This festive Peppermint Poke Cake is everything you need in a holiday dessert. It’s made up of a peppermint red velvet cake soaked in a white chocolate peppermint pudding and a homemade hot chocolate whipped cream topping!
Need more Christmas dessert ideas? Try these mini peppermint cheesecake or this Chocolate Peppermint Cake.
Easy Red Velvet Poke Cake
This easy poke cake makes for one of the best Christmas desserts. It’s a perfect recipe to prepare ahead of time to alleviate any last-minute stress, it’s absolutely delicious and it has all your favorite holiday flavors.
It’s a red velvet cake with a touch of peppermint flavor that’s filled with white chocolate peppermint pudding and topped with homemade hot chocolate whipped cream. Finish it off with some hot fudge sauce and some Andes Peppermint Crunch and you’ve got the most delicious, festive dessert!
The peppermint flavor is noticeable but subtle, and when paired with the fresh pudding and sweet whipped cream, it all just goes together so nicely. This is made with a cake mix, but if you prefer a from-scratch red velvet cake, you can use my cupcake recipe and add the peppermint extract. Just be sure to double the recipe for the cake.
Do you love poke cakes? Check out more of my irresistible poke cake recipes!
What You’ll Need
For the Cake
- Red Velvet Cake Mix – you can use boxed red velvet cake mix for easy prep
- Ingredients on the Box – you’ll just need eggs, oil, and water to make the cake mix into a cake.
- Peppermint Extract – an optional addition to the cake, but I like to add a couple of drops to give the dessert more peppermint flavor.
For the Filling
- Instant Pudding Mix – I use Hershey’s white chocolate instant pudding mix but vanilla would work as well.
- Milk
- Peppermint Extract – start with less and add more to taste. A little bit goes a long way!
For the Whipped Cream
- Heavy Whipping Cream
- Hot Chocolate Mix
- Hot Fudge Sauce and Andes Peppermint Crunch – for garnish. Optional, but definitely recommended!
How to Make Peppermint Hot Chocolate Poke Cake
For the Cake
- Prepare the cake mix. Follow the instructions on the box to combine the cake mix with eggs, vegetable oil, water, and peppermint extract. Beat on medium speed until well combined.
- Bake the cake. Transfer the cake batter to a 9×13-inch baking dish and bake at 350ºF for 18-22 minutes, then allow to cool.
For the Filling
- Poke the cake. Use the end of a wooden spoon or something similar to poke holes all over the top of the baked cake.
- Add the filling. Mix the instant pudding with milk and peppermint extract. Before the pudding sets, pour the mixture over the top of the cake, then place the cake in the fridge for about 15 minutes so the pudding can set.
For the Whipped Cream
For the topping, I used my favorite hot chocolate whipped cream, which is thick creamy, not too sweet, and more like a mousse than whipped cream!
- Chill the bowl. Place your mixing bowl and a whisk attachment in the freezer for 5-10 minutes.
- Make the whipped cream. In the cold mixing bowl, beat the heavy cream on medium speed until soft peaks form. Add the hot chocolate mix, increase the speed to medium-high, then beat until stiff peaks form.
- Top the cake. Spread the whipped cream over the top of the cake, then garnish with hot fudge drizzle and crushed Andes Peppermint Crunch.
Don’t Miss These Tips
- Use a wooden spoon. I use the handle end of a wooden spoon to poke holes in the cake, so the holes are just the right size for the filling to soak in.
- Go easy on the peppermint. A little bit goes a long way here, so add to taste by starting with half of the amount called for and adding more as needed.
- Don’t skip the garnish. The hot fudge sauce and Andes Peppermint Crunch are optional but highly recommended.
Can Poke Cake Be Made in Advance?
Absolutely! Poke cakes get even better as they sit, so they are perfect for making ahead of time. The cake can be baked up to two days in advance and stored at room temperature. Once the filling and toppings are added, the cake can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
How to Store Finished Poke Cake
A finished poke cake will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. It does need to be stored in the refrigerator because of the filling and topping.
Peppermint Hot Chocolate Poke Cake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 15 slices
- Category: Cake
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This festive Peppermint Hot Chocolate Poke Cake is everything you need in a holiday dessert. It’s made up of a peppermint red velvet cake soaked in a white chocolate peppermint pudding and a homemade hot chocolate whipped cream topping!
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 box (15oz) red velvet cake mix
- Ingredients on the box: eggs, oil, water
- ½ teaspoons peppermint extract (optional)
For the filling:
- 1 box (3.4oz) Hersey’s white chocolate (or vanilla) instant pudding mix
- 1¾ cup milk
- 1/8 – ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
For the whipped cream:
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup powdered hot chocolate mix (about 6 sleeves of instant hot chocolate)
- Additional hot fudge sauce for drizzling
- Andes Peppermint Crunch for garnish
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Prepare the cake according to the instructions on the box, combining the cake mix with eggs, vegetable oil, water and peppermint extract. Beat on medium speed until well combined.
- Bake the cake in 9×13” 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 to cool for 10 minutes.
For the filling:
- While the cake has cooled, take the end of a wooden spoon or another round object and poke holes all over the top of your cake.
- Prepare the pudding layer by mixing the pudding with the milk, and peppermint extract. Before the pudding sets, pour it over the top of the cake and put the cake in the fridge to let the pudding set, about 15 minutes.
For the whipped cream:
- Put the bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 5-10 minutes to get them really cold. In the cold mixing bowl, beat the heavy cream on medium speed until soft peaks form. Add the hot chocolate mix and increase the speed to medium-high. Beat until stiff peaks form.
- Spread whipped cream over the top of cake. You can top the cake with a chocolate drizzle and some crushed Andres Peppermint Crunch.
Can I make ahead and freeze?
You can make the cake and freeze but I would thaw it and then add the filling and topping.
So delicious!! This whipped cream is to die for. I’ve used it with other recipes and always get major compliments
Thank you so much!
Could you use Cool Whip instead of whipped cream ?
For the topping? Yes but in that case I would just do plain Cool Whip and skip the hot chocolate
This was delicious and received many compliments at a Christmas party. I had to make some “11th hour substitutions” due to lack of planning on my part—but still a hit. We opted for plain chocolate cake over red velvet and couldn’t find the Andes peppermint crumbles so we crushed up regular Andes mints as a topping. Only used 4 packets of cocoa in the frosting as it seemed our brand was strong. I went to 4 different stores for peppermint extract but they were all sold out, so I used a single drop of peppermint essential oil in the cake batter and it was plenty! So strong I didn’t even add it to the pudding. All said, a great recipe and we’ll make it again! Yours is quite beautiful with the red velvet cake and candy cane colored toppings, I must say.
Hi Denise- wow what a whirlwind! I am glad you could make it work for you! Thanks for sharing!
Can you make in in the morning for that night
Yes absolutely
Hello Christmas dessert! This will be perfect for an after roast beast dinner! My son loves red velvet n chocolate mousse, well that’s Icing on the cske!! Lol THANKS SO MUCH, MERRY CHRISTMAS! !
This cake is perfect for the holidays! I love that whipped cream!
I love how colorful this dessert is! Everything about it looks incredible!
any of your cakes soaked in anything is worth every calories. Just the peace and stress relieving qualities are worth noting. yum.