This moist Chocolate Poke Cake (aka Death By Chocolate Cake) is easily made using a box cake mix as the base, then filled with rich chocolatey filling and topped off with homemade whipped topping.
Quick & Easy Chocolate Poke Cake
Poke cakes are so easy to make, and they are insanely delicious. They are bursting with gooey filling that keeps the cake nice and moist, and gives each bite loads of flavor. This Death By Chocolate poke cake is no exception with it’s base of chocolate cake and filling made from melted Hershey’s chocolate and sweet condensed milk.
This cake is topped off with homemade chocolate whipped topping and drizzled with, you guessed it, more chocolate and chocolate chips! It’s a quick and easy dessert that is perfect for a gathering or birthday party. It’s a dessert that everyone loves and it can feed a large group. This delicious chocolatey treat is about to be a big hit!
What is a Poke Cake?
Poke cakes, as the name suggests, are cakes that have holes poked in them. The holes are poked right after baking and then they are filled with filling, usually liquid-like pudding or jello. In this case, the filling is made of sweet condensed milk and melted chocolate (our secret ingredient for making it super moist). This poke cake technique creates a cake where every bite is oozing with a delicious flavor.
Why We Love This Chocolate Pudding Poke Cake
- Easily made using a box cake mix
- Simple homemade filling and frosting
- Quick prep time
- Chocolate lovers dessert
- Perfect for gatherings and potlucks
- Can be made ahead and stored in the fridge until serving
- Moist cake with filling in every bite
- Versatile recipe that can be made in different flavors and variations
Ingredients/Shopping List
- Betty Crocker Devil’s Food Chocolate Cake Mix (plus ingredients listed on box)
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Hershey’s milk chocolate bars
- Heavy whipped cream
- Powdered sugar
- Cocoa powder
- Vanilla
- Mini chocolate chips
- Hershey’s chocolate syrup
SEE FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD BELOW
How to Make Our Death By Chocolate Poke Cake
The prep for this poke cake couldn’t be easier. Using a box cake mix as the base makes the assembly quick, as it takes just 45 minutes. Then, leave it to chill in the fridge before topping with whipped icing and you’re ready to serve!
Melt together sweetened condensed milk and chocolate bars in the microwave.
Make chocolate cake following instructions on the box. After baking, poke holes all over the cake.
Pro-Tip: Using the back of a wooden spoon works great for making your holes!
Pour mixture over the holes in your cake and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Pro-Tip: Letting your cake chill with the condensed milk in it will really give it time to soak into the baked cake. You can let it chill for more than 2 hours if you’d like.
Thicken whipping cream in a chilled mixing bowl using a hand mixer on high speed. Add powdered sugar, cocoa, and vanilla and continue to mix. Spread frosting mixture over the top of your chilled cake.
Pro-Tip: It is important not to over mix your whipped cream topping. Using a frozen bowl with chilled heavy whipping cream will help it form stiff peaks when mixing.
Drizzle chocolate syrup and sprinkle mini chocolate chips on top of the cake.
Pro-Tip: If the frosting mixture is left on the counter while serving the cake it will begin to break down. Be sure to keep it in the fridge in between servings to avoid this!
Variations / Options / Add-ins
- CAKE MIX: Any type of cake mix can be used for this recipe. I like the Betty Crocker brand, and Devil’s Food is so rich and delicious. You can use any brand you prefer and any flavor. If you don’t like your cake as rich, you could just use a regular chocolate cake mix. You can also use a homemade cake recipe if you prefer!
- TOPPINGS/GARNISH: You can garnish your cake with any toppings you like. Try adding caramel drizzle or drizzling with some condensed milk. You can also use candy toppings in place of the mini chocolate chips. This will add a new and exciting flavor to your cake. Some good options would be Heath bars, Reese’s, m&m’s, or Butterfingers.
How to Store Your Poke Cake
Be sure to store your leftover cake in the fridge as well as in between servings. It is ok to let it sit out for a little bit of time while serving, but the chocolate whipped topping will start to break down and melt if it’s left on the counter for too long. It is the same consistency as a store-bought whipped cream and melts just the same.
Other Easy Poke Cake Recipes
Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake | Jello Poke Cake {Use ANY Flavor!} | Red Velvet Poke Cake | Butterfinger Poke Cake | Better Than Sex Cake | Eggnog Poke Cake | Cookies and Cream Poke Cake
Death By Chocolate Poke Cake
Video
Ingredients
- 1 15.25 oz box Betty Crocker Devil's Food Chocolate Cake Mix
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup oil
- ½ cup water
- 1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 1.55 ounce milk chocolate Hershey bars broken into rectangles
Chocolate Whipped Cream
- 2 cups heavy whipped cream chilled
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla
Cake Toppings
- Mini Chocolate Chips
- Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine chocolate cake mix, eggs, oil, and water. Stir to combine. Follow directions on the back of the Cake Mix Box and cook accordingly in a greased 9×13 cake pan.
- When the cake is done baking, remove it from the oven and immediately poke holes all over the top of the cake with the end of a mixing spoon. Set aside.
- In a separate medium bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk and two Hershey Chocolate Bars. Microwave for 30 seconds, remove from the microwave and stir. Microwave for an additional 15 seconds. Remove from the microwave and stir again. Mix with a spoon until completely combined.
- Pour sweetened mixture over the top of the holes on the cake. Use a rubber spatula to push sweetened mixture down into the holes and the sides of the cake. Let cool on the counter for one hour, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours to allow sweetened mixture time to soak into the cake.
- While the cake is in the refrigerator, place a large mixing bowl in the freezer and allow to chill until ready to use for the Chocolate Whipped Cream topping.
- In the large mixing bowl that has been in the freezer, add 2 cups of chilled heavy whipping cream. Use a hand mixer on a fast speed to mix until it starts to thicken.
- Add powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract. Continue to mix with the hand mixer until incorporated and stiff peaks form.
- Immediately spread the chocolate whipped topping over the entire top of the cake.
- Drizzle chocolate syrup and sprinkle mini chocolate chips on the top of the cake.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Jenn’s Notes
- Letting your cake chill with the condensed milk in it will really give it time to soak into the baked cake. You can let it chill for more than 2 hours if you’d like.
- It is important not to over mix your whipped cream topping. Using a frozen bowl with chilled heavy whipping cream will help it form stiff peaks when mixing.
- If the frosting mixture is left on the counter while serving the cake it will begin to break down. Be sure to keep it in the fridge in between servings to avoid this!
Looks amazing
p your food and cakes look so yummy I’m making the chocolate poke cake tomorrow
Hope you enjoy it!
It has Cool Whip in the picture but it’snot listed in thr recipe, What’s it for?
That’s a mistake, it should actually be heavy whipping cream.
Can I use just egg whites on this cake .. my son has to limit the toll in the eggs due to radiation treatment for cancer. I didn’t want to take everything away from him .. sweets once in a while
I haven’t tried that variation to advise.
can you use coolwhip instead of whipped cream
yes, you can.
What’s the Cool Whip for?
If you are talking about the photo on facebook, that should actually be heavy whipping cream…. not cool whip.
Made this last week, did not last long! Will make it again and again.
Love these poke cakes. Made the cinnamon one. Was a huge hit. Next going to make the butterfinger
What is .067 cup of cocoa powder? Seriously!!!
Not exactly sure where you are seeing that, Mary? The recipe card shows 1/3 cup.