Ingredients:

  • 1 (14 oz) can Sweetened Condensed Milk (full fat preferred)
  • 1 (12 oz) jar Prepared Hot Fudge Sauce (or quality chocolate sauce)
  • 1 cup Prepared Caramel Topping (heavy, thick caramel sauce)
  • 1 (15.25 oz) box Dry Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix (standard size)
  • 1 cup Chopped Pecans or Walnuts (optional, for texture)
  • 1 1/2 sticks Unsalted Butter, cold, sliced thin (170 g)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease the 9x13 inch baking dish.
  2. Combine the Wet Layer: Pour the entire can of sweetened condensed milk, the jar of hot fudge sauce, and the caramel topping into the prepared baking dish.
  3. Spread the Base: Gently use a spatula to swirl and spread the three wet ingredients evenly across the bottom of the pan. Do not fully combine them—a marbled look is fine.
  4. Add the Dry Mix (The Critical Step): Open the box of dry cake mix. Sprinkle the entire contents evenly over the top of the wet base. Crucially: Do not stir or mix the dry cake mix into the wet layer.
  5. Add Crunch: Sprinkle the chopped nuts evenly over the top of the dry cake mix layer (if using).
  6. Butter Up: Take the cold butter and slice it into thin, even patties (about 1/8 inch thick). Lay these butter slices closely together, shingle-style, across the entire surface of the dry cake mix. Every bit of dry mix must be covered by butter.
  7. Bake: Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 40–45 minutes, until the edges are bubbling furiously, the topping is golden brown, and the center is fully crisp.
  8. Cool Slightly: Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving. This allows the gooey base to set up slightly.