Death By Chocolate Poke Cake Recipe: A Divine Dessert Dream

Chocolate lovers can’t resist a decadent death by chocolate poke cake that promises pure indulgence.

Sweet layers of moist goodness await your taste buds with each delightful bite.

Rich chocolate cascades through carefully crafted holes, creating a dessert masterpiece.

Creamy textures mingle with intense cocoa flavors that dance across your palate.

Unexpected bursts of chocolatey goodness surprise you in every forkful.

Simple ingredients combine to create a dessert that looks complex but feels effortless.

This cake will make you the star of any gathering, transforming an ordinary moment into a chocolate celebration.

Death By Chocolate Cake That’s Rich, Moist, And Indulgent

• Indulge Easily: Quick Chocolate Bliss transforms dessert-making into a breeze with minimal effort and maximum satisfaction.
• Crowd-Pleasing Delight: Perfect for gatherings, potlucks, and family celebrations where everyone craves a rich, decadent chocolate experience.
• Make-Ahead Magic: Prepare this cake in advance and store in the refrigerator, allowing flavors to meld and ensuring stress-free entertaining.
• Budget-Friendly Showstopper: Uses simple, affordable ingredients like boxed cake mix and instant pudding to create an impressive dessert without breaking the bank.

Death by Chocolate Poke Cake Ingredient Overview

• Chocolate Cake Mix: Provides the foundational sweet chocolate layer for the dessert. Choose a high-quality mix for richer flavor.
• Milk: Helps create a smooth cake batter. Whole milk recommended for better texture.

• Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix: Creates a rich, creamy filling that soaks into cake holes. Select a premium brand for intense chocolate taste.
• Cold Milk: Activates pudding mix and ensures smooth consistency. Fresh milk preferred.

• Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, Mini Chocolate Chips: Add extra chocolate texture and crunch. Look for high cocoa percentage chips.
• Cool Whip: Provides light, creamy topping. Opt for regular or extra creamy version.
• Chocolate Syrup: Gives additional chocolate drizzle and shine. Choose a thick, rich brand.

• Chocolate Shavings or Curls: Adds elegant finishing touch. Can be made from dark or milk chocolate bar.

Assembling the Death by Chocolate Poke Cake

Step 1: Warm Up The Oven

Follow the cake mix box instructions to preheat your oven perfectly.

This ensures your cake bakes evenly and becomes deliciously fluffy.

Step 2: Create Chocolate Cake Base

Prepare the chocolate cake mix in a 9×13-inch pan exactly as the package recommends.

Mix ingredients thoroughly and pour into the pan, creating a rich chocolate foundation.

Step 3: Cool Down Slightly

After removing the cake from the oven, let it rest and cool for a few minutes.

The cake should still be warm but not scorching hot.

Step 4: Whip Up Chocolate Pudding

In a medium bowl, blend the instant chocolate pudding mix with cold milk.

Whisk until the mixture becomes smooth and starts to thicken, creating a creamy chocolate layer.

Step 5: Poke Delicious Holes

Using a wooden spoon handle, gently poke holes across the warm cake.

Space the holes about 1 inch apart, creating channels for the pudding to seep into.

Step 6: Pour Pudding Goodness

Carefully spread the prepared pudding over the cake, ensuring it fills all the poked holes.

The pudding will create delightful pockets of chocolate flavor.

Step 7: Sprinkle Chocolate Chips

Scatter semi-sweet chocolate chips generously over the pudding layer.

These will add extra bursts of chocolatey crunch.

Step 8: Chill and Set

Refrigerate the cake for one hour or until completely cooled.

This helps the layers set and intensifies the flavors.

Step 9: Top with Creamy Whip

Once chilled, spread Cool Whip evenly across the cake’s surface.

Create smooth, billowy peaks for a luxurious finish.

Step 10: Drizzle and Decorate

Generously drizzle chocolate syrup over the whipped topping.

Create beautiful chocolate patterns that will make the cake look irresistible.

Step 11: Final Chocolate Flourish

Sprinkle mini chocolate chips over the top.

For an elegant touch, add chocolate shavings or delicate chocolate curls as a stunning garnish.

Chocolate Poke Cake Tips for Decadent Dessert Layers

• Whisk the pudding mix vigorously to ensure a smooth, lump-free consistency that will seep perfectly into the cake's holes.
• Use the end of a wooden spoon handle or a chopstick to create uniform, evenly spaced holes for maximum pudding absorption.
• Allow the cake to refrigerate for at least an hour to let the pudding set and flavors meld together, creating a rich, decadent dessert.
• Sprinkle chocolate chips while the pudding is still warm so they slightly melt, creating pockets of gooey chocolate throughout the cake.
• Create an artistic chocolate syrup pattern by using a squeeze bottle or drizzling slowly from a spoon for a professional-looking finish.

Store Death by Chocolate Poke Cake

• Store the Death by Chocolate Poke Cake in an airtight container for up to 4 days, keeping it chilled to maintain its creamy texture and prevent spoilage.
• Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, then freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
• Avoid microwaving, as this can make the whipped topping and cake soggy. Let the cake sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before enjoying.
• For optimal taste and texture, consume the cake within 2-3 days of preparation, ensuring maximum freshness and deliciousness.

Best Sips for Death by Chocolate Poke Cake

• Sip Velvety Red Wine: Choose a bold Cabernet Sauvignon or rich Port wine that complements the cake's intense chocolate flavor, creating a luxurious dessert experience that balances sweetness with deep, complex wine notes.
• Brew Rich Coffee Companions: Select a bold espresso or dark roast coffee to enhance the chocolate's depth, cutting through the cake's sweetness and providing a robust counterpoint that elevates each decadent bite.
• Cool Down with Creamy Vanilla: Serve a scoop of classic vanilla bean ice cream alongside the cake, offering a smooth, cold contrast that refreshes the palate and creates a delightful temperature and flavor interplay.
• Match with Berry Elegance: Garnish with fresh raspberries or strawberries, whose tart brightness will beautifully cut through the chocolate's richness and provide a light, refreshing accent to the dense dessert.

Chocolate Poke Cake Sweet Touches

• Gluten-Free Chocolate Dream: Replace regular cake mix with a gluten-free chocolate cake mix and ensure pudding mix is gluten-free for celiac or gluten-sensitive individuals.
• Dairy-Free Chocolate Delight: Swap milk with almond or coconut milk, use dairy-free whipped topping, and select dairy-free chocolate chips to accommodate lactose-intolerant guests.
• Lower-Sugar Chocolate Option: Utilize sugar-free pudding mix, reduced-sugar cake mix, and dark chocolate chips with low-sugar chocolate syrup for diabetic-friendly version.
• Vegan Chocolate Paradise: Substitute cake mix with vegan chocolate cake, use plant-based milk, dairy-free whipped topping, and organic dark chocolate chips for a completely plant-based dessert.

FAQs

• What makes this cake different from other chocolate cakes?

This cake stands out because of its signature “poke” technique, where holes are created to allow pudding to seep into the cake, creating an incredibly moist and rich chocolate experience.

• Can I use homemade pudding instead of instant mix?

Instant pudding works best for consistent texture and easy preparation, but you can use homemade pudding if you prefer. Just ensure it’s cooled and has a similar thick consistency.

• How do I know when to stop poking holes in the cake?

Poke holes about 1 inch apart across the entire cake surface. Don’t worry about being perfect – the goal is to create enough channels for the pudding to flow through and add moisture.

• Is this cake suitable for chocolate lovers?

Absolutely! With multiple layers of chocolate from the cake mix, pudding, chocolate chips, chocolate syrup, and optional chocolate shavings, this dessert is a chocolate lover’s dream come true.

Death By Chocolate Poke Cake Recipe

---

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.5 from 39 reviews

• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 12 1x

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

Chocolate lovers rejoice with this sinful Death by Chocolate Poke Cake, a rich dessert that blends layers of moist chocolate cake, creamy pudding, and decadent chocolate chips. Silky ganache and whipped cream crown this indulgent treat, promising pure bliss in every delectable bite.

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Main Ingredients:

• 1 box (15.25 ounces / 432 grams) chocolate cake mix
• 1 box (3.9 ounces / 110 grams) instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Liquid Ingredients:

• 2 cups cold milk
• 1 cup chocolate syrup

Topping Ingredients:

• 1 container (8 ounces / 226 grams) Cool Whip, thawed
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips
• Chocolate shavings or curls (optional, for garnish)

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. Prepare the chocolate cake base by following the package instructions, using a standard 9×13-inch baking pan and preheating the oven to the recommended temperature.
2. After removing the cake from the oven, allow it to cool slightly but remain warm to the touch.
3. Create multiple deep perforations across the cake’s surface using a wooden spoon handle, spacing the holes approximately one inch apart.
4. Whisk the instant chocolate pudding mix with cold milk until the mixture achieves a smooth, creamy consistency.
5. Carefully distribute the prepared pudding over the warm cake, ensuring the liquid penetrates the created holes and covers the entire surface.
6. Generously scatter semi-sweet chocolate chips across the pudding-covered cake, allowing them to settle into the moistened surface.
7. Refrigerate the cake for one hour, permitting the dessert to completely cool and set.
8. Apply a uniform layer of whipped topping over the chilled cake, creating a smooth and even surface.
9. Enhance the cake’s visual appeal by drizzling chocolate syrup in an artistic pattern across the whipped cream layer.
10. Complete the dessert by sprinkling mini chocolate chips and optional chocolate shavings or curls as a final decorative touch.

Notes

• Select high-quality chocolate ingredients for richer, more intense flavor profile.
• Ensure cake is still warm when poking holes to help pudding seep deeply into cake’s interior.
• For gluten-free version, swap regular cake mix with gluten-free chocolate cake mix and verify pudding mix is gluten-free.
• Experiment with alternative toppings like crushed chocolate cookies, chocolate-covered espresso beans, or dark chocolate drizzle for customized texture and taste variations.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Category: Desserts
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 12
• Calories: 380
• Sugar: 38 g
• Sodium: 300 mg
• Fat: 18 g
• Saturated Fat: 9 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 54 g
• Fiber: 2 g
• Protein: 5 g
• Cholesterol: 20 mg