Chocolate Pumpkin Poke Cake

Poke cakes are a bit favorite around the internet and this Chocolate Pumpkin Poke Cake is just awesome! Chocolate cake, dark chocolate ganache and pumpkin spice whipped topping… grab a plate!

Hi, my name is Amanda and I’m a new contributor here on Mandy’s Recipe Box! Usually I blog over at Yummy Treats + Healthy Eats. I have a serious passion for healthy living (diet+exercise), but I also have a massive sweet tooth and I love to bake. My blog is the place where both loves collide. I’m really excited to share some of my favorite treats and healthy meal ideas here with you on Mandy’s Recipe Box once each month.

I used to love all things pumpkin, but after having baby #2 a year ago I’ve noticed that my taste in food has changed a lot. This year I’ve come to the realization that I really only love pumpkin if it’s paired with chocolate.

Because, hello… CHOCOLATE. I’m a chocolate lover, and I’m hoping you are too.

I’m also a poke cake lover, and this poke cake is my new favorite. The chocolate cake is made from scratch and it’s so yummy and ultra moist. Then you top the cake with a decadent homemade ganache, a semi-homemade pumpkin spice whipped topping, cool whip, chocolate curls, and to finish it’s drizzled with chocolate syrup.

Making a cake from scratch can seem intimidating, but I promise it’s easier than you might think! I really don’t have a problem with cake mix at all by the way. We just have a small family of four, so I really only wanted to make an 8×8 pan of cake (because even that is more than enough for us), and cake mixes generally make a 9×13 size cake. I experimented with ways to half a cake mix for this recipe, but in the end I came to the conclusion that a cake mix is best when you need the whole thing, and I’ll just leave it at that.

The cool thing about this cake though is that if you do want a bigger batch and/or you don’t want to make a cake from scratch, you can totally make your favorite chocolate cake mix according to the directions on the back of the package and bake it up in a 9×13″ pan. Then, double the ingredients for the chocolate ganache and the pumpkin spice whipped topping, and follow the directions for assembling the poke cake once the cake base is cool. It’ll be just as good, and just slightly easier since you’re using a cake mix.

So to review: moist and chocolate-y cake poked with large holes, then drizzled with a dark chocolate ganache and topped with pumpkin spice whipped topping, more whipped topping, chocolate curls, and chocolate syrup. It’s decadent and totally divine and you should all make it ASAP.

See you next month. Comment below with a vote if you want to see “something healthy” or “something sweet” when I drop by again in November!

Chocolate Pumpkin Poke Cake

 

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

1 hour

 

Author: © Amanda Jenks

Serves: 9-12 servings

Ingredients

For the cake:

• ½ cup pumpkin puree
• ¼ cup buttermilk
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups (4 ounces) thawed cool whip
• chocolate curls
• chocolate syrup

For the ganache:

• ¼ cup half-and-half or heavy cream
• ⅔ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the pumpkin spice whipped topping:

• 1 cup (2 ounces) thawed cool whip
• ½ cup pumpkin butter

Directions

To make the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Grease an 8x8" metal baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Stir the pumpkin puree and the buttermilk together in a small liquid measuring cup. Set aside.
3. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
4. Using a hand mixer (or a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment), cream the butter, sugars, and vanilla together in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Add the pumpkin mixture and dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture alternately, beating well after each addition. I start with ⅓ of the dry ingredients, then ½ of the pumpkin mixture and so on ending with the last ⅓ of the dry ingredients.
6. Pour cake batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
7. When the cake is cool, prepare the chocolate ganache.

To make the chocolate ganache.

1. Heat the half-and-half or heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium high heat. When it comes just to a boil, remove it from the heat, and add in the chocolate chips. Cover and let sit for five minutes. Remove the lid and stir until completely smooth.
2. Let cool 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make the pumpkin spice whipped topping.

To make the pumpkin spice whipped topping:

1. Fold the pumpkin butter and one heaping cup of cool whip together until combined and smooth. Set aside in the refrigerator.

To assemble to poke cake:

1. Poke holes in the cake with the round end of a wooden spoon. Pour the cooled ganache over the cake. Drop large dollops of the pumpkin spiced whipped topping over the ganache with two large spoons. Spread into an even layer carefully with a rubber spatula or knife.
2. Finish cake by topping with approximately 2 cups of cool whip. Serve immediately; cut into squares and top with chocolate curls and/or a drizzle of chocolate syrup.

Notes

If you are not serving immediately, cover and refrigerate after spreading with the pumpkin spice whipped topping. Then, let sit at room temperature for one hour before serving, topping with the additional cool whip and garnishes just before serving.
The total amount of cool whip is 6 ounces. I buy a 12 ounce container, use half, and freeze the rest for use in the future.

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