We Made "Better Than Sex" Cake To See If It Lives Up To Its Name

Ever heard of a cheeky little dessert called Better Than Sex Cake? If you haven't, a quick Google search should do the trick; dozens of dessert results will populate, each claiming to be the one that lives up to its daring name. It's kind of like the more badass (and definitely more delicious) relative of Engagement Chicken. With the assertion that confidence is right there in the recipe's name, I decided to try it out for myself. After scanning a handful of recipes, I found that each one seemed to share the common ingredient thread of chocolate cake mix, a whipped cream topping, and utilisation of the poke cake method.

I settled on a straightforward version from recipe aggregator, My Recipes, that seemed to meet all the standard qualifications. On my commute home that evening, I scooped up all the promising ingredients and proceeded to get down and dirty (you know, in the kitchen).

The actual assembly of the cake was surprisingly simple, thanks to the boxed cake mix component. I followed the box's instructions, removing it from the oven and allowing it to cool. Then, the real foreplay began: it was time to poke the cake. Poke cakes are essentially cakes that have holes poked all over, in order for a sweet liquid to be poured in and absorbed. Despite the fact that I had yet to actually do anything, I found the description itself to be oozing with sexual innuendo.

This recipe called for a mix of two liquids to saturate the cake: sweetened condensed milk and salted caramel sauce — my sweet tooth was aching at the sight of it. Once the sauces were fully absorbed, then came the whipped cream topping, followed by another drizzle of salted caramel, and finally an ample sprinkling of Heath pieces. And that was it. The whole thing took me about an hour, cooling time included — and for someone who loathes baking, I felt good. But was it etter than sex good? Making that call will require having a taste.

I toted the finished product proudly into the office for a team Better Than Sex Cake taste-test. We all felt giddy leading up to taking that first bite, but, after we had a taste, the reviews were mixed. One taster said, "I would rather eat a brownie, and I don't like brownies." Another likened it to a "sugar bomb" and complained of tooth pain and nausea later on. One lone taster really liked it. She described the cake as having a bread pudding-like quality, and even inquired after another bite hours after it had been put away.

Dessert, like sex, highly subjective to personal taste. Whether or not a favourite dessert can be likened to sex is an opinion that has to be left up to the individual. My version of a "better than sex" treat looks like a pint of ice cream with a hefty scoop of peanut butter on top, so this recipe didn't do it for me — but it might still ring your bell.

In this particular recipe, the cake was extremely sweet and had a very moist (almost pudding-like) texture with a bonus crunch from the Heath piece topping, plus a smoothness from the whipped cream icing. Above all, it was incredibly easy to assemble. If that sounds like your dream scenario, then maybe it could live up to its name. But at the end of the day, this recipe felt more like a novelty dessert idea rather than an edible revelation.

It is a fast and fun way to dress up a boxed mix. If that is up your dessert alley, then we urge you to get down and dirty with it (oven mitt protection always encouraged). Just, maybe call it what it is: a chocolate poke cake with whipped cream frosting and a Heath bar crunch.