Chocolate Poke Cake With Box Cake Mix

Chocolate Poke Cake is one of those desserts that looks like you spent hours in the kitchen, but your secret weapon is a box of Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix and a little bit of patience while it cools. A little decoration, and it looks like you are starting your own bakery.

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What My Aunt Lois Taught Me About Entertaining

My Aunt Lois always said, “If you have a box of cake mix and a pot of coffee, you have a party.” I have never forgotten that, and last month at our friends’ card party, I proved her right.

I had promised all the ladies I would make a lemon dessert. But I knew the men would be disappointed if there was nothing chocolate on the table. So I decided to make this rich chocolate poke cake with a light, fluffy chocolate whipped cream frosting and a fancy chocolate drizzle on top to dress it up.

All night long, we kept laughing about how the cake did not quite taste like lemon. Maybe next time I will make that lemon dessert. Maybe.

What I did not expect was how many compliments that cake got all night long. Everyone kept telling me how beautiful it looked and how light and fluffy it was. That surprised a few people because chocolate cake can sometimes be so dense and heavy, like some of the cakes you get from local bakeries that sit like a brick on your plate.

This one was nothing like that. It was rich in flavor but light as a cloud, and I know that homemade chocolate whipped cream frosting made all the difference. The light olive oil made the cake so soft.

This is the kind of cake you bring to a card party and come home with an empty pan and a whole lot of recipe requests.

Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Poke Cake

• The recipe uses a box cake mix, so prep time and ingredients are minimal.
• The chocolate pudding filling makes every bite incredibly moist.
• Topped with a homemade chocolate whipped cream frosting is light and not overly sweet.
• Feeds a crowd right from the 13×9 pan.
• Make it ahead, and it only gets better as it sits in the fridge.

Ingredients

For the Cake:

• 1 box Duncan Hines Perfectly Moist Dark Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix
• 1 cup water
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup light olive oil

For the Pudding Layer:

• 1 box sugar free Jello Instant Chocolate Pudding (Note: You can swap the pudding layer for warmed hot fudge if you want an extra rich, fudgy version.)
• 2 cups cold milk

Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting:

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup Special Dark chocolate cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or vanilla extract

Decorations:

• Chocolate syrup
• White chocolate syrup
• Dark chocolate shavings

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Equipment

• 13×9 baking pan
• Stand mixer or hand mixer
• Large mixing bowls
• Wooden spoon with a round handle (for poking the holes)
• Metal mixer bowl (placed in the freezer while the cake bakes)

Tips Before You Start

• Chill your bowl early. As soon as the cake goes in the oven, put your metal mixer bowl in the freezer. Cold equipment makes whipped cream come together much faster and hold its shape longer.
• Do not skip the cooling step. The pudding needs the cake to be completely cool before you frost it. A warm cake will deflate your whipped cream.
• Use cold milk for the pudding. Warm milk will prevent the pudding from setting up the way you need it to.

How to Make Chocolate Poke Cake

1. Bake the chocolate cake. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In your stand mixer or with a hand mixer, combine the cake mix, water, eggs, and light olive oil until well blended. Pour into a greased 13×9 baking pan and bake for 24 to 25 minutes. Test with a toothpick in the center and when it comes out clean, remove the cake from the oven. Pro tip: Start checking at 22 minutes since every oven runs a little differently.
2. Make the pudding. While the cake bakes. In a medium bowl, whisk together the instant chocolate pudding mix and cold milk until smooth and well combined. Set it in the refrigerator while you wait for the cake to come out of the oven.
3. Poke the holes. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, use the round end of a wooden spoon to poke holes all over the top of the cake, about 20 holes or so. You want them deep enough for the pudding to sink in. Pro tip: Poke the holes while the cake is still hot so the pudding flows down easily.
4. Pour the pudding over the cake. Spread and pour the pudding mixture evenly over the top of the warm cake. Give the pan a gentle tap on the counter to help the pudding settle down into the holes. Pro tip: Do not worry if the pudding layer looks too thick at first. It will melt into the cake as it cools and become part of the cake itself.
5. Cool completely. Allow the cake to cool to room temperature on the counter. This step is important and cannot be rushed. The pudding will continue to sink into the cake as it cools.
6. Make the chocolate whipped cream frosting. Remove your cold metal bowl from the freezer. Add the heavy whipping cream, Special Dark cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and vanilla paste. Start mixing on low speed and then increase to medium. Whip until the cream reaches a soft peak. Pro tip: Do not overwhip or it will become grainy. Soft peaks give you that beautiful creamy texture that spreads perfectly.
7. Frost the cake. Spread the chocolate whipped cream evenly over the top of the cooled pudding layer.
8. Decorate and serve. Drizzle chocolate syrup and white chocolate syrup over the top. Finish with dark chocolate shavings for a beautiful presentation.
9. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Cover the cake and keep it in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. This also helps the whipped cream frosting hold its shape beautifully.

Variations

• Hot fudge filling: Swap the instant pudding for warmed hot fudge sauce poured directly into the holes for a richer, denser filling.
• Devil’s Food version: Use a Devil’s Food Chocolate cake mix in place of the Dark Chocolate Fudge mix. The flavor is slightly different but equally delicious.
• Regular cocoa powder: If you do not have Special Dark cocoa powder on hand, regular unsweetened cocoa powder works fine in the whipped cream frosting.
• Add a crunch: Top with crushed Oreos or chocolate chips along with the chocolate shavings for extra texture.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

More Delicious Cake You Will Want To Make

• Lemon Poke Cake – with Lemon Curd Filling
• Angel Food Cake with Layers of Strawberries

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