Black Forest Poke Cake: boxed cake mix, chocolate pudding, and cherry pie filling.
Dessert is my weakness, and this Black Forest Poke Cake satisfies my need for dessert perfectly! Moist chocolate cake, creamy chocolate pudding, and sweet (yet tart) cherry pie filling make this dessert so good.
And it looks great too, if I do say so myself!
I love to bake and I especially love to when it’s cool outside. We are finally experiencing Fall in Kansas, so I find myself wanting to get into the kitchen more.
There are some foods that are just better made in the cool weather, and I can’t wait to get some of those recipes on this blog.
I grew up in Southern California and I never experienced the four seasons until I moved to Kansas. It was pretty much warm all the time and I don’t remember ever seeing the leaves change colors and fall off the trees.
I really do appreciate the seasons, even if they bring hazardous weather with them. Well okay, I could certainly do without the tornadoes, but they are actually few and far between.
Anyway, back to this recipe. The handle of a wooden spoon works perfectly to make the holes in the cake. I just do it randomly while the cake is still warm.
I make the pudding after the cake comes out of the oven and I just let is set for a minute or two so it isn’t too thin when I pour it over the warm cake.
The possibilities are nearly endless for these types of poke cakes, so be on the look out for different varieties to come. I really love all of the elements of this recipe and can think of many variations to try. It’s so exciting!
Looking for other easy desserts? Try Peanut Butter Pie or Peachy Keen Cake with Cool Whip Frosting.
Black Forest Poke Cake
Ingredients
- 1 devil's food cake mix 15.25 ounces
- 1 cup water
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 package chocolate pudding 3.9 ounces
- 2 cups milk
- 1 can cherry pie filling 21 ounces
- whipped topping optional
- chocolate shavings optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 9" X 13" cake pan with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl mix cake mix, water, eggs, and applesauce until well combined.
- Pour into prepared pan and bake according to package directions.
- While cake is still hot poke holes in the top of the cake using a wooden spoon.
- Mix pudding and 2 cups milk, let sit for a minute or two and then pour over cake. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Carefully cover the top of the cake evenly with cherry pie filling.
- Serve with a dollop of whipped topping and shaved chocolate, if desired.
Notes
For perfect dollops of whipped topping use a piping bag with a large round tip.(I used Wilton 2A tip.)
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So do you cook the pudding or is it the instant pudding
We use instant pudding. Thanks, Mindy
In trying to think ahead and plan for the July 4th weekend. Think I can bake the cake, freeze and then thaw and “poke” the day I need it? Or maybe poke before freezing?
I usually poke it when it is warm. So you could poke it then freeze it then thaw it and proceed from there. I think it will turn out jut as good.
This is definitely on my “to make” list!
I need to make it soon as well. Thanks!
I have a question, do I make the pudding and then add the milk? Or do I just take the pudding mix and add two cups of milk and add to the cake? Thank you. I am a new baker.
You just mix the pudding and the milk and then spread the made pudding on top of the cake. Sorry if the instructions were confusing.
What a beautiful cake this is!!! I made it for a church dinner and it was all gone and people asking for more…this is an easy keeper!!! Thank you!!!
That is awesome, thanks for sharing!
Hi Mindy,
Congratulations on all these social shares on Pinterest. I love black forest cake. Who doesn’t? Thanks for coming by my blog and liking my StumbleUpon articles. Nice to meet you.
Janice
Nice to meet you also. Thanks!
Priya @asmallbite
Absolutely gorgeous,looks too tempting…
Thank you!
My husband is going to be absolutely head over heels about this cake. As in, he might love this cake more than he loves me… and I ALMOST wouldn’t blame him! 😉 Looks that stinking good!
Thanks so much for the kind words!