Triple Chocolate Poke Cake

Fellow bloggers have been sharing “Poke Cakes” for eons.  I jumped on the bandwagon with this Triple Chocolate Poke Cake and wowed my chocoholic family!

Chocolate Poke Cake

My first exposure to poke cakes was when my mom made a Jello version back in the 1970’s. A white box cake mix was baked in a 9 x 13-inch pan then holes were “poked” with the back of a wooden spoon and filled with liquid jello.

Refrigerated, then frosted with Cool Whip, it was a delicious change of pace from our lackluster bowls of vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce. It was a perfect dessert for 4 teenage girls. But as my palate matured, Cool Whip and boxed mixes didn’t cut it, so I searched out some less processed recipes.

By mixing and matching some recipes, I created this Triple Chocolate Poke Cake that drew raves from my family. In fact, on more than one occasion, the hubby commented that I should make this again as well as requesting it for his birthday cake next April!!!

Note: Making This Cake Will be Detrimental to Your Diet

You’ve been warned. My usual will power all but disappeared with this decadent creation in my kitchen. I took my favorite chocolate cake made with buttermilk and coffee and doctored it up. The chocolate poke cake filling options vary from boxed pudding to homemade pudding to the fudgy sauce which I used. Simply made by combining melted chocolate chips and a can of sweetened condensed milk, it was the perfect amount and consistency.

You can frost with your favorite icing, but I used the tried and true recipe on the box of Hershey’s cocoa. Being a food blogger, I had to cut a beautiful slice that showcased the fudgy filling. It took me practically the whole cake to get one decent slice. But it gave me many opportunities to trim and sample. From my first nibble, I knew the family would be thrilled. And I was right on the money. I highly recommend this cake for any of you true blue chocoholics!

You May Need:

• 13 by 9 by 2-1/4-Inch Baking Pan
• Pure Vanilla Extract

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Triple Chocolate Poke Cake

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★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

A triple chocolate delight with chocolate cake, chocolate filling, and chocolate frosting!

• Author: Liz Berg
• Yield: 24 servings

Ingredients

Cake::

• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup coffee, cooled
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Filling:

• 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk (1 can)
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Frosting:

• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), at room temperature
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup milk

Instructions

1. Spray 9 x 13-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350º.
3. In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and baking powder.
4. In a large pyrex measuring cup or medium mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, coffee, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla.
5. Add the liquids to the dry ingredients and beat for a couple minutes, scraping down the sides as needed. Pour cake batter into prepared pan and bake 30-40 minutes (mine took 35 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. When cake is almost done baking, in a microwave-safe bowl, microwave the sweetened condensed milk and chocolate chips for 1-2 minutes, stopping and stirring a couple times, until mixture is smooth and chocolate chips are melted.
7. When cake is done, let cool on a wire rack for about 5 minutes. Then take a wooden spoon and using the handle end, poke rows of holes across the cake. Pour warm filling mixture over the holes, nudging the filling as needed to fill the spaces. Cool to room temperature before frosting.
8. To make the frosting, beat together butter and cocoa. Add vanilla and mix well.Then alternate adding milk and powdered sugar till all is incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Frost cake.