Sinful Brownie Batter Poke Cake. This chocolate poke cake is soaked with dark chocolate pudding, and topped a brownie batter mousse and brownie batter glaze. It’s for true chocolate lovers.
Today is an important day, especially if you live in Oregon! It’s the total Solar Eclipse day! The state has been preparing for months and people have been talking about the traffic for quite a while. Although here is Portland we aren’t in the path of totality, but I understand things are much more busy in central Oregon. We were given permission to work from home today, which means we get to watch the eclipse together.
I am not one to get excited about things such as the solar eclipse but when I think about the fact that there hasn’t been a coast to coast solar eclipse since 1918, I get a little appreciative of the opportunity to be this close to the path. So even though everyone is talking about the eclipse, I am still over here talking about this Brownie Batter Poke Cake.
This is a chocolate cake, soaked in chocolate pudding with a brownie batter mousse on top. I’ve made this one a few times, and it’s a great variation of my signature Triple Chocolate Poke Cake.
The recipe calls for a cake mix, but you can certainly make a homemade chocolate cake instead.
What makes this one so unique and different is that it’s covered with a Brownie Batter Mousse, which is basically a brownie batter whipped cream that’s loaded with baked brownies. It’s one of the layers of my No-Bake Icebox Brookie Cake.
It’s quite simple to make the brownie batter mousse. You’ll beat the heavy whipping cream as if you’re making a homemade whipped cream, and then you’ll add dry brownie mix to the cream. It thickens it up to a great consistency. Just a quick note, if you’d like to heat treat the bownie batter, you can do so by following this method for heat-treated flour.
I also like to add gelatin to the whipped cream because I think it makes the mousse more airy after it’s had a chance to set in the fridge. I wish I could claim responsibility for the invention of the brownie batter mousse, but the first time I heard about it was from Shelly’s Brownie Batter Parfaits.
For the actual brownies in the mousse, I tend to use store-bought brownies and chop them up nice and small, about the size of a dime. Of course, it never hurts to make a batch for brownies at home, but it does add some steps to the process. So, it’s your choice!
I can’t forget about the glorious chocolate cake that was soaked in chocolate pudding either. The combination of this mouthwatering cake and the mousse, it that can’t be beat.
Brownie Batter Poke Cake
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 15 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Sinful Brownie Batter Poke Cake is for true chocolate lovers. This chocolate poke cake is soaked with dark chocolate pudding and topped with a brownie batter mousse and glaze.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 box Chocolate Cake Mix
- Ingredients listed on the Box
For the Filling:
- 1 3.4 ounce box Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix
- 1 3/4 cups Milk
For the Topping:
- 1 tablespoon Cold Water
- 1 teaspoon Unflavored Gelatin
- 1 1/2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream
- 3/4 cup Brownie Mix, from a boxed mix
- 1 tablespoon Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, optional
- 1 1/2 cups Chopped Brownies, prepared and cooled
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Combine cake mix according to the ingredients on the box. Beat on medium speed until well combined.
- Bake cake in a 9×13-inch pan for 18-22 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the middle of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, your cake is done. Allow cooling for at least 30 minutes.
- While the cake is still warm, take the end of a wooden spoon or another round object and poke holes all over the top of your cake.
For the Filling:
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the chocolate pudding and milk and whisk until the pudding mix is dissolved. Before the pudding sets (do not refrigerate), pour it over top of the cake, and spread with a spatula to fill in all the holes.
- Refrigerate the cake for at least 15-30 minutes until the pudding is set and the cake is completely cooled.
For the Topping:
- Put the bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 5-10 minutes to get them really cold (this step is optional, but a common practice I use).
- Place 1 tablespoon of cold water in a small dish. Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water, trying to spread the powder evenly. Allow the gelatin to turn to a solid (about 2-3 minutes).
- Next, melt the solid gelatin in the microwave for 5-8 seconds until it turns back to a liquid. Watch it closely!
- Pour the heavy whipping cream into the chilled bowl and beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes until the cream starts to thicken.
- Slowly add the liquid gelatin and continue beating until a soft peak forms.
- Turn the mixer down to low speed and slowly add the dry brownie mix and cocoa powder. Once the dry mix is incorporated, turn the mixer back to a higher speed and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Chop the prepared brownies into small pieces, about the size of a dime or smaller and gently fold them into the brownie batter mousse. Spread the mousse over the cooled cake.
This cake must be refrigerated. Garnish with hot fudge sauce and more crumbled brownie pieces.
Notes
- Homemade cake: You can swap the cake mix out for this easy chocolate cake.
- To heat-treat the brownie mix, you can follow these instructions
- For the actual brownies in the mousse, I tend to use store-bought brownies and chop them up nice and small, about the size of a dime. Of course, it never hurts to make a batch of brownies at home, but it does add some steps to the process. So, it’s your choice!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/15 recipe
- Calories: 297
- Sugar: 16g
- Sodium: 202mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 47g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 3g
Filed Under:
This recipe originally appeared in Food Fanatic.
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Sinful Triple Chocolate Poke Cake
It’s not 5 star yet, it’s going to get the topping when more time is available. There were a couple questions, however. 1: in your recipe for the cake you suggest following the box. Except 22 min isn’t on it. I just baked til no batter was on the skewer, but I wondered if that 22 min made a flatter cake. Mine’s rounded. 2: in 2017 (I’ve been searching your site. I’ve lived in Oregon most of my life and figured an Oregon foodie needs followed! I’m in EO now, but started in PDX and was in Tillamook). So, in ’17 you mentioned never using gelatin in whipping cream frosting. In this updated ’21 recipe you do. I want to make your hot cocoa whipped recipe, which doesn’t have it. Should it be added anyway? Thanks ever!
Hi Kris, could it be a difference of the size of the cake mix? I am almost positive this was made with a 15oz box, the recipe is quite old but it was before the box sizes changed. It could also be a difference of oven? Maybe mine just baked faster. I make whipped cream both ways, but when I want it to be a litle more stable, I add gelatin. The Hot chocolate doesn’t have it because the hot chocolate itself makes the whipped cream incredibly stable.
At what step do you add the unsweetened cocoa powder??
Apologies for the confusion, this would be added with the brownie batter mix into the whipped cream
Is it possible to leave out the gelatin on this cake?
You could but it might not be as stable
Well ill be darn … I just came across this recipe and saw the plug for the eclipse. I live over on the Central Oregon Coast in LC and we have an awesome view of the Show.
Oh my gosh Terri! That is awesome. We live in Portland, so not as great here but still a very cool thing to experience! We also put an offer in on our first home that weekend, so it will always be memorable one!
I made this cake.
Everyone loved the cake.
Now everyone is poking me to make some more. Lol 🙂
Seriously the recipe is superb and texture of the cake is amazing.
Thank You so much for the recipe.
“even though everyone is talking about the eclipse, I am still over here talking about this Brownie Batter Poke Cake.”
I love it!!!!!!!