Mint Chocolate Poke Cake

Mint Chocolate Poke Cake is an easy chocolate mint dessert that starts with a doctored-up chocolate cake mix, filled with chocolate pudding, and topped with a fluffy and cool mint whipped cream.

Course Cake, Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword mint chocolate poke cake, poke cake recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Rest/Chill Time 4 15

Total Time 5 5

Servings

Calories 369kcal

Author Jessica - Together as Family

Equipment

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

1 box (15.25 oz) devil's food chocolate cake mix (or chocolate fudge)
1 cup whole milk
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup full-fat sour cream
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Pudding Poke Filling

1 box (3.9 oz) instant chocolate pudding mix
2 cups half and half

Mint Whipped Cream

2 cups heavy whipping cream
½ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon mint extract
green gel food coloring (as needed, 1 to 2 drops)

Toppings

1½ cups crushed/chopped Keebler Fudge Mint Delights cookies (or Oreo mint cookies)
¼ cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 9x13-inch cake pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

Chocolate Cake

In a large mixing bowl, add all the chocolate cake ingredients and use an electric mixer to beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium, and continue beating for 2 minutes; scraping the bowl as needed to everything mixes evenly.
1 box (15.25 oz) devil's food chocolate cake mix, 1 cup whole milk, ½ cup vegetable oil, ½ cup full-fat sour cream, 3 large eggs, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly.
Bake the cake for 25-30 minutes, or until the center springs back when gently touched and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean or with moist crumbs.
Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Chocolate Poke Filling

Use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes all over the cake, spacing the holes about 1-inch apart. Poke the holes in a grid pattern with rows and columns rather than just random.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the instant chocolate pudding mix and half and half for 1-2 minutes until it starts to thicken.
1 box (3.9 oz) instant chocolate pudding mix, 2 cups half and half
Pipe or spoon the chocolate pudding into each poked hole. Then spread the remaining pudding evenly over the top of the cake. Use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to gently guide the pudding into each hole before it fully sets.
Cover the cake with a lid or plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight.

Mint Whipped Cream

Add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, pure vanilla extract, mint extract, and green gel food coloring to a large mixing bowl.
2 cups heavy whipping cream, ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon mint extract, green gel food coloring
Beat the whipped cream mixture on medium speed until soft peaks form, then increase to medium-high speed and beat until stiff peaks form. The whipped cream should look fluffy and hold its shape, and still spread easily.
Evenly spread the mint whipped cream over the chilled cake. Cover the cake and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, so the layers can chill together and the flavors can blend.
When ready to serve, remove the cake from the fridge and add the crushed mint cookies and mini chocolate chips on top. Cut into slices and serve the cake chilled from the fridge. Enjoy!
1½ cups crushed/chopped Keebler Fudge Mint Delights cookies, ¼ cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

Notes

My favorite way to make poke cakes is to make the cake and poke and fill the holes the night before. I then cover the cake and refrigerate it overnight. This allows time for everything to chill, the pudding to set, and the flavors get better and better. I add the whipped cream topping the next day and let it chill for a few hours before serving it. Add garnishes right before serving for the best results.
The whipped cream needs to chill for at least 2 hours once you add it on top of the cake; however, it can stay in the refrigerater for up to 6-8 hours once 'frosted' before you serve it.
Don't poke the holes too close together. About 1"-inch apart gives you plenty of holes without weakening the cake. Poke the holes in an even grid pattern all over the cake, don't just randomly poke the holes, but rather poke even rows and columns of holes.
The best thing to use is the end of the handle of a wooden spoon, because it allows large enough holes for the pudding to settle into. A straw or chopsticks would poke too small of holes so I don't recommend using either of those. A large smoothie straw is another good item to use to poke larger holes.
Don't substitute the half and half in the pudding mixture! It's thicker and creamier than milk, which helps the pudding layer thicken and set nicely into the cake.
Measure the mint extract very carefully, as a little goes a long way, and too much can make the whipped cream taste like toothpaste rather than sweet and creamy.
It's best to add the crushed mint cookies and mini chocolate chips on top of the cake right before serving so they stay a little crunchy. However, they are still delicious on the leftover cake after they have softened slightly.
I use the Keebler brand mint chocolate cookies labeled as 'Fudge Mint Delights'. Other cookie options include the Oreo Thins in the mint or the regular Oreo cookies in mint.

Nutrition