Easy Chocolate Poke Cake

This post may contain affiliate sales links. Please see my full disclosure policy for details

This Easy Chocolate Poke Cake is a chocolate cake made from scratch, then soaked with chocolate pudding and topped with homemade whipped cream! You’ll love the moist chocolate cake. It’s a light and fluffy cake that’s irresistible once you add the pudding! 

PIN IT FOR LATER

Chocolate Poke Cake

You can never have too many poke cake recipes in your pocket- and that’s in part due to the endless flavor combinations! I should know, I have dozens of poke cake recipes!

Up until recently, a lot of my poke cake recipes were made with cake mix, but I’ve been adding more and more cake recipes from scratch and updating older poke cake recipes with options to make them from scratch.

What is a Poke Cake?

A poke cake is cake made traditionally in a 9×13 inch pan and once it’s baked, you take the end of a wooden spoon and poke holes all over the top of the cake.

Then, you pour your liquid filling over top of the hole. The most commonly used fillings are either pudding or sweetened condensed milk.

If you’ve been looking for a poke cake recipe you can’t live without, look no further. Not only is this chocolate poke cake amazing, but I also have an entire collection of poke cakes! You can browse my post popular poke cake recipes here.

I recently made my favorite chocolate cake recipe and realized I hadn’t made a poke cake with it yet. I decided immediately it was time to remedy that situation!

This light and fluffy, homemade chocolate cake is soaked in chocolate pudding and topped with a homemade whipped cream.

How to Make This Chocolate Poke Cake

• Mix the wet ingredients: The oil is mixed with eggs and sugar and beaten until well combined. Then you add the sour cream, I use light sour cream which helps adds to the moisture and texture of this cake.
• Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. 
• Alternate adding the coffee and the dry ingredients, half at a time. 
• Substitute for sour cream: I get a lot of questions about substitutes for the sour cream. I would recommend substituting with nonfat Greek yogurt if you do not have sour cream. I do not recommend omitting it completely.
• Substitute for coffee: The coffee definitely helps bring out the chocolate flavor in this cake. If you do not want to use coffee, then I suggest using water.
• Bake at 350°F for 26-28 minutes. 
• Once cooled Poke holes all over the top of your cake using a wooden spoon or dowel 
• Prepare the pudding mix. Before the pudding mix has set, immediately pour the liquid pudding mix over the cake and then allow the pudding to set in the fridge until its firm (about 10 minutes or less).
• Make a batch of whipped cream. Even though I love using homemade whipped cream, you could certainly simply it with Cool Whip! 
• Top it with hot fudge, sprinkles, chocolate shavings, whatever you want!

There are plenty of options you could do to customize this cake such as changing the flavor of pudding or the topping.

Serving Ideas

There are several ways you can garnish this Easy Chocolate Poke Cake. You can serve it with fruit, chocolate shavings, crushed cookies, hot fudge sauce, sprinkles or anything in your pantry really. It’s up to you- and I just love seeing your creativity!

How to Store a Poke Cake

This cake needs to be stored in the refrigerator. It’s a great recipe to make in advance. Be sure your cake is completely cooled prior to adding the frosting which will help prevent moisture buildup. 

If your baking pan does not come with a lid, then cover this with plastic wrap or aluminum foil as tightly as possible and then keep refrigerated. 

Follow Beyond Frosting:

Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram 

If you love no-bake recipes, be sure to check out my cookbook, No-Bake Treats!

Easy Chocolate Poke Cake

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Julianne Dell
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 26 minutes
• Total Time: 60 minutes
• Yield: 15 slices

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

This Easy Chocolate Poke Cake is a mouthwatering chocolate cake made from scratch, then soaked with chocolate pudding and a homemade whipped cream on top! 

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1 ½ cups (285g) granulated sugar
• ½ cup (118 ml) vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) pure vanilla extract
• ½ cup (118 ml) light sour cream
• 2 cups (280g) all-purpose flour
• ½ cup (55 g) cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon (5g) espresso powder  (optional)
• 2 ½ teaspoons (9 g) baking powder
• ½ teaspoon (2 g) baking soda
• 1 teaspoon (5 g) salt
• 1 ¼ cup (296 ml) brewed coffee

For the filling:

• 1 package instant chocolate pudding (3.4oz)
• 1 ¾ cup (295ml) milk

For the topping:

• 1 ½ cup (354ml) heavy whipping cream
• ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (148g) powdered sugar
• Hot Fudge Sauce (optional)
• Chocolate Shavings (optional)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla extract. Beat on medium speed until the eggs and oil are well incorporated and the batter is lighter in color.
3. Next mix in the sour cream and beat until well combined.
4. In a sperate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Then add half the dry ingredients followed by half of the coffee and mix just until the flour starts to incorporate.
5. Finally add the remaining dry ingredients, mixing on low speed while pouring in the remaining coffee and beating until all of the ingredients are well combined.
6. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir the batter from the bottom to the top to ensure it’s well mixed.
7. Pour the batter into a 9×13-inch pan and bake at 350°F for 26-28 minutes. Test the cake for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, you cake is done. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
8. Take a wooden spoon or another round object and poke holes over the top of the cake.
9. For the filling: In a small mixing bowl, combine the instant chocolate pudding with the milk and whisk together until the powdered mix is dissolved.
10. Pour the liquid pudding mix over top of the cake, try to fill the holes with the pudding mix.
11. Refrigerate the cake until the pudding is firm, about 10 minutes or so.
12. Place the mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to chill
13. Pour the heavy whipping cream into the chilled bowl and use an electric mixer to beat the heavy cream on medium-high speed until the cream thickens.
14. Slowly add the powdered sugar and continue beating on high speed until stiff peaks start to form. Spread the whipped cream over the top of the cake. Keep refrigerated. Serve with hot fudge sauce and chocolate shaving or chocolate sprinkles.

Equipment

Stand Mixer

Buy Now →

9×13-inch Cake Pan

Buy Now →

Notes

• Make ahead of time: This cake can be prepared 1-2 days in advance and kept refrigerated. The whipped topping is best served fresh if possible
• Keep stored in the refrigerator
• Substitute for sour cream: I would recommend substituting with nonfat Greek yogurt
• Substitute for coffee: If you do not want to use coffee, then I suggest using warm water

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size: 1 slice

Calories: 340

Sugar: 30.9g

Sodium: 365.5mg

Fat: 14.4g

Saturated Fat: 10g

Carbohydrates: 49.6g

Fiber: 1.6g

Protein: 5.8g

Cholesterol: 54mg

• Category: Cake
• Method: Oven
• Cuisine: American

Keywords: Poke Cake, Pudding Cake, Chocolate Poke Cake, Poke Cake Recipe, Chocolate Pudding Poke Cake

You might also like:

15 Irresistible Poke Cake

Oreo Dirt Poke Cake

Brownie Batter Poke Cake