Black Forest Poke Cake
This easy Black Forest Poke Cake is the perfect combo of flavors. A chocolate cake oozing with cherry filling and a fluffy whipped topping!
A CHOCOLATE CHERRY POKE CAKE
This Black Forest Poke Cake is an incredibly delicious and indulgent dessert that will have everyone begging for more! With a fluffy chocolate cake base, creamy whipped topping, and a cherry filling, this poke cake is sure to be a hit. I love the flavors of chocolate and cherry together. They complement each other so well and with this cake we get a double cherry flavor from the Jell-O and the cherry pie filling. It’s a simple but impressive cake!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
A Black Forest cake is a German dessert made of several layers of chocolate sponge cake, filled with cream and cherries. It gets its name from the specialty liqueur used to flavor it: Schwarzwälder Kirschwasser (which translates to “Black Forest Kirschwasser”). The name “Kirschwasser” comes from the fact that it is made from double-distilled cherry brandy, and the Black Forest region in Germany has been famous for its production of this type of liqueur since the 1500s.
This poke cake is obviously not a traditional Black Forest cake but is inspired by those flavors.
I added some mini chocolate chips on top. You could also add chocolate shavings, a drizzle of chocolate sauce, hot fudge, or even opting to leave it off entirely!
You can smooth out the cherry filling by adding the pie filling into a food processor and process until smooth. Then use it in the recipe as usual.
Sure! I like to use the devil’s food cake mix because is gives off a more intense chocolate flavor and I think that’s necessary with this recipe, especially since that is what you would get in a traditional black forest cake.
This Black Forest Poke Cake can be stored covered in the fridge for up to a week. If you want to keep it longer, freeze it for up to 3 months.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- devil’s food cake mix – if you need to make this lower in sugar, you could opt for a sugar free cake mix.
- ingredients needed to make cake – This is usually eggs, oil, and water. The amount may vary depending on your specific cake mix.
- cherry Jell-O mix – again, if you necessary, you can use a sugar free Jell-O.
- boiling water and cold water – this activates the Jell-O
- cherry pie filling – this is another ingredient you can get sugar free. This cake is really easy to tailor to your tastes.
- whipped topping (Cool Whip) – whipped topping can be found in the frozen dessert section of your grocery store. It needs to be thawed before you can use it. Just pop it into the refrigerator overnight (not on the counter).
HOW TO MAKE A BLACK FOREST POKE CAKE
Prepare the cake per the directions on the back of the box. Once it is done baking, place it on the counter and let it cool for 5 minutes. Take a spoon or utensil with a wooden handle and poke holes into the cake all over about 2 inches apart.
Add the cherry Jell-O and boiling water to a large, heatproof bowl and whisk until the gelatin is dissolved. Add the cold water to the bowl and whisk to combine.
Pour the jello all over the cake, focusing on the holes the most. Place the cake into the fridge for 2 hours. Carefully spread the cherry pie filling over the cake. There are big chunks of cherries in the filling, so try and space them out so you get some on each slice. Spread the whipped topping on top of the cake and place it in the fridge for at least another hour to chill.
Garnish with mini chocolate chips and maraschino cherries if using, slice, and serve.
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Black Forest Poke Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box devil's food cake mix
- ingredients needed to make cake: eggs, oil and water
- 3 ounce box cherry Jell-O mix
- 1 cup boiling water
- ½ cup cold water
- 21 ounce can cherry pie filling
- 8 ounce tub whipped topping (Cool Whip)
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips, optional garnish
- maraschino cherries, optional garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the cake per the directions on the back of the box. Once it is done baking, place it on the counter and let it cool for 5 minutes.
- Take a spoon or utensil with a wooden handle and poke holes into the cake all over about 2 inches apart.
- Add the cherry Jell-O and boiling water to a large, heatproof bowl and whisk until the gelatin is dissolved.
- Add the cold water to the bowl and whisk to combine.
- Pour the Jell-O all over the cake, focusing on the holes the most. Place the cake into the fridge for 2 hours.
- Carefully spread the cherry pie filling over the cake. There are big chunks of cherries in the filling, so try and space them out so you get some on each slice.
- Spread the whipped topping on top of the cake and place it in the fridge for at least another hour to chill.
- Garnish with mini chocolate chips and maraschino cherries if using.
- Slice, serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
- The amount of eggs, oil, and water you will need may vary depending on which box of cake mix you choose. Always use whatever your specific mix says.
- If you don’t want the chunky cherries from the pie filling on top, you can place the pie filling into a food processor and process until smooth.
- I like the devil’s food cake mix because I feel it is a more intense chocolate flavor and that’s what you get in a traditional black forest cake.
- Keeps in the fridge covered for up to 1 week. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
OMG!!! BRANDIE girl you rule absolutely delish my new valentine’s dessert for sure it’s so beautiful to look at as well. And scrumptious delectable I can GO ON!!!! can be made for so many occasions GUYS!! it’s a KEEPER and so easy to make Thank you so much