Poke A Hole In the Cake cake

Every potluck in the Midwest and South has one of these on the table. German chocolate cake baked right out of the box in a 9 by 13, then riddled with holes while it’s still warm so a can of sweetened condensed milk and a jar of hot fudge can soak all the way through the crumb.

The wooden spoon handle is the right tool for the job, the fat end pokes holes wide enough to actually take in the liquid. A fork makes pinholes that clog up before anything soaks through.

Once the cake cools, whipped topping goes over the top in a thick layer and crushed Heath bars get scattered on, toffee crunch giving every bite something to bite back. Chill it overnight for the real effect, the milk and fudge need time to set the whole cake into something closer to a truffle than a sheet cake.

Kitchen Tips

• Poke holes while the cake is still warm, a cooled crumb won’t absorb the condensed milk
• Warm the fudge topping slightly in the jar so it pours instead of plops
• Cover with plastic wrap pressed to the surface while it chills, otherwise the topping forms a skin
• Crush Heath bars right before serving, they go soft fast once they touch whipped topping

Variations

• Swap caramel sauce for fudge if chocolate-caramel is your thing
• Use Skor bars instead of Heath, they’re nearly identical
• Try yellow or chocolate cake mix in place of German chocolate for a different base