Chocolate Poke Brownies
Chocolate Poke Brownies: A simple technique allows the ganache to seep INTO the brownies!!! An ultra-decadent brownie is the result!
These Frosted Brownies kick up a typical brownie a few notches. With frosting covering the top and in little pockets throughout, you’ll be thrilled with your first bite.
Why You Must Make
Do you remember those poke cakes that originated in the ’70s? Usually, a boxed cake mix baked in a 9 x 13, then poked with the end of a wooden spoon after baked and topped with jello. If you were lucky, yours would be iced with Cool-Whip. Well, these chocolate poke cake brownies are a heck of a lot better!
- Chocolate Poke Brownies easily trump those outdated poke cakes as they’re made completely from scratch.
- These brownies are chocolate nirvana to be precise. And as my friends commented, a magical cross between brownies and fudge.
- They’re a tasty change of pace from whatever is your go-to brownie recipe.
How to Make
- Bake this basic, but delicious brownie recipe.
- Almost immediately after the pan comes out of the oven, poke holes across the surface with the handle end of a wooden spoon.
- Then, pour the luscious ganache topping over the top, allowing it to seep deep into the brownie, creating a totally fudgy dessert.
- Let cool, slice, then dig in!!
My girlfriends swooned, as did my family. Bill has been trying to limit his sweets to keep his trim, post-surgical physique, but he looked a bit forlorn when I sent the majority of leftovers home with Tom after he stopped by for dinner one night. These are sure to please the chocoholics in your life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use the recipe as a guide, but all ovens bake differently so realize yours might be done sooner or take longer than the suggested time.
When brownies are done, they’ll pull away from the sides of the pan and if you check the middle with a toothpick, there should be no batter, just a few moist crumbs.
Brownies taste best when they’re served at room temperature, but I like chilling them to make cleaner slices. A hot dry knife will cut smoothly through the cold brownies. Make sure to wipe off the knife and reheat it (use very hot water) before making another cut.
It’s also common knowledge that a plastic knife is wonderful for cutting brownies. This is a popular Brownie Knife. (affiliate link)vvvv
Poke Cakes are desserts infused with something liquid, creamy or custardy by way of holes poked across the surface of a cake. The holes can be small or large depending on what is used to make them. This type of cake gained popularity in the 1970s.
A fork is often used to poke numerous small holes across the surface when making a jello poke cake. This brownie recipe and other poke cakes using a thicker, creamier liquids need larger holes. This is when the handle of a wooden spoon works perfectly.
You May Also Like
- Chocolate Kahlua Poke Cake
- Boston Cream Pie Poke Cake
- Margarita Poke Cake
- You’ll also love this Triple Layer Chocolate Cake and all my Brownie Recipes.
Chocolate Poke Brownies
The ganache seeps INTO the brownies! for an extra decadent treat!!
Ingredients
Brownies:
- 3/4 cup butter
- 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup flour, sifted
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Fudgy Topping:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 6 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 pound powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º. Line a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with nonstick foil or greased foil.
- Put 1 1/2 sticks of butter and the chocolate in a large microwave safe bowl and microwave on high power for 1 minute, stop, stir and repeat at 30 second increments till the chocolate is melted.
- Add sugar and whisk until smooth.
- Add an egg plus 1/4 cup of the flour and whisk to combine. Add another egg and whisk to combine. Alternate adding the remaining flour and egg, whisking well after each addition.
- Stir in the vanilla and mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake about 25-30 minutes (brownies will have risen and toothpick inserted into center will come out clean).
- Make topping while brownies are baking. Combine the butter, cocoa powder, and cream in a saucepan and heat until the butter melts and the mixture just comes to a boil.
- Remove from the heat and whisk until smooth. Put the sifted powdered sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Add the chocolate mixture and vanilla extract to the powdered sugar and whisk until smooth.
- Remove the brownies from the oven. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes into the brownies every 1 to 2 inches.
- While it is still warm, pour the Fudgy Topping over the brownies and smooth it with an offset spatula.
- Let cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before serving.
Notes
I use Ghiardelli unsweetened chocolate bars which can be found in most grocery store chains.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1 brownieAmount Per Serving: Calories: 236Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 57mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 1gSugar: 31gProtein: 2g
Thatskinnychickcanbake.com occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although thatskinnychickcanbake.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe. Also, many recipes on thatskinnychickcanbake.com recommend toppings, which may or may not be listed as optional and nutritional information for these added toppings is not listed. Other factors may change the nutritional information such as when the salt amount is listed “to taste,” it is not calculated into the recipe as the amount will vary. Also, different online calculators can provide different results. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information obtained is accurate.
50 Comments on “Chocolate Poke Brownies”
I forgot to poke holes! I poured on the condensed milk … now what?
Hi, Nattycake! Did you mean condensed milk or the fudge topping? There’s no condensed milk in this recipe. If you meant the topping, I guess at this point, I’d just leave it as a frosting/glaze. They still should be yummy!!!
Mmm, brownies. Better than cake (and I LOVE cake). This is such a fun recipe — thanks.
This was a really huge hit with my kids! They enjoyed it!
Poke cakes weren’t a thing in my childhood, but I love the idea of this kind of dessert. But you’ve totally elevated it to a different level with these brownies! They look irresistibly rich and, well, fudgy!
You can actually see those little pockets of goodness in your photos. The wooden spoon “poke” idea is genius. Excellent brownie recipe, Liz! Thanks!
I was probably around 14 when I made my first poke cake, it was chocolate. My Mom and I used a wooden spoon just as you do for these gorgeous brownies. We put pudding on top, it was so good. Brownies sound even more delicious, will definitely give these a go.
Wow, wow, wow! Talk about death by chocolate… But what a sweet way to go:@)
Lizzy,
Great choice in brownies. There’s no such thing as too much chocolate. The only thing I make that’s in any way similar to poke cake is Rum Baba.
Annamaria
That ganache sends me straight to swoon town!