The Ultimate Chocolate Poke Cake is made with chocolate cake mix, instant chocolate pudding and topped with a whipped chocolate frosting!
AN EASY CHOCOLATE POKE CAKE RECIPE
Since sharing the recipe for the Ultimate Lemon Poke Cake last week, I received a few messages for an Ultimate Chocolate Poke Cake. Ask and ye shall receive! 😉 Instead of jell-o, I am using a chocolate pudding to fill in those poked holes. I decided to go with a similar frosting recipe that I used for the lemon poke cake. I mixed together chocolate frosting with whipped topping to make a lighter tasting frosting that goes perfectly with this chocolate cake!
WHAT OTHER CAKE MIXES AND PUDDINGS CAN I USE FOR POKE CAKES?
I have a ridiculous amount of combinations on the website here. My personal favorite is the Banana Pudding Poke Cake. That one is yellow cake mix with banana pudding. There is also Oreo Pudding Poke Cake (chocolate cake mix with Oreo Pudding), Red Velvet Poke Cake (red velvet cake mix with cream cheese pudding), Pineapple Pudding Poke Cake (yellow cake mix, pineapple slices and pineapple pudding), Boston Cream Poke Cake(yellow cake with vanilla pudding and chocolate frosting) and Carrot Pudding Poke Cake (carrot cake mix and vanilla pudding.) The combinations are nearly endless!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- chocolate cake mix
- ingredients needed to make cake: eggs, oil and water
- instant chocolate pudding
- cold milk
- milk chocolate frosting
- whipped topping (COOL WHIP)
HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE POKE CAKE:
Bake cake according to directions on box. Remove from oven and let cool about 20 minutes then poke holes all over the cake using the end of a wooden spoon.
In bowl whisk together the chocolate pudding and cold milk.
Pour pudding over cake (be sure to aim for the holes.) Let chill for about 30 minutes to an hour.
Meanwhile to make the frosting, using an electric mixer, beat the tub of frosting until smooth, then fold in whipped topping.
Spread over cake and chill again for 2-3 hours. Then serve.
CRAVING MORE CHOCOLATE RECIPES?
Chocolate Poke Cake (+Video)
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 15.25 ounce box chocolate cake mix
- ingredients needed to make cake: eggs, oil and water
- 3.4 ounce box instant chocolate pudding
- 2 cups cold milk
For the frosting:
- 1 tub milk chocolate frosting
- ½ tub (4 ounce) whipped topping (COOL WHIP) thawed
Instructions
- Bake cake according to directions on box. Remove from oven and let cool about 20 minutes.
- Poke holes all over the cake using the end of a wooden spoon.
- In a bowl whisk together chocolate pudding and milk. Pour pudding mixture over cake (be sure to aim it into the holes.)
- Let cake chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to an hour.
- To make frosting beat the tub of frosting in a large bowl (using an electric mixer) until smooth, then fold in whipped topping. This gives it a marshmallow-like texture.
- Spread over cake and let chill again for 2-3 hours. Then serve!
Video
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 can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Originally published: June 2019
Updated & republished: February 2021
SJ
Hi! Our family has enjoyed your Coconut Cream and Boston Cream poke cakes several time and now I’m attempting a lemon version with instant lemon pudding and a lemon cake.
Question: this recipe uses one pudding mix and 2 c. milk but the Boston Cream version calls for 2 pudding and 4 c. milk. Is there a reason why? And should I use 1 or 2 lemon pudding packages to make with the lemon cake mix in a 9x13 pan?
Thanks so much! Love these!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hi SJ - you certainly could use double the packages and milk. It will still be great. I just didn't think it was necessary for the lemon one. I thought it might be overkill but you could definitely do it if you want more pudding! Hope that helps!
SJ
Thanks so much for the quick reply! It’s for my mum’s birthday which is today and I didn’t think I’d have the answer so fast! 🙂 I will try just making up one pudding and play it by ear if it looks like it can “take” more. 😉
BTW, pistachio pudding (well, pistachio everything!) is my favourite so sometime soon I’m going to try one with that and maybe some pineapple - they go well together in another dessert so I may try reproducing it in cake form. 😛 Thanks for the inspiration!
Brandie @ The Country Cook
I think your pistachio idea sounds wonderful! I hope your Mum has a very joyful and happy birthday!
patricia
I love all your poke cakes (well really all your recipes) I changed up your pineapple poke cake yesterday. Had all ingredients to TRY a Hawaiian variety. Put pineapple slices on bottom, then DH pineapple cake, used inst. coconut pudding, then pineapple tidbits, cool whip, and topped with coconut. Hubby said almost as good as your banana pudding poke cake which he would eat EVERY DAY!!
Debbie Strum
Made a lemon version of this and it was de-LISH !!! Lokking forward to trying the other versions you suggested.
Janel
This cake is amazing, making it for the second time as my son’s Birthday cake request. Thank you!
Claudine M Bratcher
Yet another great poke cake recipe to add to my collection! Thank you Brandie for sharing this recipe. I'll have to make this so my daughter can take it to share with her co-workers. They love getting to eat homemade desserts.
Claudine in Fort Worth, Tx
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Can you adopt me and make me cakes too?? 😉 Ha! Thank you so much Claudine!!
Claudine M Bratcher
Yes, Brandie I would LOVE to adopt you and make you cakes, but you would have to come up with the great recipes, then I would bake them. LOL! I'm not good at coming up with recipes, but I do love to collect recipes and try new ones. Thank you again for sharing all your wonderful recipes.
Claudine in Fort Worth, Tx
Brandie @ The Country Cook
Hahaha! I could make that work - totally! 😉