This easy Hot Chocolate Poke Cake recipe fuses the flavors found in a cup of hot cocoa with the richness of a decadent chocolate cake. Poked and filled with marshmallow fluff, covered with chocolate fudge, and topped with chocolate whipped cream, mini marshmallows, and hot fudge sauce.
Hot Cocoa Poke Cake
Our Hot Chocolate Poke Cake is so easy to prepare using a simple cake mix shortcut, marshmallow fluff, chocolate fudge filling, and whipped chocolate topping piled on top.
Instead of sipping something warm this winter, serve your chocolate base as a baked slice; simply poke some holes, infuse them with pockets of marshmallow fluff, then layer it lasagna-style with chocolate fudge, whipped topping, and a drizzle of more melted chocolate.
This hot chocolate cake recipe is made to mimic the flavors of your favorite hot beverage but prepared in devil food poke cake form – serve it while sipping my Unicorn Hot Chocolate, Crockpot Hot Chocolate, or spiked as Boozy Hot Chocolate.
What Is A Poke Cake?
A poke cake is a freshly baked cake, either from a box or from scratch, poked with holes and filled with a liquid or creamy filling to infuse flavor. Other popular fillings include condensed milk, pureed fruit or preserves, pudding, chocolate cream, caramel or chocolate sauce, or jello.
Why We Love Hot Chocolate Poke Cake Recipes
- Quick and easy to make.
- Uses a handful of simple ingredients.
- Moist cake, creamy filling, fluffy topping, and rich chocolate flavor in every forkful.
- Fun way to turn a classic cup of cocoa into a marshmallow chocolate poke cake.
- Perfect for holiday parties, potlucks, or when you crave a mug of cocoa made as a hot chocolate mix cake.
Hot Chocolate Poke Cake Ingredients
- Devil’s Food cake mix (plus ingredients called for on the box: water, eggs, vegetable oil)
- Marshmallow fluff
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Heavy whipping Cream
- Instant hot chocolate mix
- Vanilla extract
- Mini marshmallows
- Hot fudge sauce
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions and Additions
- Choose Your Chips: You can substitute dark chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips for semi-sweet chocolate chips if you prefer a slightly different chocolate fudge filling flavor.
- Make With A Different Mix: Feel free to use your favorite chocolate cake mix for this hot cocoa cake recipe. Dark chocolate, devil’s food, double chocolate, or gluten-free mixes will all taste delicious. Or make your hot chocolate poke cake from scratch if you have a recipe you love.
- Decorate Your Dessert: Top your hot cocoa cake with almost anything you’d mix into your mug. Sprinkle on some mini marshmallows, marshmallow bits, mini chocolate chips, and chocolate shavings, spread on a homemade whipped cream, and add a drizzle of chocolate syrup or hot fudge.
How to Make Hot Chocolate Poke Cake
- Bake The Cake: Mix together the cake mix, water, eggs and oil and pour into the baking pan (Image 1). Bake according to the directions on the box and cool for 20 minutes.
- Poke: Poke large holes all over the baked cake. (Image 2)
Pro Tip: Poke the holes about an inch apart and 2/3 deep (not all the way to the bottom). - Pipe: Microwave the marshmallow fluff and water in 20-second bursts, stirring each time, until melted. Pipe the fluff filling it into the holes and spread the remaining marshmallow on top. Place in the fridge to chill.
- Form The Fudge Filling: Microwave the chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk and cream in 20-second bursts, stirring in between, until melted. Spread over the cake, and chill until the chocolate is cooled completely. (Image 3)
- Make The Whipped Topping: Beat together the cream, hot chocolate mix, and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Spread over the chilled cake.
- Serve: Garnish with mini Marshmallows (Image 4)and hot chocolate sauce. Serve and enjoy!
Tips For Making The Best Hot Chocolate Poke Cake
- You will know your cake is done baking when a toothpick inserted comes away clean and the top bounces back when gently tapped. Every oven cooks differently, so begin checking the cake at the 22 to 23-minute mark.
- When poking the holes into the warm cake, be sure that you poke many large holes all over the cake. You don’t necessarily want to poke all the way to the bottom of the cake, but you do want big, deep holes so that the melted marshmallow mixture has plenty of areas to seep into the cake.
- To poke holes, I recommend using a large round wooden spoon handle or other similar-sized object so that the holes are fairly big and the marshmallow has plenty of room to be piped in between.
- If you don’t have a piping bag, use a plastic bag with the corner snipped off.
How to Store Hot Chocolate Poke Cake
- To Store: This poke cake can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- To Freeze: I do not recommend freezing this cake as the marshmallow filling does not freeze and thaw well.
More Easy Poke Cake Recipes
More Easy Poke Cake Recipes
- Chocolate Mint Poke Cake
- Fireball Poke Cake
- Strawberry Crunch Poke Cake
- Rainbow Poke Cake
- Strawberry Shortcake Poke Cake
If you tried this Hot Chocolate Poke Cake Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!!!
Hot Chocolate Poke Cake
Serves — 12
Hot Chocolate Poke Cake turns your favorite cup of hot cocoa into a moist decadent dessert–no mug needed!
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Chill Time 3 hours
Total Time 4 hours
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1 box Devil’s Food Cake Mix
- 1 cup Water or amount on box directions
- 3 large Eggs or amount on box directions
- ½ cup vegetable Oil or amount on box directions
Marshmallow Filling
- 2½ cups marshmallow fluff
- 2 tablespoons water
Chocolate Fudge Filling
- 1¾ cups semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
- 14 oz (1 can) Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 3 tablespoons heavy whipping Cream
Whipped Chocolate Topping
- 2 cups heavy whipping Cream
- 2 envelopes instant Hot Chocolate Mix
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups mini-Marshmallows
- hot fudge sauce to drizzle (as desired)
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Mix the Devil’s Food Cake Mix, Water, Eggs and Oil together, and pour into a sprayed 9×13 baking pan. Bake according to the directions on the box. Allow to cool on a cooling rack for 20 minutes.1 box Devil’s Food Cake Mix, 1 cup Water, 3 large Eggs, ½ cup vegetable Oil
- Using the round handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes the cake, making the holes about an inch apart. Poke about 2/3 deep, not all the way to the bottom
Marshmallow Filling
- Place Marshmallow Fluff and Water in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring each time, until melted. It should take 2 to 3 minutes. Pour liquified fluff into a piping bag (or a plastic bag with the corner snipped off) and pipe it into the holes. Spread remaining fluff across top. Place in the fridge to chill.2½ cups marshmallow fluff, 2 tablespoons water
Chocolate Fudge Filling
- Place Chocolate Chips, Sweetened Condensed Milk and Cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring each time, until melted. It should take 2 to 3 minutes. Spread over the cake, and chill until the chocolate is cooled completely.1¾ cups semi-sweet Chocolate Chips, 14 oz (1 can) Sweetened Condensed Milk, 3 tablespoons heavy whipping Cream
Whipped Chocolate Topping
- Beat Cream, Hot Chocolate Mix and Vanilla with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Spread over the chilled cake. Garnish with mini-Marshmallows.2 cups heavy whipping Cream, 2 envelopes instant Hot Chocolate Mix, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 3 cups mini-Marshmallows
- Serve drizzled with melted Hot Fudge Sauce. Enjoy!hot fudge sauce
Jenn’s Notes
Storage:
- To Store: This poke cake can be stored in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to 3-4 days.
- To Freeze: I do not recommend freezing this cake as the marshmallow filling does not freeze and thaw well.
- You will know your cake is done baking when a toothpick inserted comes away clean and the top bounces back when gently tapped. Every oven cooks differently, so begin checking the cake at the 22 to 23-minute mark.
- When poking the holes into the warm cake, be sure that you poke many large holes all over the cake. You don’t necessarily want to poke all the way to the bottom of the cake, but you do want big, deep holes so that the melted marshmallow mixture has plenty of areas to seep into the cake.
- To poke holes, I recommend using a large round wooden spoon handle or other similar-sized object so that the holes are fairly big and the marshmallow has plenty of room to be piped in between.
- If you don’t have a piping bag, you can use a plastic bag with the corner snipped off.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 673kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 340mg | Potassium: 325mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 48g | Vitamin A: 712IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 4mg
