Introducing German Chocolate Poke Cake – a decadent dessert with a twist! Dive into layers of rich chocolate cake filled with creamy pudding and topped with luscious whipped cream. Say hello to a delicious treat that's sure to impress at any gathering!
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Why This Recipe Works
- This German chocolate poke cake has become our family favorite.
- Of all the poke cake recipes I've tried, this one has that perfect balance of rich chocolate flavor with a delicious minty goodness.
- While traditional German chocolate poke cake may call for the use of sweetened condensed milk to be added after poking holes into the cake, I've given it a bit of a twist and used some chocolate pudding and a mint cheesecake mixture instead of the whipped topping.
📋 Ingredients
You'll need 4 sets of ingredients to make this delicious poke cake.
For Chocolate Cake:
- Flour: Is the main structural ingredient in your cake, providing the necessary gluten for it to hold its shape.
- Sugar: Sweetens your cake and helps it achieve a beautiful golden-brown crust.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder: Adds a deep chocolate flavor to your cake, making it decadently rich.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda: Act as leavening agents, causing your cake to rise and become fluffy.
- Eggs: Act as a binding ingredient in your cake, ensuring all the ingredients mix together properly.
- Milk: Adds moisture to your cake, ensuring it's soft and tender.
- Vegetable Oil: Keeps your cake moist and helps to extend its freshness.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds a hint of warm, aromatic flavor that complements the chocolate.
- Brewed Coffee (or 1 Cup Boiling Water if You Don't Like Coffee): Intensifies the chocolate flavor, while the water option ensures your cake doesn't turn out dry.
For Chocolate Pudding:
- Instant Chocolate Pudding: Provides a smooth, creamy, and chocolaty element to the cake, enhancing its richness.
- Milk: Helps to achieve the right consistency for your pudding, making it creamy and delicious.
For Mint Cheesecake:
- Softened Cream Cheese: Contributes to the creaminess and tanginess of your cheesecake layer, enhancing the overall richness of your cake.
- Powdered Sugar: Sweetens your cheesecake layer, while also helping to create a smooth texture.
- Mint Extract: Infuses your cheesecake with a refreshing minty flavor, offering a wonderful contrast to the chocolate.
- Green Food Coloring: Gives your mint cheesecake layer a vibrant green color, adding visual appeal.
- Heavy Cream: Is whipped into the cheesecake to add richness and help achieve a fluffy texture.
For Decoration:
- Chocolate Drops: Add an extra touch of chocolatey goodness and provide a visually appealing finish to your cake.
For the complete list of ingredients with measurements and instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
🔀 Substitutions & Variations
- Cake Base Modifications: Experiment with different chocolate cake recipes by using cake flour for a lighter, tender crumb or adjusting the cocoa powder level for a richer chocolate flavor. You can also try adding a splash of coffee to intensify the chocolate notes.
- Topping & Filling Enhancements: Elevate the traditional coconut-pecan topping by using toasted coconut flakes and a mix of pecans and walnuts for extra crunch. For a twist, consider incorporating a touch of rum or caramel into the topping mixture.
- Frosting & Sauce Variations: Instead of the classic fudge sauce, try a blend of condensed milk with cocoa or even a drizzle of caramel sauce. Experiment with adding a pinch of sea salt to the sauce for a balanced sweet-salty finish.
🔀 Optional Toppings
Based on what you prefer, you can experiment with tons of different toppings for this German chocolate poke cake.
- The flavors of chocolate can work well with a nice coconut pecan frosting. You can also top this with some shredded coconut.
- If you want to stick to a nice chocolate topping, you can drizzle some chocolate ganache or chocolate sauce on the top of the cake.
- If nothing else, you can just stick to using German chocolate frosting with some whipped topping spread on the top of the cake.
🔪How To Make German Chocolate Poke Cake?
Once you have all your ingredients ready, here's what you'll need to do to make the German chocolate poke cake.
Step One: Prepare all ingredients. Mix all dry ingredients for the dough in a medium bowl. Add egg, milk, butter and coffee. Stir using a wooden spoon
Step Two: Pour into a heat resistant mold. Bake at 190 degrees for about 30 minutes.
Step Three: Dilute the pudding with milk according to the instructions.
Step Four: Make holes in the biscuit with a wooden stick and pour the pudding over the hot pie. Allow this to cool completely.
Step Five: Once the cake has completely cooled, beat everything for mint cream.
Step Six: Lay on top. Garnish with chocolate drops and syrup. Cool down.
If you love this recipe then be sure to check out this Mocha Hazelnut Cake.
👩🍳 Expert Tips
- I have made the chocolate cake for this recipe from scratch, but if you want to cut down on the cooking time and effort, you can just stick to using boxed cake mix, specifically chocolate cake mix and cook it according to package directions.
- For some extra chocolate flavor, you can also throw some chocolate chips into the cake mix before you bake it.
- To make the poke cake more moist and decadent, you can poke holes in the cake and pour sweetened condensed milk into it.
- Remember that if you're adding sweetened condensed milk into it, you may want to reduce the amount of sugar you're using for the chocolate cake mix.
- You can also prepare a simple topping using chocolate melts or chocolate chips, vanilla extract and some condensed milk to use as a frosting for this poke cake.
💭 FAQs
Yes—you can bake the cake, poke the holes, and drizzle on the chocolate sauce in advance. Just store it in an airtight container and serve within 2 days or refrigerate for up to a week.
For extra indulgence, serve the cake slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream, which perfectly complements the rich chocolate flavor.
Absolutely—you can tweak the amount of sugar or substitute with a natural sweetener in the sauce to suit your taste.
If you have any of the leftover poke cake, you can transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 3 days.
Pre-Made: You can also choose to prep the cake in advance. Simply prepare the German chocolate cake up to 3 days in advance, and refrigerate it, nicely covered in plastic wrap. Then, all you need to do is poke holes into the cake, add the sweetened condensed milk or the chocolate pudding, and then frost cake with some German chocolate frosting or any other frosting of your choice.
Serving Suggestions
These are my favorite dishes to serve with German Poke Cake:
- Coconut Whipped Cream: Light and fluffy, adds a tropical twist.
- Vanilla Custard: Smooth and velvety, a classic pairing.
- Spiced Apple Compote: Warm and fragrant, adds a touch of autumn.
🍜 Related Recipes
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German Chocolate Poke Cake
Ingredients
Cake Mixture
- 1 ½ Cups Flour
- 1 ½ Cups Sugar
- ½ Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
- 2 Whole Eggs
- ½ Cup Milk
- ½ Cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 Cup Brewed Coffee Switch to 1 Cup of boiling water if you do not want to use coffee.
- 2 cups heavy cream
Chocolate Pudding Mixture
- 2 Boxes Instant Chocolate Pudding
- 4 Cups Milk
Mint Topping
- 250 g Softened Cream Cheese
- 1 teaspoon Mint Extract
- 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
- 2 Drops Green Food Coloring
- 1 tablespoon Chocolate Chips
Instructions
- Prepare all ingredients. Mix all dry ingredients for the dough in a medium bowl.
- Add egg, milk, butter and coffee. Stir using a wooden spoon.
- Pour into a heat resistant mold. Bake at 190 degrees for about 30 minutes.
- Dilute the pudding with milk according to the instructions.
- Make holes in the biscuit with a wooden stick and pour the pudding over the hot pie. Allow this to cool completely.
- Once the cake has completely cooled, beat everything for mint cream. Lay on top.
- Garnish with chocolate drops and syrup. Cool down before serving.
Notes
- I have made the chocolate cake for this recipe from scratch, but if you want to cut down on the cooking time and effort, you can just stick to using boxed cake mix, specifically chocolate cake mix and cook it according to package directions.
- For some extra chocolate flavor, you can also throw some chocolate chips into the cake mix before you bake it.
- To make the poke cake more moist and decadent, you can poke holes in the cake and pour sweetened condensed milk into it.
- Remember that if you're adding sweetened condensed milk into it, you may want to reduce the amount of sugar you're using for the chocolate cake mix.
- You can also prepare a simple topping using chocolate melts or chocolate chips, vanilla extract and some condensed milk to use as a frosting for this poke cake.
Nutrition
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If you loved how this poke cake recipe turned out and are inspired to try some more sweet treats, here are a few good ones you might want to try out.
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