Chocolate Poke Cake is for the ultimate chocolate lover! This cake is incredibly easy, starts with a cake mix, and is covered in a chocolate ganache that fills up holes poked in the cake, and then covered in creamy chocolate frosting! Crazy moist and super fudgy this is the perfect cake recipe for any occasion!
Looking for a homemade chocolate cake recipe? Try my Perfect Chocolate Cake!
Why You’ll Love Chocolate Poke Cake
If you’re looking for the MOST chocolatey, MOST fudgy, MOST moist cake recipe ever you’re in the right place today. I mean look at that picture…can you even?
- Easy To Make! This cake recipe is so easy to make and incredibly impressive. Serve it with a scoop of ice cream on the side for an extra special dessert. Plus, it all starts with a cake mix that you amp up with a silky chocolate ganache that melts right into the cake and creamy chocolate frosting.
- For the Chocolate Lover! This is a chocolate cake, topped with a fudge ganache that sinks right into the holes that get poked all over the cake and it’s topped with chocolate frosting!
- Perfect For A Crowd! This is the perfect cake to make for a party! Everyone loves chocolate cake and this can be made ahead of time. It’s super moist and a will feed a crowd!
What Is A Poke Cake?
A poke cake is a sheet-style cake baked in a 9×13 baking pan that you literally poke holes into after it’s baked. You use the end of a wooden spoon and evenly press it into the cake creating little wells.
In this cake you create an easy chocolate ganache that you pour all over the cake, and it pools in the holes you made with the wooden spoon creating an ultra moist cake. I top my poke cake off with creamy chocolate frosting, but you could also spread whipped cream on top if you’re looking to cut the sweetness a bit.
Can You Make Other Flavors Of Poke Cake?
The idea for this cake is simple, and you can easily swap out flavors! You could replace the chocolate cake with vanilla for a marbled style poke cake. Or use white chocolate in the ganache for a white chocolate version! So many possibilities!
Chocolate Poke Cake Starts With A Cake Mix!
Like I said, this cake starts with a cake mix that you bake according to the package directions in a 9 x 13 pan. You can use any brand of cake mix you like, or certainly you can use a from-scratch cake recipe too!
Ingredients
Make sure to scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full list of ingredients and step by step instructions.
- Cake Mix. You will need to use one box of chocolate cake mix and all the ingredients for that cake mix that it calls for on the box (eggs, oil, water). It doesn’t matter the brand, just follow the instructions included!
- Chocolate Chips. You will use chocolate chips along with sweetened condensed milk to create the rich ganache that you pour onto the cake! I also like to use mini chocolate chips on top of the frosting for decoration, and of course more chocolate flavor!
- Sweetened Condensed Milk. Like I stated above you will melt together the sweetened condensed milk with the chocolate chips to create the thick, but pourable fudge ganache that will fill the holes that you poke in the cake so every slice has a tunnel of extra chocolate!
- Chocolate Frosting. The frosting comes together easily with a combination of butter, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and milk.
How To Make A Poke Cake
- Bake the cake according to the package directions in a 9×13 pan.
- Allow the cake to cool completely.
- Using a wooden spoon poke holes evenly all over the cake.
- Make the easy chocolate ganache by melting the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk together. Pour this immediately onto the chocolate cake and into the holes you poked, as it will set up quickly.
- Make your chocolate frosting and spread that on top.
- Garnish with extra chocolate chips to make it pretty!
More Chocolate Cake Recipes
- Sunday Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Pound Cake
- Chocolate Pudding Cake
- Chocolate Layer Cake
- Lunch Lady Chocolate Cake
Chocolate Poke Cake
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: serves 12 1x
- Category: Cake
- Method: Oven/Stove Top
- Cuisine: Dessert
Description
Chocolate Poke Cake is an easy dessert recipe for serious chocolate lovers. A simple box chocolate cake made more delicious with an easy fudge ganache and chocolate frosting!
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1 (15.25- ounce) box chocolate cake mix, plus ingredients called for on the box (oil, water, eggs). Brands may vary.
- 1 (14- ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Frosting
- 3/4 cup butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons milk
- Optional garnish, mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.
- Prepare the cake according to package directions. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Place the pan on a wire rack and let it cool completely.
- Using the back of a wooden spoon poke holes evenly all over the cake, about halfway down into the cake. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan or microwave-safe bowl melt the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk together until smooth and no lumps remain.
- Pour the melted chocolate mixture evenly on top of the cake, making sure to get the melted chocolate into holes.
- Frosting: In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment mix the butter, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar until combined and smooth. Add in the milk, mixing on low to combine. Once combined, turn the mixer up to medium and mix for 1 minute until creamy, scraping sides of bowl as necessary.
- Spread the frosting evenly on top of the cake and garnish with chocolate chips if desired.
Notes
Store airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days.
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Hey Shelly!
Thanks for sharing your buttercream loaded and sugary delights. I am turning to be a great fan of yours. The cake recipe is so well explained that I am pretty confident about the ingredients and overall baking process.
Thanks
I made this yesterday for the super bowl and it was absolutely amazing!! Everything was super easy- not making the cake from scratch made a HUGE difference- and the chocolate frosting is incredible; I will be using the frosting recipe for other things in the future, for sure! The only thing was that I used a wooden skewer to poke the holes because in the past the end of a wooden spoon has made too big of holes for the cake. I will definitely use the wooden spoon next time, as the chocolate mixture is very thick, so after I poured it on I had to poke bigger holes in. The cake soaked it up after I made the holes bigger, and the cake was a huge hit in my family! Will definitely make again! 🙂
So glad you enjoyed this!!
Wow! This looks deliciously delicious! LOL I definitely want to try this. I also think it will be fun to poke holes in the cake. Haha! Doesn’t take much, to get me excited. Thanks so much for sharing. Can’t wait to try this.
Totally making this for the Super Bowl
Address and time please!