Peanut Butter Chocolate Poke Cake

Name: Peanut Butter Chocolate Poke Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 20 servings.
Ingredients: 1 package chocolate cake mix (regular size); 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided; Dash salt; 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter; 2 cans (14 ounces each) sweetened condensed milk; 1 cup confectioners' sugar; TOPPINGS: chopped peanut butter-filled sandwich cookies or peanut butter cups or a combination of the two

When my family is planning a get-together, I can count on three or four people asking if I'm bringing this chocolate peanut butter poke cake. If you don't have a chocolate cake mix, use a white or yellow one and stir in 3 tablespoons of baking cocoa. —Fay Moreland, Wichita Falls, Texas

Ingredients

1 package chocolate cake mix (regular size)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
Dash salt
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cans (14 ounces each) sweetened condensed milk
1 cup confectioners' sugar
TOPPINGS: chopped peanut butter-filled sandwich cookies or peanut butter cups or a combination of the two

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare cake mix according to package directions, adding 1 teaspoon vanilla and salt before mixing batter. Transfer to a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake and cool completely as package directs.
Whisk peanut butter and milk until blended. Using the end of a wooden spoon handle, poke holes in cake 2 in. apart. Slowly pour 2 cups peanut butter mixture over cake, filling each hole. Refrigerate cake and remaining peanut butter mixture, covered, until cake is cold, 2-3 hours.
Combine remaining vanilla and remaining peanut butter mixture; gradually beat in enough confectioners' sugar to reach a spreading consistency. Spread over cake. Add toppings as desired. Refrigerate leftovers.

Test Kitchen Tips

Try using nutella in place of the peanut butter and adding a Tb of hazelnut liquor to the milk mixture. Top with chopped toasted hazelnuts!

This is incredibly rich and decadent—our staff couldn't keep their hands off it! If you want to lighten it up a bit, though, you can halve the glaze ingredients and use a thinner layer on top.

Nutrition Facts

1 piece: 360 calories, 16g fat (4g saturated fat), 41mg cholesterol, 312mg sodium, 49g carbohydrate (40g sugars, 1g fiber), 7g protein.

Originally published as Chocolate & Peanut Butter Poke Cake in Taste of Home September/October 2017

Reviews

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Average Rating:

Debbie

Mar 19, 2019

This cake turned out to be a big hit! Because I started making it so late in the day, I put the cake and the frosting mixture in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning I just put the frosting in the microwave for about 20 seconds to soften it. The only thing that I did different is that I only used about one cup instead of 2 cups of the peanut butter mixture because I thought it might be too much. Therefore I would probably make half of the mixture the next time since I threw alot of it away. Again this tastes fantastic! Will make again!
Hayley

Jan 23, 2019

This cake is fantastic! Made the nutella version and made my own chocolate cake recipe rather than a box mix. Next time I would make the frosting for the top a little differently to thicken it up, but it was really really tasty!
Remenec

Oct 2, 2017

I loved this recipe! This is my first time trying a poke cake, but it certainly won't be my last! Initially the icing is runny, but it's so it absorbs into the cake. If you put the remaining icing in the fridge like the directions say, it's the perfect spreading consistency. The overall taste was delicious! I if you like chocolate and peanut butter, this recipe is for you!
Jenny TePoel

Sep 19, 2017

I made this tonight, and everyone was quite pleased. cakes typically do soak up what's being poured on top. Crazy. I know. And... it just gets better as it sits covered in fridge. Very good.
IslandKai

Sep 11, 2017

Deserves a negative rating. Everything about it was horrible. Chilling the cake & frosting was a big mistake which caused the cake to soak up everything and become gummy, heavy and disgustingly thick. Ours is in the garbage after one piece (not eaten). Don't make this! Awful, horrid, disgusting.
DJDaly

Sep 11, 2017

This did not turn out well. The frosting mixture all ran off the cake and was unattractive. And the cake with the peanut butter mixture and frosting tasted like eating liquid sugar.