This Black Forest Poke Cake is a rich and delicious chocolate cake, full of hot fudge, and topped with cherries, and whipped cream. It’s easy to make, and so delicious – its such a fun twist on a traditional Black Forest Cake.
This Black Forest Poke Cake is a twist on a traditional Black Forest Cake, with the same delicious flavors of chocolate cake, cherries, and whipped cream in every bite. Instead of being made into a layer cake, the cake is made in a 9×13 pan, and to make it a poke cake, it’s poked with holes, and topped with hot fudge sauce, for an extra moist, chocolatey cake.
The cake is topped with canned cherry pie filling (because no one wants to take the time to pit cherries and make their own cake, right? At least not for this cake, we’re all about ease!) and topped with sweetened whipped cream (homemade or cool whip, works great). Sprinkle chocolate shavings all over the top, and voila, you’ve got a delicious cake that takes hardly any work, but has the same great flavors of a yummy Black Forest Cake.
This poke cake, is so moist, rich, and chocolatey – with a delicious cherry topping, and lots of whipped cream, and did I mention more chocolate? It’s such a delicious cake that is so easy, you’ll want to make it all the time!
What is a Black Forest Cake?
A traditional Black Forest Cake is a layered chocolate cake, typically brushed with cherry liqueur, and layered with chopped cherries and whipped cream filling. It’s often topped with fresh cherries, or maraschino cherries, and chocolate shavings.
How to make a Black Forest Poke Cake?
We are all about easy when it comes to this cake, so it starts with a chocolate box cake mix to keep the cake extra easy and simple to make. Prepare the cake mix, and bake it up in a 9×13 pan according to the package directions.
When the cake is done, let it cool for about 10 minutes, then take the end of a wooden spoon, or a fork if you don’t have one, and poke holes all over the top of your cake.
Heat up a jar of hot fudge sauce in the micrwaove until it’s thin enough to stir, and pour, and pour it evenly over the top of the cake, aiming especially for those holes in the cake. Place the cake in the fridge to cool, or let it sit out for about 20 minutes.
Pour the cherry pie filling over the top of the cake, and spread it evenly over the cake. Cover the cake and place it in the fridge for a couple hours.
Spread the cool whip (or homemade whipped cream) over the top of the cake. Sprinkle the chocolate shavings over the top of the whipped cream.
Carefully cover the cake and place it back in the fridge to chill for another 2 hours, up to overnight. Slice the cake up and serve it straight from the fridge when you’re ready to enjoy it.
Tips for making Black Forest Poke Cake:
- This cake is a great make ahead dessert. You can make it up to a day or two ahead of serving time.
- The cake looks extra lovely when you top each slice with a maraschino cherry, or fresh cherry on top.
- You can use your favorite chocolate cake recipe instead of using a boxed mix. I bet our easy chocolate cake recipe would be awesome for it!
- You can also make your own homemade cherry pie filling.
- Instead of using cool whip for the top of the cake, you can make your own whipped cream. Start with 2 cups heavy cream, and whip it up with about 1 cup of powdered sugar, and a dash of vanilla extract until stiff peaks have formed.
This black forest cake is a delicious chocolate and cherry cake, it’s moist, flavorful, and perfect for an easy dessert!
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Black Forest Poke Cake
Ingredients
- 15 oz chocolate cake mix
- eggs, oil, water (as called for on the cake mix)
- 16 oz jar hot fudge sauce
- 21 oz can cherry pie filling
- 8 oz cool whip (or homemade whipped cream)
- 1 oz chocolate bar
- maraschino cherries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with nonstick spray.
- Mix together the chocolate cake mix, eggs, oil, and water according to the cake mix directions.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake according to the package directions, check to make sure it is done with a toothpick. A few crumbs are okay.
- Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes.
- Poke the cake all over the top with the end of a wooden spoon, or a fork.
- Heat the hot fudge in the microwave until it is pourable, in 30 second increments. Pour the hot fudge over the top of the cake, and try to fill all the holes.
- Pour the cherry pie filling over the top of the cake, and spread as evenly as you can.
- Cover the cake with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge to cool for 1 to 2 hours.
- Spread cool whip evenly over the top of the cake.
- Chop a chocolate bar finely into chocolate shavings and sprinkle over the top of the cake.
- Cover the cake and place it in the fridge to chill for another 2 hours, up to overnight.
- Top cake with maraschino cherries, or fresh cherries, when ready to serve. Or top each slice with one as you're cutting it up.
Aija says
This is so good! I have made it several times and it’s so much easier than making a regular Black Forest Cherry cake in layers! Have done both and they both taste the same, only this is much easier!
Janet says
Could I use pudding rather than fudge sause
Aimee says
Yes, chocolate pudding should work fine
Aija says
What a good idea to use pudding!
Glenda says
If I use real whipping cream will I have to do the cream just before I serve
Aimee says
Make it into whipped cream and it should store overnight just like cool whip
Astrida says
This is the best black forest cake and much easier to make than to do the layer black forest cake. We all loved it. will definitely make it again! And again, and again. You get the picture.
Aimee says
Yay! That makes me so happy to hear!
Donna Comstock says
Can the leftovers be frozen?
Aimee says
I’m not sure how it would freeze. If you want to try I’d flash freeze the slices then wrap them up individually with plastic wrap and foil then freeze.
Donna Comstock says
Update: it freezes great, thanks for how to do it
Tina says
Black Forest poke cake was very good very easy to make it would make it again something different
Lea says
I’m going to try this with our gluten and egg free chocolate cake recipe- sounds DELISH!
Aimee says
Awesome! Let me know how it goes!