Tom Cruise Cake
Submitted by Juliaw
The famous Tom Cruise Cake: a German chocolate poke cake soaked in condensed milk and butterscotch, piled with whipped cream and crushed Heath bars. Outrageously rich, dead simple, and worth every sticky, toffee-laced bite.
YIELD
1 cakePREP
20 minCOOK
40 minREADY
1 hrsLegend has it Tom Cruise sends this cake to friends and co-stars during the holidays, and honestly? One bite and you’ll understand why it became a thing.
Start with a box of German chocolate cake mix, poke it full of holes while it’s still warm, and then drown it in sweetened condensed milk and butterscotch (or caramel) topping. Everything seeps deep into the cake, turning it into this impossibly moist, sticky, candy-like situation.
Pile on the Cool Whip, crush some Heath bars over the top, and refrigerate until serving. It’s the kind of dessert that makes people beg for the recipe.
Kitchen Tips
- Use the handle of a wooden spoon for the holes, not a toothpick. You need wide channels so the milk and butterscotch can really soak in
- Pour the condensed milk slowly and wait for it to absorb before adding more. Patience here means a more evenly soaked cake
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. Overnight is even better since the flavors meld and the texture gets fudgier
- Swap butterscotch for caramel topping if that’s your preference. Both work, but butterscotch gives it that signature toffee vibe that pairs with the Heath bars
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare and bake cake in a 9×13 inch pan according to package directions.
While cake is still warm, poke 15 to 20 holes in cake with the handle of a large wooden spoon; let cool slightly.
Pour sweetened condensed milk and topping into holes (this takes a while, you have to wait until it soaks in before you can pour all of the topping and milk in).
Let stand a few minutes and then spread Cool Whip over the top.
Sprinkle with crushed Heath bars or Heath Sensations.
Best kept in refrigerator until serving.
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