Many years ago, I worked in a jewelry store. It was a pretty fun job, although standing on one's feet for lots of hours got pretty tiring. We used to have potluck parties in the break room and one of my co-workers, Terressa, loved to cook and would always bring delicious food for us to enjoy. Our favorite dish was a delicious confection she called candy bar cake. I have since learned that the name "candy bar cake" referred to a different type of cake, and what she made was a poke cake. If you are unfamiliar, a poke cake is a cake that has holes poked into it, liquid poured into the holes, and left to soak up the deliciousness. It is later topped with whipped cream, frosting, and/or other toppings. I have seen several people make this with Butterfinger candy bar topping, but I don't like peanut butter and I like toffee, so I stick with Terressa's version using Heath bars. This cake is a hit anywhere it goes, and if you are looking for an easy, show-stopping dessert, look no further!
Ingredients: chocolate cake (prepared), sweetened condensed milk, caramel syrup, chocolate syrup, whipped topping, Heath candy bars
Step 1: prepare your chocolate cake. According to Terressa, devil's food is the best for this dessert. You can prepare from a mix or from scratch. As with most poke cakes, this one is a sheet cake in a 9x13 pan. Step 2: once the cake is done, allow to cool for a few minutes. Using the handle end of a wooden spoon, poke holes about 1-1.5" apart throughout the entire cake. Step 3: pour sweetened condensed milk into each hole then across top of cake. (According to Terressa, the best sweetened condensed milk to use is Eagle brand, so in honor of her, I use Eagle brand.) Do the same with caramel and chocolate syrups. Step 4: cover and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 3-4 hours. Step 5: top with whipped topping (you can substitute whipped cream if you prefer. It is a little richer and more dense than the whipped topping,) a few stripes of caramel and chocolate syrup, and crushed Heath candy bars. You can buy Heath bar pieces if you wish, but I like the unevenness of the pieces when breaking them myself. I typically break them using a kitchen utensil with some weight to it - in my case, that's an ice cream scoop with a heavy handle. Keep refrigerated (this cake is actually at its best a couple of days after it was made! Hooray leftovers!)
Heath Bar Poke Cake
Recipe:
Chocolate sheet cake 9x13 (prepared)
1 14oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
Caramel syrup
Chocolate syrup
16 oz. container of whipped topping (2 cups)
4-5 regular sized Heath candy bars
Prepare chocolate cake and allow to cool. Using the handle end of a wooden spoon, poke holes about 1-1.5" apart throughout the entire cake. Pour sweetened condensed milk into each hole then across top of cake. Do the same with caramel and chocolate syrups. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 3-4 hours. Top with whipped topping, a few stripes of caramel and chocolate syrup, and crushed Heath candy bars. Keep refrigerated.
Source: Terressa Saunders