Chocolate Poke Cake From Scratch is one of the most amazing and moist cakes you’ll ever have!
A secret ingredient brings out the chocolatey goodness in the cake while adding a rich layer of homemade pudding keeps it extra moist! It’s all topped off with a simple one minute chocolate frosting!
A Tip For Enhanced Chocolate Flavor
This is one of the most amazing chocolate cakes of all time! My son calls this his favorite cake hands down!
Making a chocolate poke cake from scratch is easier than you think and it’s so worth the extra time!
If you love a great chocolatey flavor, I have a little secret to share with you! Adding just a little bit of coffee to the batter brings out the rich chocolate flavor (but don’t worry, you don’t taste a coffee flavor). This even works in place of water if you’re making a boxed mix!
Originally I made this cake for my son’s 18th birthday…but of course when you have a house full of teenage boys and a chocolate cake, getting photos is kind of challenging. *Sigh* … so I had to make the cake AGAIN, oh the hardships, more chocolate cake! And it was just as amazing!
Pourable Poke Cake Topping
The cake itself is decadent and moist with an amazing rich chocolate flavor…even without the pudding on top, it is excellent!!
The homemade pudding is super easy and quick and takes this cake to the next level! The whole thing is topped with my absolute favorite one minute easy chocolate frosting. This “poured frosting” is quick to make and requires not spreading, just pour over the cake and tilt to spread!
Items you’ll need for this recipe:
- 9 x 13 pan
- chocolate chips
- cocoa powder
After trying this Chocolate Poke Cake From Scratch, you may never want to use a boxed recipe again!
Chocolate Poke Cake From Scratch
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup brewed coffee cooled
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Pudding Layer
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 ¼ cups milk
- 1 tablespoon butter
Frosting
- ⅓ cup milk
- ⅓ cup butter softened
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease & flour a 9x13 inch pan.
- Combine milk & lemon juice and set aside. (The mixture will thicken slightly)
- Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda & baking powder in a large bowl.
- Add eggs, coffee, soured milk, oil and vanilla. Beat medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour into prepared pans. (Your batter may seem runny at this point but it will bake up beautifully.)
- Bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Be sure to check the cake at 30 minutes so it doesn't over cook.
Chocolate Pudding
- In a saucepan, combine sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch and salt, mix well. Add in cold milk, stir until combined.
- Turn heat to medium high stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil.
- Allow to boil for 1 minute while stirring, remove from heat and stir in butter.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Poke the cake all over with the end of a wooden spoon. Pour warm pudding over warm cake. Tap the pan allowing the pudding to seep into the cake.
- Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. (Frost after slightly cooled, about 30 minutes)
Poured Frosting
- In a saucepan, combine milk, butter, & sugar over medium high heat.
- Bring to a rolling boil and allow to boil 45 seconds.
- Remove from heat and add chocolate chips.
- Whisk until smooth and shiny and immediately pour over the cake. Refrigerate until set.
Video
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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Cake adapted from allrecipes.com
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Can I substitute equivalent amount of buttermilk for the lemon juice and milk?
Yes, that would work perfectly.
Does the pudding soak into the cake? I don’t like the texture of pudding but it might be ok if it soaks into the cake. Any feedback n this?
If I’m out of corn starch can I use regular Jello Pudding? I’d love to try this out tonight!
I have only tried the recipe as written but I have seen other recipes using Jell-o Pudding. If it is the cooked pudding that should work well.
A lot of first time cooks, i see.
Good morning! Do you think I’d be able to use two 9″ pans with this recipe? I am eager to try it out, but I prefer double layered cakes instead of pan cake. My only concern is that the batter will not set correctly if I layer them.
Thank you,
Meaghan
I have only made this recipe in a 9×13 pan so I can’t say for sure. The cake is very moist.
This is incredible. I’m sharing it and making it and really going to like eating it! Thanks for the post! #ilovechocolate
Tried it yesterday. Turned out great.
Thanks!
I just made this. HOLY CHOCOLATE GOODNESS! I did every step as you have in the recipe. It turned out better than any cake I’ve ever made. To those that it didn’t turn out, I’m truly sorry. This is the best PMS cake, ever. I can’t wait to add some Vanilla ice cream to this!
Can I use a cup of hot chocolate (cold , of course) or chocolate milk in place of coffee?
I think that would work just fine Judy.
can i leave out the pudding layer if i really cannot stand pudding? will it still be cake with yummy frosting?
Yes, the cake will still be moist & delicious!
If you don’t like pudding, there are lots of other things you can pour over a poke cake including sweetened condensed milk (my favorite) or ice cream topping as well.
Would you pour one or two cans (the smallish cans) of sweetened condensed milk? I’m thinking two because when I have done a poke cake half the size I used one, BUT it was also a very dense cake.
I guess I can bake it and see how things look, but any input would be appreciated :-)
Great question. I often do a 9×13 cake with 1 can of sweetened condensed milk and one small can of caramel ice cream topping and it’s amazing. I would start with one can, you want to make sure there’s enough to seep into the holes and soak into the cake and add a second can if you think you need more to soak in.
What kind of coffee did you use?
I just used my Starbucks dark roast but any kind of brewed coffee will work perfectly!
I tried to make this today but the batter turned our so runny that I thought that there would be no chance of it turning out all right and I threw it away. I was so sure i got the ingredients right. Now I’m annoyed because I should have tried it!!!
Yes, that is supposed to be the consistency of the batter but it does bake up perfectly moist and delicious.
I made this cake today, and the end result was delicious!
However, I did not think the cake would come out properly until after I took the first bite. The cake batter was incredibly runny, so much so that I questioned whether it would become cake at all. I had to leave the cake in the oven much longer than planned in order for the center to cook. I made the requisite holes for the pudding, but it seemed like more of the pudding went over the sides of the pan than in any of the holes I made. By the time I had poured frosting onto the cake, my 9X13 was so full that one wrong move on the way to the fridge would have sent a searing waterfall of chocolate pain over my hands.
Thank you so much for this comment, I am in the middle of making this cake with my kids now, and I was worried I had missed something as the “batter” (I don’t think I could even call it that!) is so runny, but I’m glad to know that it turns out well in the end.
Thanks again :)
Can I add m&ms on chocolate frosting to decorate the cake for kids’ birthday?
That would be great! The frosting sets fairly quicky so you’d have to sprinkle them right away to make them stick.
If you really hate coffee . can you just add more milk?
Yes, or you could substitute water as well.
The sugar that you used in frosting and pudding is it the confectioners sugar or the regular sugar?
I used regular sugar in both.
The pudding step:
Do I “cool completely” or cool for 5 minutes?
The frosting: is it frost 30 minutes after the pudding goes in or after the 4 hours or overnight refrigeration (which would make it a cold cake).
If you mean frost after 30 minutes, then please move the refrigerate 4 hours or overnight after frosting instructions, not after the pudding instructions.
I have tried the pudding both ways and it worked best if it was still warm when poured over the cake.
The frosting is separate from the refrigeration as not everyone will choose to add the frosting portion.
I still don’t understand Holly. I want to add the pudding layer AND the frosting. Do I add the frosting 30 mins after the pudding layer is added to the cake OR after the refrigeration of the cake for 4 hours/overnight?
Yes, you would add both, you just need the pudding layer to cool before adding the frosting.
Bake the cake and while the cake is warm, add the pudding layer. Once you have added the pudding you can refrigerate the cake and let the pudding cool for 30 minutes.
Once the pudding has cooled 30 minutes, you can add the frosting and continue to refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
The whole family loved it ❤ Thanks for the amazing recipe
I’m so glad you loved it!! :)
Best cake I have ever made! Already have request for it for family gathering! Thanks.
You’ve listed cocoa and cocoa powder. Are they the same thing ?
Yes they are Jeanne.
when you say cake / pudding/ frosting sugar which type are you using? And is the flour you use a non rising flour is that why you use the baking powder and soda?
The sugar is regular granulated sugar and the flour is non rising all purpose flour.