This chocolate peppermint poke cake is a chocolate cake drenched in a layer of white chocolate pudding for an ultra moist and decadent cake.  It’s topped with easy homemade peppermint whipped cream – the ultimate holiday treat!

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chocolate peppermint poke cake

I’m in love….with poke cake.

Have you ever had poke cake?  If not, it is exactly as it reads.  You literally poke holes in the cake and then pour something yummy over the top. In this case, that “something yummy” happens to be white chocolate pudding. It seeps into the cake and makes it super duper moist.

A lot of poke cake recipes call for using a wooden spoon handle to poke holes in your cake.  Which is perfectly fine if that’s what you’d like to do.  For this one, I poke smaller holes using a fork.  I like doing this because some of that pudding mixture heads down into the little cake holes…..BUT then, since the holes are smaller, some of that pudding stays on top creating an extra tasty layer of goodness between the cake and the frosting!

Check out our video for this recipe below!

Poke cake is definitely not fancy schmancy, but it is one of the best cakes you will ever, ever, ever, have the thrill of chowing down on.  It pretty much just melts in your mouth with over the top goodness.

This particular poke cake is everything I personally could ever ask for in a dessert at the holidays. Rich chocolate, all that peppermint flavor, smooth silky homemade whipped cream…..drooling right now.

chocolate peppermint poke cake

I like to use Pillsbury chocolate cake mix for this recipe.  I completely ignore the boxed instructions and use butter and milk with the cake mix to make it have that really rich, bakery quality taste.

The boxed cake mix here keeps this cake quick and easy, which means more family time during the holidays, and less time doing awful things in the kitchen…..like, dishes.

Tip:  If you’re making this a day ahead of time, go ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator, and add the whipped topping (homemade is best, but you can use any that you like) and crushed peppermints right before serving.

If cake isn’t your thing (cake is everybody’s thing) I have an easy Best Ever Poppy Seed Bread aaaaannnddd some Easy Holilday M&M Cookies for you to feast your eyes upon!

Enjoy!

~Nichole

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Chocolate Peppermint Poke Cake

Prep 15 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Total 45 minutes
Servings 18

Ingredients 

  • For The Cake:
  • 1 16.5 ounce Box Chocolate Cake Mix
  • 1 Cup Milk
  • 1/2 Cup Butter Melted
  • 3 Large Eggs
  • For The Filling:
  • 1 3.4 ounce Box white chocolate pudding mix
  • 1 Cup milk
  • 2 Teaspoons peppermint extract
  • For The Whipped Cream Topping:
  • 2 Cups heavy cream
  • 1 Tsp . peppermint extract
  • 1/4 Tsp . vanilla extract
  • 1/2 Cup crushed peppermint candies

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch pan with non stick cooking spray, or line with aluminum foil, set aside.
  • Make cake according to package directions and bake in preheated oven as directed on package, approximately 30-35 minutes.
  • While the cake is baking, combine the 1 cup heavy cream, the pudding mix, and 2 Teaspoons of peppermint extract with a whisk in a medium bowl.
  • Remove cake from oven when done and using a fork or the end of a wooden spoon, poke holes all over the cake, evenly spaced over the surface. NOTE: Using a fork will leave a tasty layer of pudding on top of the cake, if you want all of the pudding to soak into the cake, use a wooden spoon.
  • Slowly pour the cream mixture evenly over the cake.
  • Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes, until cool enough to add topping.
  • While cake is cooling, mix together the topping ingredients (except for the crushed candy) in a large bowl with a hand mixer or in bowl of stand mixer until light and fluffy.
  • When cake is cool enough, spread whipped topping onto cake evenly and top with peppermint candy.
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Hey! Nice to meet you! I'm Nichole!

Welcome to The Salty Marshmallow! I'm a mom, animal lover, photographer, & kitchen mess-maker. Here you will find the result of my decades-long passion for chasing the best flavors in the kitchen, all meant to be cooked by regular people with busy lives just like you and me.

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