with a light whipped buttercream!
Where can I get the recipe for homemade caramel sauce
It is a hyperlink within the ingredients, where it says “1 recipe caramel sauce” (here’s the link https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/caramel-sauce/ )
I wonder if you can sub Cool Whip for the whipped cream as this freezes well. Any comments?
Yes, you can definitely use cool whip. 🙂
Would need to use cool whip. Lactose intolerant and I don’t know if lactose free milk should whip up the same way
Cool whip is a good substitution 🙂
Does the caramel need to be warmed before pouring on cake
Nope! No need to warm it before hand 🙂
I have made this cake before, and took it to a potluck at the hospital where I worked here in Denver. It disappeared in just a very short time! I had people coming to me and asking me when I was going to bake another one and bring it in… Seriously! It is an extremely good cake, so if you haven’t already you’ve got to try it. Using a 9 by 13 pan definitely makes it easy. The hard part is staying away from it when it’s done and letting it settle a little bit.
Do you have a favorite caramel recipe? I’ve never made it before…
Hi Christie, you can click the hyperlink in the recipe to be taken to my homemade caramel sauce. https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/caramel-sauce/
You can also to dulce de Leche by doing a can or 3 in your crockpot. Take the labels off the cans, place in crockpot, cover with water completely and set to launch 8 hours. Then let cool in the crockpot. I love to mix it with whipped cream cheese and dip fruits in it.
Could one replace the chocolate cake for a carrot cake? I’m not a huge fan of chocolate cake.
Sure, it would be yummy with another flavor of cake on the bottom 🙂
THIS IS HANDS DOWN THE MOST AMAZING CAKE FLAVOUR! Such a easy cake to make and isn’t disappointing in the end, everyone raved about it and couldn’t believe I made it 🙂