This Mudslide Poke Cake is a dark chocolate cake soaked in a spiked chocolate ganache, Kahlua chocolate pudding and a spiked chocolate mousse on top. There’s plenty of chocolate and booze to go around.
I am not going to judge you if you would prefer to keep this cake all to yourself. I feel like we know each other well enough by now that I don’t have to tell you how much I enjoy a boozy dessert. Seriously, if you put bourbon it in, I will probably try it. It’s just my thing.
This time I am bringing a little booziness to the poke cake. I have become quite fond of the poke cakes. They are just so easy to make, and lets face it, they taste amazing.
Whenever I serve a poke cake, no one know what to expect with the cold cake and the pudding keeps the cake especially soft. It’s a great way to combine different flavors and textures. They are my go-to desserts for parties and potlucks. If you’re curious about poke cakes and want even more delicious ways to make them, check out my top 15 poke cakes or my poke cake recipes archive.
I decided since I like you guys so much that I WILL share this Mudslide Poke Cake with you. It starts with a rich chocolate cake and then it’s soaked in a spiked chocolate ganache and a boozy pudding. To finish it off, it’s topped with an alcohol infused mousse and more chocolate (as if there wasn’t enough already).
For the Mudslide Poke Cake, I baked and regular boxed chocolate cake mix, but I replaced the water with a strong brewed coffee. Replacing the water for coffee does nothing but add awesomeness to your cake. They say that the coffee actually enhances the chocolate flavor. You can’t taste the coffee in the cake, so don’t be afraid of this substitution!
This cake uses both Bailey’s Irish Cream and also Kahlua. If you don’t have both on hand, you could technically use one or the other. The Bailey’s is used in the chocolate ganache and the Kahlua is used for the boozy pudding filling. For the mousse, I’ve given you the option to use either of the liquors, or better yet, you can use a little bit of each one! Hint hint.
You will notice that the mousse stays a little bit softer, don’t worry, you didn’t do anything wrong. It just happens when you use the alcohol in the pudding.
If you’re looking for an alcohol free poke cake, don’t worry, there are plenty of those too.
Mudslide Poke Cake
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
- Yield: 12-15 slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Mudslide Poke Cake is a dark chocolate cake soaked in a spiked chocolate ganache and a boozy chocolate pudding with a chocolate mousse topping. It’s rich, chocolatey, and delicious!
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 box (15oz) chocolate cake mix
- Ingredients on the box: oil, eggs and replace the water with a strong brewed coffee
- 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 tablespoon Bailey’s Irish liquor.
- 1 pkg instant chocolate pudding (3.4 0z)
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 1/2 cup Kahlua
For the Mousse:
- 1 pkg (3.4 0z) instant chocolate pudding
- 1½ cups milk
- 1/4 cup Kahlua or Bailey’s
- 1 Container Cool Whip
- Mini chocolate chips (optional)
- Hot fudge sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the cake mix, oil, egg,s and coffee and mix until the cake batter is well combined. Pour the batter into a 9″x13” pan
- Bake the cake according to the instruction on the box. Allow to cool for 20 minutes.
- Take the end of a wooden spoon or another round object and poke holes all over the top of your cake.
- While your cake is cooling, prepare your ganache. In a heat-proof bowl, combine the chocolate chips and heavy cream. Microwave in 30-second increments, occasionally stirring until the chocolate is melted.
- Whisk in 2 tablespoons of Bailey’s Irish Cream. Drizzle the ganache over the top of the cake.
- In a separate bowl, combine the instant chocolate pudding, milk, and Kahlua together. Whisk until the powder is dissolved. Before the pudding sets, while it is still pourable, pour the pudding over top of the cake and spread with a spatula if necessary.
- Allow the pudding and cake to set in the fridge for at least an hour and the cake is completely cooled. In the meantime, you can prepare your mousse
- For the mousse: In a medium-sized bowl, combine the chocolate pudding mix with the milk and liquor of your choice. Whisk together until combined. Place the pudding in the fridge until it is completely set, 10-15 minutes.
- Once the pudding is set, fold in the Cool Whip and stir until well combined. Spread the mousse over the cooled cake and return to the refrigerator for at least one hour, the longer the better.
- Garnish the cake with mini chocolate chips and drizzle it with hot fudge sauce
Notes
If you don’t have both Baileys and Kahlua, then just use one or the other
looks so good i will make it for a birthday coming up
I bought Kahlua mudslide, is this ok to use in the cake?
I think so? I have not tried it myself.
I’m not a coffee drinker and have no coffee in my house. What would you suggest I use in its place?
Milk the the best alternative
WOW, this looks fantastic! I was just wondering though, how long is a house in a refrigerator? I don’t want to make a mistake!
Hi Bryan, I don’t understand your question, can you please clarify?
Is there anything I can substitute for the Bailey’s and Kahlula?
Hi Dianne- At that point it would just be a chocolate cake- I recommend making my Triple Chocolate Poke Cake
Can you make without liquor ? I don’t have any . Thanks
If you’re not using liquor, then I’d recommend my triple chocolate poke cake instead, which you can make using a cake mix or the from-scratch recipe
can this recipe be frozen? I was going to make it in two round tins, and freeze them when completed.
I definetly have to make this cake! Looks Delish-Thanks!
Can you use home made whipped cream instead of cool whip?
Absolutely. I find that 1 1/2 C of Heavy whipping cream with about 3/4 C powdered sugar is equivalent to 16oz of Cool Whip
Hi Linda,
I would like to make this cake then cut into a horse shape while on the serving platter (single layer). Will it hold up or crack up due to pokes?
Hi Ann, I would not recommend cutting this into a horse shape in fear that it would fall apart.
This Mud Slide Poke Cake looks like the bomb and I can’t wait to make it. Thanks for sharing it!! Do you use an 8 oz or 12 oz Cool Whip?
Hi Linda- You should you an 8oz Cool Whip!
Thank you so much for the great Mudslide Poke Cake! This will surely be a new favorite at Church Socials, Special Dinners & other Parties & Get Togethers. I’m always looking for a New Recipe & I can’t wait to make this one!
Is it possible to do a version of this in round tins? I was planning on making the cake in the round pans cooling and removing from the pan and moving to a cookie sheet then doing e poke step.. After refrigerating moving one to a serving plater with a spatula frosting then the next and continue frosting. I’m making it for a birthday so I wanted a pretty to layer cake. Is the cake going to just break up when I try to move it?
Hi Katey- thanks for stopping by. If you were going to try and do a round version of this cake, I have a few suggestions! If you soak the cake and then try to move it, I think it is going to be very tough to hold it together. What I would suggest doing is building your layer cake with a Baily’s Irish Cream Whipped Cream (see my “Mocha Irish Cream Cupcakes for Two Post”) And then doing a Baily’s ganache drizzle over the top. I think that you probably will have trouble using the pudding in a layer cake, even with a stuff buttercream, I don’t think the pudding would hold up in the middle. Good luck and if you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to ask!
I wish I had a slice of this right now with my morning coffee! Looks so amazing and EASY. (Best part, lol!) Thank you for sharing at Marvelous Mondays this week! 🙂
Thanks Carrie! I am happy to be a part of it!
Oh how I wish I had seen this last week!! Such a delicious variation on the traditional poke cake!!
Thank you! I think it’s pretty fun!
This cake is making me so happy right now. It looks beyond delish!
Thanks Lady. I love a good poke cake!
AMAZING! Looks and sounds out-of-this-world!
You are too kind!
O…M…G Minnie Christmas those look fantastic! I am having quite a craving all of a sudden. At first I read that the coffee gave the cake more “awareness”. I thought, “oh, that must be baker’s lingo”, hahahaha
Hahahha oh Debbie!