Reese’s Peanut Butter Poke Cake
This Reese’s Peanut Butter Poke Cake is a truly decadent treat! Chocolate cake poked with hot fudge, layered with peanut butter pudding and topped Cool Whip!
A CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER DESSERT CAKE
Reese’s Peanut Butter Poke Cake is the perfect dessert for any occasion! If you love that chocolate and peanut butter combo, then this cake is for you! This moist cake is made with a decadent chocolate cake mix with rich and creamy peanut butter vanilla pudding filling, hot fudge sauce, whipped cream, and topped off with chopped mini Reese’s. It’s easy to make and is absolutely delicious – sure to be the hit of any dessert table!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
If you want to skip the hot fudge in the holes of the chocolate cake, you can. I think it adds a wonderful level of chocolate flavor but this recipe will work with just the peanut butter pudding.
You can add Reese’s pieces, peanut butter chips, melted peanut butter, chopped peanuts, or chocolate chips on top as well. Or don’t add anything at all – it’s your cake so you do what you like!
Leftover cake must be kept refrigerated because of the perishable ingredients. Keep it covered in the fridge for up to 5 days, or keep it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- chocolate cake mix – I went with chocolate fudge because I wanted a really deep chocolate flavor but you could certainly use whatever chocolate cake you enjoy.
- ingredients needed to make cake (eggs, oil and water) – you will be using the amounts given on the back of the box of cake mix you buy.
- hot fudge topping
- Reese’s peanut butter – you do not have to use Reese’s brand peanut butter. Any other brand of regular peanut butter will work (you could even try a crunchy peanut butter.)
- instant vanilla pudding mix – it has to be instant not the cook and serve. Cook and serve pudding needs to be cooked in a pan on the stovetop to thicken. The boxes of instant pudding and cook and serve are usually right next to each other on the shelf so please pay close attention to which one you grab.
- milk – 2% or whole milk is best.
- whipped topping – you do not have to use the Cool Whip brand. The store brand whipped topping works just fine.
- chocolate syrup – this is optional but if you love chocolate then definitely add it!
- Reese’s peanut butter cups – I chopped up the regular sized Reese’s peanut butter cups but you could also purchase the mini ones that come in a bag already unwrapped.
HOW TO MAKE REESE’S PEANUT BUTTER POKE CAKE
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare the cake mix and bake per the directions on the back of the box for a 9×13-inch baking dish.
When the cake comes out of the oven, take a wooden utensil handle or something similar and poke holes all over the cake, about 1 inch apart. Warm the hot fudge per the directions on the packaging until easy to handle and evenly fill the holes of the cake.
In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, add the peanut butter and microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring in between until smooth. In a large bowl, whisk together the pudding mix and milk until smooth but not thickened.
Quickly whisk in the warm peanut butter. Pour the pudding mixture over the cake. Since it is thick, you will need to spread it all out, and using the back of the spoon, gently push the pudding down into the holes. A lot will sit on the top of the cake.
Place in the fridge for 2 hours to set. After it is set, spread the whipped topping on top of the cake and place it in the fridge again for 2 hours or longer to set. When ready to serve, add chocolate syrup and chopped Reese’s cups for garnish.
Slice and serve.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Reese’s Peanut Butter Poke Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box chocolate cake mix
- ingredients needed to make cake: eggs, oil and water
- 11.75 ounce jar hot fudge topping
- 1 cup Reese’s peanut butter
- 3.4 ounce box instant vanilla pudding mix
- 2 cups milk
- 8 ounce tub whipped topping
- chocolate syrup (for topping)
- 8 Reese's peanut butter cups, chopped (for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare the cake mix and bake per the directions on the back of the box for a 9×1-inch baking dish.
- When the cake comes out of the oven, take a wooden utensil handle or something similar and poke holes all over the cake, about 1 inch apart.
- Warm the hot fudge per the directions on the packaging until easy to handle and evenly fill the holes of the cake.
- In a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, add the peanut butter and microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring in between until smooth.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the pudding mix and milk until smooth but not thickened.
- Quickly whisk in the warm peanut butter.
- Pour the pudding mixture over the cake. Since it is thick, you will need to spread it all out, and using the back of the spoon, gently push the pudding down into the holes. A lot will sit on the top of the cake.
- Place in the fridge for 2 hours to set.
- Spread the whipped topping on top of the cake and place it in the fridge again for 2 hours or longer to set.
- When ready to serve, add chocolate syrup and chopped Reese’s cups for garnish. Slice and serve.
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.
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.
