Ultimate chocolate poke cake starts with a cake mix & is a chocolate lover’s dream! Moist chocolate cake poked & drizzled with syrup & chocolate chips with a lovely chocolate whipped cream topping.
You are going to fall in love with this chocolate poke cake recipe, I know we have! It’s such a fun and easy recipe to pull together and it only takes a little bit of prep work. The hardest part is waiting for the cake to chill in the fridge but if you can’t resist the temptation of a chocolate cake with cool whip, no one will blame you if you eat the cake while it’s still a tad warm.
What is poke cake?
Poke cake is something that we see a lot of here on this blog as it’s such an easy dessert to make and can be made in many different ways for different flavorful results. This cake is made in a large 9×13 baking dish and then literally poked after the cake has been baked and cooled. (Usually poked with the end of a wooden spoon). Then the cake is topped off with a thick chocolate syrup mixture to soak into the cake for added flavor and moisture and given a cool whip topping. Served up with chocolate sauce and chocolate chips every bite is packed with an overload of chocolate that is sure to satisfy any cravings.
Chocolate Poke Cake Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cake, You Will Need:
-Cake Mix: You will need a box of Devil’s Food Cake Mix (the 15.25-ounce box) prepared into the batter as directed by the box.
-Condensed Milk: One 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk will give us a great sweetness in every slice and add moisture to the cake.
-Chocolate Chips: We want to use 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips to add more rich chocolatey flavor throughout the cake.
For the Chocolate Whipped Cream Topping, You Will Need:
-Cool Whip: One 8-ounce tub of Cool Whip or other brand whipped topping will give us a light and airy topping for the cake.
-Cocoa powder: To make our Cool Whip chocolate too, we need to use ¼ cup of sifted cocoa powder.
-Chocolate sauce: Buy or make your own chocolate sauce to drizzle over the top of the cake.
-Toppings: To give the cake a nice garnish, sprinkle the top with chocolate chips of chocolate shavings.
How to Make the Ultimate Chocolate Poke Cake
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, water, vegetable oil, and eggs as directed by the box. Mix thoroughly to combine.
Pour the batter into the baking dish and then bake for about 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean. Remove from the oven and a lot to cool for about 20 minutes.
Poke holes all over the cake so that it is well covered but that the cake isn’t so holey that it is shredding apart.
In a microwave-safe bowl combine the condensed milk and 1 cup chocolate chips. Microwave in 30-second intervals, whisking between each until smooth.
Pour the chocolate mixture over the top of the poked cake., aiming to get it into as many of the holes as you can. Top with ¼ cup chocolate chips.
Set the cake aside to cool. Allow the cake to chill in the fridge for about an hour until completely cooled.
To make the frosting, combine the Cool Whip and the cocoa powder until well mixed.
Spread it over the top of the cake.
Sprinkle remaining chocolate chips and chocolate shavings over the cake and drizzle with chocolate sauce. Let chill for another 2 hours in the fridge. Enjoy!
Chocolate Poke Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 15.25 oz Devil’s Food Chocolate Cake Mix plus ingredients listed on the box (eggs, oil, water)
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Chocolate Whipped Cream Topping
- 8 oz Cool Whip
- ¼ cup cocoa powder sifted
- ½ cup chocolate chips divided
- 3 TBSP chocolate sauce
- 3 TBSP chocolate shavings for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a 9×13 inch baking pan with a light coating of cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine cake mix, water, vegetable oil, and eggs. Mix until thoroughly combined.
- Pour batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for about 20 minutes.
- Poke holes all over the cake. I like to poke down to the bottom of the pan!
- Place the condensed milk and 1 cup chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, whisking until smooth and combined.
- Pour chocolate mixture over the cake, using a rubber scraper to fill the holes. Sprinkle with ¼ cup chocolate chips.
- Chill cake in the fridge for an hour.
- To make the frosting, whisk together Cool Whip with cocoa powder. Spread whipped topping on top of the cake.
- Top cake with remaining ¼ cup chocolate chips, chocolate shavings & drizzle with chocolate sauce. Let chill again for about 1 hour. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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How long is poke cake good for?
This poke cake can be well covered and kept stored in the fridge for about 2 days. The longer the cake sits, the wetter it becomes thanks to the moisture of the whipped topping. For that reason, I recommend enjoying this cake within 24 hours for the best tasting results.
Can I freeze poke cake?
Yes, you should be able to freeze your cake in a well-wrapped container (like a disposable baking pan). This will help to make it a fast dessert for any fun get-together or gathering. Once frozen, the cake can last about a month in the freezer. Just allow it to sit in the fridge for several hours before serving so that it’s soft enough to cut through.
More delicious poke cake recipes to try
- LEMON STRAWBERRY POKE CAKE
- PEANUT BUTTER POKE CAKE
- PEPPERMINT OREO POKE CAKE
- OREO POKE CAKE
- CARAMEL APPLE POKE CAKE
- COCOA PUFFS PUDDING POKE CAKE
- PEACHES AND CREAM POKE CAKE
- MINT CHOCOLATE POKE CAKE
- BOSTON CREAM PIE POKE CAKE
- FRUITY PEBBLES POKE CAKE
- STRAWBERRIES & CREAM POKE CAKE
- PINA COLADA POKE CAKE
- PUMPKIN POKE CAKE
- CHOCOLATE CARAMEL PEANUT BUTTER POKE CAKE
- CHRISTMAS JELLO POKE CAKE
You are going to love this chocolate poke cake recipe. It’s simply the best! Made with boxed cake mix and Cool Whip, it’s a simple dessert that’s perfect for any occasion.
Ultimate chocolate poke cake starts with a cake mix & is a chocolate lover’s dream! Moist chocolate cake poked & drizzled with syrup & chocolate chips with a lovely chocolate whipped cream topping.
jane says
this is chocolate goals! I love a good poke cake, but I never thought of making a chocolate one! This is a game changer!
Ashley F. says
This is so rich and decadent! We loved it! Was perfect for feeding our crowd!
Martin St.John says
There are two recipes here, one on top, and the second on a recipe card. On top,. the recipe says place the condensed milk and the chocolate chips, and on bottom the recipe says place the (bla bla) and 1/4 c of the chocolate chips. A 3/4 c difference!! I used ’em all. Now. That mixture did not begin to fill the holes. When I went to use a spatula to coax it into the holes, the top of the cake tore. Finally, in the topping section, you say “1/2 c of chocolate chips, divided.” Are we talking semi-sweet, like in the Chocolate Cake section or milk chocolate? Sorry, I’m a professional copy editor, these things bother me. Thank you for your excellent recipes.
Terry says
I confess to never having made a poke cake before 🤗, but I’d like to give this one a try, as I have several chocoholic friends. But, I have questions, of course.
(1) How deep do you make the holes? I DON’T want to encounter the same problem expressed by Martin St. John on September 8, 2021, when he apparently didn’t have enough to fill the holes.
(2) Under the Ingredients List for the Chocolate Whipped Cream Topping, you specify 1/2c chocolate chips – divided. Divided WHERE, please?
Thanks in advance!
Jessica says
I updated it so that it’s more clear! Chocolate overload but SO GOOD. If you have both regular sized chocolate chips and mini chocolate chips on hand, I like topping the cake with mini chips and melting down the regular sized chips. Hope that makes sense! You can serve it with fresh raspberries/ strawberries, etc. YUM.