Butterfinger Cake

By
Kristina Vanni
Kristina Vanni
Kristina Vanni
An internationally recognized culinary authority, Kristina Vanni is well-known for her recipe development, food photography, and experience as a TV show host.
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Updated on 06/18/21
Butterfinger Cake

The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni 

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 38 mins
Chill: 20 mins
Total: 68 mins
Servings: 16 servings
Yield: 16 bars
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
639 Calories
30g Fat
87g Carbs
9g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 16
Amount per serving
Calories 639
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 30g 39%
Saturated Fat 15g 74%
Cholesterol 61mg 20%
Sodium 456mg 20%
Total Carbohydrate 87g 32%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 64g
Protein 9g
Vitamin C 1mg 5%
Calcium 196mg 15%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 282mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Maybe you have a bunch of leftover Halloween candy. Or maybe you just adore Butterfinger candy bars. Either way, this cake is a joy to make, serve, and eat.

This recipe uses a boxed devil's food cake mix to save time and effort. While still warm, the cake is pierced with a straw to create little holes that are filled with a decadent drizzle of caramel and sweetened condensed milk. Roughly chopped Butterfinger candy bars are added on top, followed by a cream cheese frosting. Finally, even more chopped candy bars are sprinkled all over the top of the cake for a nice crunch and fun presentation. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to a week (not that it'll last that long!).

Ingredients

  • 1 (15.25-ounce) box devil’s food cake mix

  • 1 1/3 cups water

  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil

  • 3 large eggs

  • 1 (8-ounce) jar caramel topping

  • 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

  • 17 fun-size butterfinger candy bars, roughly chopped

  • 1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

  • 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Gather the ingredients for the Butterfinger Cake
    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni 

  2. Lightly coat a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 350 F. 

  3. Place the devil's food cake mix, water, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed, scraping the sides again if needed. The batter should be thick and well blended. 

    Mix up the cake for Butterfinger Cake
    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni 

  4. Pour into the prepared pan, smoothing out the top with the rubber spatula. Bake on the center oven rack until the cake springs back when lightly pressed with your finger and just starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, 35 to 38 minutes. 

    Bake the Butterfinger Cake
    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni 

  5. Place the pan on a wire rack. Immediately poke holes in the top of the cake with a drinking straw or a chopstick. 

    Poke holes in the Butterfinger Cake
    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni 

  6. Stir together the caramel topping and sweetened condensed milk.

    Mix the sauce for Butterfinger Cake
    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni 

  7. Spoon over the warm cake so that the mixture can seep into the holes. 

    Drizzle the sauce over the Butterfinger Cake
    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni 

  8. Sprinkle with half of the crushed Butterfinger candy bars.

    Layer the Butterfinger Cake
    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni 

  9. Combine the whipped topping and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until smooth, about 1 minute. 

    Mix up the frosting for Butterfinger Cake
    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni 

  10. Spread the cream cheese frosting over the cake. Sprinkle with the remaining Butterfinger candy pieces. Place the cake, uncovered, in the refrigerator. Let chill about 20 minutes before cutting the cake into squares. The cake is chilled uncovered so the Butterfinger candy pieces stay fresh and crisp as the cake cools.

    Frost the Butterfinger Cake
    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni 

  11. Serve and enjoy!

    Serve the Butterfinger Cake
    The Spruce Eats / Kristina Vanni 

Tip

  • Instead of fun-sized candy bars, use five full-sized Butterfinger candy bars.
  • Store leftovers, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.