Chocolate Poke Cake

Chocolate lovers, rejoice! This simple chocolate poke cake recipe delivers rich, fudgy flavor, a creamy whipped topping, and a crunchy chocolate chip topping in one 9x13 pan.

The poke cake gets an almost scoopable consistency once the chocolate pudding starts filling the poked holes, and the fluff-based frosting offers a light topping to the rich chocolate flavor. You can make this crowd-pleaser ahead of potlucks, barbecues, and family gatherings, and it gets even better with time as the pudding soaks into the cake.

What Is Chocolate Poke Cake Made Of?

In its basic form, a poke cake is a cake poked with holes, filled with Jell-O, and frosted with a whipped topping. They originally started as white rectangular cakes poked and filled with colorful Jell-O insets, but today poke cakes come in all shapes and filling combinations including sweetened condensed milk, fudge, pudding, mousse, pastry cream, pureed fruit, and flavored syrup. Even the hole size is variable now. From fork tine picks to wide wooden spoon burrows, poke cake texture can be anything from moist to casserole-like.

What Is the History of Poke Cakes?

In the 1970s, the Watergate scandal filled the T.V. screens across the nation, and the marketing team at Jell-O launched a daring campaign, filling holes in American households through cake. The slogan, “More smiles than ever. Introducing moister, fruitier Rainbow Cake” appealed to home cooks everywhere looking for easy, elevated desserts. No complicated techniques or ingredients were required, just a box of cake mix, a box of Jell-O (of course), and Cool Whip.

What started as a vehicle to sell fruit gelatin morphed into creative family-sized desserts incorporating instant pudding that began to resemble popular desserts like tres leches cake and sticky toffee pudding. 

Can I Make a Chocolate Poke Cake a Day in Advance?

Yes, and making it a day ahead actually allows all the silky pudding to soak into the cake, creating a super moist texture. Making it 24 hours in advance also frees you up for other cooking tasks or enjoying time with family and friends.

Be sure to cover it with plastic wrap, and find a spot in the refrigerator for it to rest until you are ready to serve.

How To Store Chocolate Poke Cake

Even though it’s delicious, chocolate poke cake doesn’t always get eaten up on the first day. No worries. Tightly wrap it with food film or top it with an airtight lid and store it in the refrigerator for up to five days.

Editorial contributions by Carrie Honaker.