Description

This Decadent Chocolate Poke Cake is a moist, rich chocolate cake pierced with holes and filled with creamy instant chocolate pudding, topped with fluffy whipped topping and garnished with chocolate shavings. It’s a perfect dessert for chocolate lovers, combining a tender crumb with luscious layers of pudding and whipped cream.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

1.5 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
0.75 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1.5 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients

2 large eggs
1 cup milk
0.5 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Pudding Filling

1 package instant chocolate pudding mix (3.4 oz size)
3 cups milk

Topping

1 container whipped topping (8 oz size, thawed)
0.5 cup chocolate shavings (for garnish)

Instructions

Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×13 inch baking pan to prevent sticking.
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.
Mix Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until smooth.
Combine Wet and Dry: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing gently until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the cake tender.
Add Boiling Water: Carefully stir in the boiling water. The batter will be thin, but this helps create a moist cake.
Pour and Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, spreading evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool Cake: Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then invert it onto a wire rack and allow it to cool completely.
Prepare Pudding: While the cake cools, whisk together the instant chocolate pudding mix and 3 cups of milk in a medium bowl until thickened and smooth.
Poke Holes: Once the cake is completely cool, use a fork or the handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes all over the top of the cake, ensuring even distribution for the pudding to seep into.
Fill Cake with Pudding: Pour the prepared chocolate pudding evenly over the top of the cake, allowing it to seep deeply into the holes.
Add Whipped Topping: Spread the thawed whipped topping evenly over the pudding layer to create a creamy finish.
Garnish and Chill: Sprinkle chocolate shavings over the whipped topping for decoration. Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours to set before serving.

Notes

Be sure the cake is completely cooled before poking holes and adding pudding to prevent melting and sogginess.
The boiling water makes the cake batter thin but is essential for a moist crumb.
For the best texture, do not overmix the batter once wet and dry ingredients are combined.
Refrigerate the cake after assembling so the pudding and whipped topping can set properly for easier slicing.
You can add a pinch of instant coffee powder to the batter to enhance the chocolate flavor if desired.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Category: Desserts
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: chocolate poke cake, chocolate cake, pudding cake, easy chocolate dessert, layered chocolate cake