Chocolate Poke Cake

The entire recipe is so easy and starts with a cake mix. There is very little prep work and this cake comes together fast. Before you know it, you will be sitting down to enjoy this rich and creamy chocolate cake.

The kids love to help poke the holes. This is what allows every bit of the chocolate goodness to get into each and every bite. It is so decadent that a little goes a long way. You don’t need a very big piece to feel satisfied.

Make this cake for holidays, potlucks or birthdays and be prepared for everyone to go crazy. It is loaded with chocolate and more chocolate. You may like these other poke cake recipes – Jello Poke Cake and Red Velvet Poke Cake Recipe.

Why We Love this Recipe

• It is very inexpensive to make. Cake mix goes on sale frequently and the other ingredients are budget friendly. You could easily make 2 of these cakes for gatherings or holidays.
• There is so much chocolate. This cake is literally a chocolate lovers dream come true. Each bite is full of chocolate from the cake to the filling and the topping.
• This recipe is easy and fun. You don’t need any special supplies or gadgets to make this. It is really simple and tons of fun to poke holes all over.

What is a Poke Cake?

A poke cake is typically a cake made in a 9×13 baking dish. After it is baked, you poke holes all over the cake. Then a rich sauce is poured all over so that it can soak into all of the holes.

This allows it to get into every inch of the cake. The cake is refrigerated overnight and the next day the topping goes on. You will get chocolate in every bite.

The results taste incredible and the process is very simple and fun. It takes less than 30 minutes of preparation to make a poke cake so it is very easy.

The recipes are easy to adapt to what you have on hand and prefer the best.

Ingredients

• Devil’s food chocolate cake mix. Regular chocolate cake mix can be substituted. Dark chocolate cake mix is also really yummy in this recipe.
• Ingredients needed to make cake from the cake mix: eggs, oil, water.
• Sweetened Condensed Milk. This makes the cake super decadent and moist.
• Chocolate Sauce. This is normally found with the ice cream toppings.
• Heavy Whipping Cream. You can substitute whipped topping or cool whip if you do not want to make your own using heavy cream.
• Chopped Chocolate for topping. The chocolate topping looks so pretty on top. Feel free to use leftover chocolate cut into pieces or chopped up. This is a great time to use what you have.

For the full recipe and list of ingredients, scroll to the bottom for the recipe card.

Variations Ideas

• Any type of chocolate cake will work. It does not have to be Devil’s Food cake mix. You can use regular chocolate and it will still be delicious.
• Turtle Chocolate Poke Cake is a fun twist. Top the cake with caramel sauce, chopped pecans and mini chocolate chips for a turtle poke cake. If you love turtle candy, this flavor combination will be a hit.
• Coffee is another great idea. You can add 2 tablespoons instant coffee to the cake mix before baking. It enhances the chocolate flavor.
• Salted Caramel – Drizzle salted caramel sauce all over the top. It tastes so rich with the chocolate and the combination is heavenly.
• Make this cake festive by adding sprinkles. Whether it is for a birthday, holiday or Game day, coordinate the colors of sprinkles to your occasion. The kids will love this.
• Peanut Butter – Peanut butter fans will love the combination of chocolate and peanut butter. You can add a handful of peanut butter chips on top of the cake.
• Pudding Mixes – You can add pudding mixes to the cake mix. It will make it even more creamy and moist. Just add the dry pudding mix when making the cake into the batter. I think chocolate or vanilla would be tasty.

How to Make Chocolate Poke Cake

• Step 1 – First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. While the oven is warming up, make the cake per the box instructions in a medium bowl. Bake the cake in a 9×13 pan.
• Step 2 – Second, let the cake cool slightly. I normally let it sit for about 10 minutes. You don’t want the cake to completely cool because it will be hard to spread the chocolate.

Step 3 – Next, poke holes all over the cake. Make sure to get the entire cake so you will have lots of holes to pour the chocolate sauce into. I use a wooden spoon to poke the holes and space them about 1-inch apart.

Step 4 – Then, pour the sweetened condensed milk and ¾ of the chocolate mixture over the cake. Let this seep into the holes because this is what makes the cake so moist. You may need to use a spatula to spread it all over. Cover and place in the fridge overnight.

Step 5 – The next day make the topping. Get out a mixing bowl and add the heavy whipping cream, cocoa powder and powder sugar in it.  Mix this together with an electric mixer for 4 to 5 minutes until stiff peaks form and it holds it shape. 

Step 6 – Finally, spread all of that delicious chocolate topping all over the cake.  Then use the chocolate sauce that you have left to drizzle all over the cake. Sprinkle with the chopped chocolate and you are ready to enjoy. You could also top with mini chocolate chips or even peanut butter morsels would be delicious.

Expert Tips

• Cutting Cake – When you are cutting the cake, wipe the knife off after each slice. This will help ensure each slice is clean and looks pretty.
• Cake Mixes – If you want to tone down the chocolate flavor, substitute yellow cake mix or white cake mix.
• Poking Holes – Poke holes all over the cake including the edges. Don’t miss a spot.
• Pouring Topping – Make sure to pour the topping into the holes. I like to spread it around with a spatula and push it down into the holes. This makes the cake moist and flavorful so you want it all over the layer cake.
• Type of Pan – Try using a disposable pan for cookouts or potlucks.
• Make this for friends. This is an easy cake to take to a neighbor or someone recovering from surgery.
• Make Ahead – The cake is best when made the night before. It allows it time to soak in all the flavors.

Do I Have to Use Cake Mix?

You do not have to use a cake mix. It definitely makes it easier and quicker though.

However, feel free to make your own cake. We have an easy chocolate cake recipe that is delicious. It would be great to use to make this poke cake.

The beauty of this recipe is that you can easily adapt it to your preference. Either option will be tasty.