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If you want a delicious holiday cake that has minimal ingredients is easy to whip up and is absolutely delicious then you need this Chocolate Poke Cake!
Let me tell you this Chocolate Poke Cake is one of my favorite holiday cake recipes, not saying I wouldn’t eat it all year long, but we generally make it closer to Christmas.
HERE IS WHAT OUR READERS ARE SAYING:
“Made this for Christmas Eve, and everyone LOVED it!!🥰 I didn’t have peppermint extract, so it tastes great even if you don’t have that. (I actually used mocha peppermint coffee creamer in place of it, but I’m not sure if it did anything or not since it’s not as concentrated 😅) I’m actually trying the same formula now with a different flavor scheme! Coconut cream pudding with white cake!” – Amy
I’m a cake kind of girl, always have been. It is one thing that I gravitate towards whenever it is served and I really don’t have any preference to what kind of cake it is.
We like to bring this cake with us to our holiday gatherings because it is one of the most requested cakes that we make and everyone always asks for the recipe.
The funny part is they are so shocked when they find out how easy it is to make this Chocolate Peppermint Cake Recipe! I mean seriously, it is so so so easy to make.
That is one reason I love it as well is because I love easy desserts, I don’t enjoy spending multiple hours in the kitchen just to make a dessert that I will eat in like 5 minutes.
I’m sure there are some of you out there who will agree with me, amiright??
This Chocolate Poke Cake is right up your alley. So let’s get started!
Some of my other favorite cakes we have on our site include Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake, Chocolate Layer Cake and Tiramisu Poke Cake!
Jump to:
- WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- INGREDIENTS NEEDED (SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST FOR THE FULL RECIPE CARD):
- HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE POKE CAKE:
- FAQ: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS RECIPE:
- WHAT KIND OF CAKE MIX DO I USE?
- CAN I USE REGULAR FROSTING?
- ANY ADDITIONS?
- ANY SUBSTITUTIONS?
- HOW TO STORE:
- DANA’S TIPS AND TRICKS:
- Chocolate Peppermint Cake
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- It starts with a cake mix! So it makes it super easy to bake up.
- It serves a crowd, that is why we love bringing it to gatherings.
- The chocolate and peppermint work so well together, they are two peas in a pod.
Literally I really want to stress to you that this Chocolate Peppermint Cake will be one of the easiest and tastiest cakes you will make all season.
It is the perfect holiday cake for beginner bakers of to have your kids help you in the kitchen with, they always love poking the cake!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST FOR THE FULL RECIPE CARD):
- Devil’s food cake mix
- Water
- Unsalted butter
- Large eggs
- Instant chocolate pudding
- Cold whole milk
- Peppermint extract
- Whipped topping
- Crushed peppermint (optional)
- Candy cane kisses (optional)
HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE POKE CAKE:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, add the cake mix, water, butter, and eggs. Using a hand mixer, mix together for 30 seconds until there are no dry spots then on medium speed for additional 2 minutes, scraping the sides as needed.
- Pour into a 9×13 greased baking dish and bake for 26-31 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Place on the counter to cool slightly.
- While the cake is still warm, use the end of a utensil to poke holes in the cake. I used a chopstick, you can use whatever will poke a medium-sized hole. Do this about every ½ inch all over the cake.
- In a medium-sized bowl, add the pudding mix, milk, and peppermint extract. Using a hand mixer, carefully whip together for 2 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Immediately pour pudding over the cake, making sure to try and get the pudding over all the holes. Smooth with a spatula, I like to try and press the pudding down gently so more goes in the holes. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit and chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours, up to overnight if you can.
- Before serving, top with whipped topping smoothed out with a spatula. Decorate with chopped peppermint and candy cane kisses if desired.
See how easy this cake is to make? I think the hardest part is waiting for it to chill. But I mean, it is 100% worth it in the end, I love poke cakes so I sacrifice.
I think that peppermint and chocolate are two of my favorite flavors that go together. There is just something about them that I love and can’t get enough of!
FAQ: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS RECIPE:
WHAT KIND OF CAKE MIX DO I USE?
For this recipe we used devils food cake mix. You can essentially use any chocolate cake mix that you like such as milk chocolate, chocolate fudge, triple chocolate etc.
We are just big fans of the devils food mix for this Chocolate Peppermint Cake that that is the one we go to most often. But feel free to put your own spin on it.
Just look at the inside of that cake! You can see how the pudding seeped down into the holes and saturated the cake, that is what you want to do.
The refrigeration helps with this too because the pudding will set up in the cake the longer it sits and it will spread out and give it that extra delicious flavor.
CAN I USE REGULAR FROSTING?
I don’t recommend regular frosting for this cake because of the chocolate pudding layer on the top, if you were to try to spread regular frosting on the cake it wouldn’t spread.
This is one reason why we like to use whipped topping for this, it spreads easily over the cake and fully covers that pudding layer without having any streaks.
Plus we like this cake to have a lighter feel to it and the whipped topping gives it that airiness that we are looking for and doesn’t overpower the cake with sweetness.
With the ingredients and the way this cake is made it is the perfect balance between sweet and not too sweet in my personal opinion!
ANY ADDITIONS?
Want to take this decadent chocolate poke cake to the next level? Here are some great additions that will turn it into a huge hit, especially for serious chocolate lovers:
- Chocolate sauce or hot fudge sauce drizzled over the top of the cake
- A layer of sweetened condensed milk poured into the large holes before the pudding—this makes for an extra moist cake!
- Swirls of marshmallow fluff or dollops of whipped cream on top
- A sprinkle of chocolate sprinkles or crushed chocolate bars for texture
- Crushed peppermint candies mixed with cool whip for a minty twist
- A drizzle of caramel sauce—seriously, so much chocolate and caramel? Yes, please!
- Chopped mini marshmallows for a hot chocolate poke cake vibe
- Replace the crushed candy canes with chopped Candy Cane Kisses or Andes mints for a fancy finish
- Add a layer of chocolate ganache before the creamy topping—that’s my favorite way to level up this dessert
- Whip up a whipped chocolate frosting for the top of the cake instead of regular cool whip
- Serve with a warm mug of cocoa for that cozy, special occasion treat!
ANY SUBSTITUTIONS?
Whether it’s your first time baking a chocolate poke cake recipe or you’re working around a medically restrictive diet, here are some good ideas for swaps. Just remember: even seemingly small changes can make a huge difference, so always adjust for personal consumption and best results.
- Use sour cream or heavy cream instead of water in the cake batter for an even more fluffy chocolate cake
- Try dark chocolate or German chocolate cake mix for a deeper rich chocolate flavor
- Swap whole milk for almond milk or oat milk for a vegan option (just make sure the pudding mix is dairy-free too)
- Use vanilla extract instead of peppermint if you don’t have any on hand—this will still taste like a classic chocolate cake recipe
- For a vegan version, use flax eggs, plant-based milk, and a dairy-free whipped topping
- No peppermint extract? Crushed mints stirred into the pudding make a tasty substitute
- Instead of instant pudding, try a homemade chocolate filling or chocolate ganache
- Out of butter? Vegetable oil works in a pinch for the cake mix
HOW TO STORE:
REFRIGERATOR: This Chocolate Peppermint Cake needs to be stored in the refrigerator, we like to keep our’s in the baking pan and wrap it tightly with foil or plastic wrap.
This will stay good refrigerated for up to 3 days.
You’ll be lucky if you get this cake to last that long, we usually have this gone in a day or two. Don’t judge, I said I liked cake! And it’s gone even faster when we bring it to gatherings.
DANA’S TIPS AND TRICKS:
- The minimal time we like to refrigerate this cake is 3 hours, but overnight is the best if you can wait.
- We like to decorate this cake with crushed peppermint candies and candy cane kisses, you can also use sprinkles or other toppings if you like.
- You can use any type of chocolate cake mix you’d like, see my tips above.
- We do not recommend using anything but whipped topping as it will not spread or cover the cake right.
- If you want some extra added chocolate add in some chocolate chips to the cake batter.
- You can use your own homemade cake and whipped topping recipes as well.
If you want that perfect holiday cake that is not only easy but absolutely tasty then you need to make this Chocolate Poke Cake as soon as you can!
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If you’ve tried this CHOCOLATE POKE CAKE let me know in the comments how it turned out! You can follow me over on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK to find some more of our mouthwatering recipes!
Chocolate Peppermint Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box devil’s food cake mix
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 3 large eggs
- 1 3.9 ounce package instant chocolate pudding
- 2 cups cold whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 8 ounce whipped topping
- 1 tablespoon crushed peppermint garnish, optional
- Candy cane kisses garnish, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, add the cake mix, water, butter, and eggs. Using a hand mixer, mix together for 30 seconds until there are no dry spots then on medium speed for additional 2 minutes, scraping the sides as needed.
- Pour into a 9×13 greased baking dish and bake for 26-31 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Place on the counter to cool slightly.
- While the cake is still warm, use the end of a utensil to poke holes in the cake. I used a chopstick, you can use whatever will poke a medium-sized hole. Do this about every ½ inch all over the cake.
- In a medium-sized bowl, add the pudding mix, milk, and peppermint extract. Using a hand mixer, carefully whip together for 2 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Immediately pour pudding over the cake, making sure to try and get the pudding over all the holes. Smooth with a spatula, I like to try and press the pudding down gently so more goes in the holes. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit and chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours, up to overnight if you can.
- Before serving, top with whipped topping smoothed out with a spatula. Decorate with chopped peppermint and candy cane kisses if desired.
Nutrition
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SOUNDS AMAZING! So glad you liked it 🙂
Made this for Christmas Eve, and everyone LOVED it!!🥰 I didn’t have peppermint extract, so it tastes great even if you don’t have that. (I actually used mocha peppermint coffee creamer in place of it, but I’m not sure if it did anything or not since it’s not as concentrated 😅) I’m actually trying the same formula now with a different flavor scheme! Coconut cream pudding with white cake!