The Best Decadent Caramel Poke Cake Recipe for Sweet Lovers

Caramel poke cake reimagines ordinary desserts into extraordinary culinary experiences that delight sweet-toothed enthusiasts everywhere.

Rich layers of moist cake create a canvas for indulgent flavor combinations that spark immediate cravings.

Soft, pillowy textures merge with smooth, golden caramel drizzles that penetrate every delectable crumb.

Each slice promises a symphony of sweetness that awakens sensory memories and comfort food nostalgia.

Delicate yet bold, this dessert represents the perfect balance between sophisticated technique and homemade charm.

Warm aromas will drift through your kitchen, signaling a treat that transcends traditional cake expectations.

Baking enthusiasts and novice cooks alike can master this crowd-pleasing confection with straightforward techniques.

All the Reasons Everyone Loves a Caramel Poke Cake

• Indulge in Rich Chocolate Comfort: This cake delivers deep, intense chocolate flavor with a moist, tender crumb that melts in your mouth, perfect for serious chocolate lovers seeking ultimate dessert satisfaction.
• Surprise with Caramel Magic: The unique poke cake technique allows sweet, gooey caramel to penetrate every inch of the cake, creating surprise pockets of creamy sweetness in each delightful bite.
• Quick and Easy Crowd-Pleaser: With simple ingredients and straightforward mixing method, this recipe requires minimal baking skills yet produces an impressive dessert that looks like it came from a professional bakery, making it ideal for family gatherings or casual celebrations.
• Make-Ahead Dessert Convenience: The cake actually improves after chilling for several hours, allowing busy home cooks to prepare it in advance and ensuring maximum flavor development with minimal last-minute effort.

Gather These Ingredients for Caramel Poke Cake Magic

• All-Purpose Flour: Fine, soft flour that provides structure and base for the cake's tender crumb.
• Cocoa Powder, Unsweetened: Rich, deep chocolate flavor with intense dark color and smooth texture.
• Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness and helps create soft, moist cake texture.
• Baking Powder, Baking Soda: Essential leavening agents that help cake rise and become light and fluffy.
• Salt: Enhances overall flavor and balances sweetness of the cake.

• Eggs: Provide richness, structure, and help bind cake ingredients together.
• Vanilla Extract: Adds warm, classic flavor that complements chocolate perfectly.
• Milk: Creates moisture and contributes to cake's soft texture.
• Brewed Coffee, Cooled: Intensifies chocolate flavor and adds depth to the cake.
• Vegetable Oil: Ensures cake remains moist and tender, preventing dryness.

• Caramel Sauce, Sweetened Condensed Milk: Provide rich, sweet layers that soak into cake, creating decadent, gooey texture.
• Chocolate Sauce: Adds extra indulgence and decorative touch for final presentation.

The Process Behind Every Poked and Soaked Slice

Step 1: Warm Up the Baking Zone

Crank your oven to 350°F (177°C). Grab a 9×13 inch baking dish and give it a loving coating of grease and flour to prevent any cake-sticking drama.

Step 2: Create the Dry Landscape

• Flour
• Cocoa powder
• Sugar
• Baking soda
• Baking powder
• Pinch of salt

Blend these ingredients until they become best friends.

Step 3: Bring Wet Ingredients to Life

• Eggs
• Milk
• Oil
• Vanilla extract

Whip these together with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes until super smooth. Slowly welcome the cooled coffee, creating a silky liquid landscape.

Step 4: Bake to Perfection

Pour the batter into your prepared dish, smoothing the top with a spatula’s gentle touch. Slide into the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes. Check doneness with a toothpick- it should come out clean. Let the cake cool and settle.

Step 5: Craft the Caramel Magic

Blend caramel sauce with sweetened condensed milk in a separate bowl, creating a luscious mixture.

Step 6: Poke and Drench

Using a wooden spoon’s handle, create little holes across the cake’s surface. Carefully pour the caramel mixture, watching it cascade into every crevice.

Step 7: Chill and Set

Tuck the cake into the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, allowing the caramel to make itself completely at home.

Step 8: Final Flourish

Before serving, drizzle chocolate sauce across the top for an extra layer of decadent deliciousness.

Techniques That Take This Cake to the Next Level

• Master the Hole-Poking: Use the handle end of a wooden spoon to create uniform, evenly spaced holes that reach about halfway through the cake for perfect caramel distribution.
• Temperature Control: Let the cake cool completely before adding caramel to prevent splitting or breaking, ensuring a smooth and seamless absorption of the sweet sauce.
• Caramel Consistency Trick: Warm the caramel sauce slightly to make it more pourable and help it penetrate the cake holes more effectively and evenly.
• Chill for Maximum Flavor: Allow the cake to rest in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, to let the caramel fully soak and enhance the cake's moisture and taste.
• Sauce Swirl Technique: Drizzle chocolate sauce in a zigzag pattern just before serving to create a professional-looking presentation that adds extra visual appeal and decadent flavor.

Make-Ahead Tips for Caramel Cake Leftovers

• Refrigerate: Store the cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil to prevent drying out and absorbing other food odors.
• Freeze: Wrap individual slices or the entire cake in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
• Reheat: Warm individual slices in the microwave for 15-20 seconds. For best texture, let the cake sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving to soften the caramel and restore its creamy consistency.

Sweet Pairings for a Slice of Caramel Heaven

• Sip Sweet Caramel Companions: Pair this rich chocolate caramel cake with a creamy Irish coffee or a smooth bourbon-based cocktail to complement its deep flavors and enhance the dessert's decadent profile.
• Munch Complementary Textures: Serve alongside a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or whipped mascarpone cream to balance the cake's intense sweetness and provide a cool, smooth contrast.
• Elevate Flavor Dynamics: Match the cake with a robust port wine or a sweet dessert wine like Moscato, which will echo the caramel notes and cut through the chocolate's richness while adding a sophisticated drinking experience.
• Boost Presentation Pleasure: Garnish the plate with toasted almond slivers or a light dusting of sea salt to introduce a crunchy element and create a more complex taste sensation that enhances the cake's existing flavor layers.

Exciting Twists to Personalize This Poke Cake

• Chocolate Coffee Caramel Swirl: Transform the classic recipe by adding a swirl of chocolate ganache and coffee-infused caramel sauce, creating a rich, indulgent dessert with deep, complex flavors.
• Salted Caramel Nutty Delight: Sprinkle chopped pecans or almonds over the caramel layer and add a touch of sea salt to enhance the sweet-savory profile, adding delightful crunch and depth.
• Mocha Caramel Cream Cake: Top the cake with a light mocha whipped cream, made by blending whipped cream with espresso powder and a hint of cocoa, creating an airy and sophisticated finish.
• Coconut Caramel Dream: Incorporate toasted coconut flakes between layers and drizzle with a coconut-infused caramel sauce, offering a tropical and creamy interpretation of the original recipe.

Decadent Caramel Poke Cake Recipe

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4.9 from 37 reviews

• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: 12 1x

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Description

Caramel poke cake delivers a symphony of rich, gooey sweetness that delights dessert enthusiasts. Creamy caramel cascades through moist cake layers, creating an irresistible treat you cannot resist indulging in.

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Ingredients

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Main Ingredients:

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup brewed coffee, cooled
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Leavening and Seasoning Ingredients:

• 1½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Sauce and Topping Ingredients:

• 1 jar caramel sauce (12.25 fluid ounces / 360 milliliters)
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 ounces / 410 milliliters)
• Chocolate sauce (for garnish)

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Instructions

1. Meticulously calibrate the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C) and lovingly coat a 9×13 inch baking vessel with a thin layer of grease and flour to guarantee effortless cake release.
2. In a spacious mixing vessel, delicately combine the dry ingredients, whisking them together until perfectly integrated.
3. Introduce the liquid components – eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla essence – to the dry mixture, employing an electric mixer to create a silky, homogeneous batter that transforms with each rotation.
4. Gently incorporate the cooled coffee, allowing the liquid to cascade into the mixture and create a luxuriously fluid consistency.
5. Transfer the gossamer batter into the prepared baking dish, using a spatula to sculpt a perfectly even surface that promises uniform baking.
6. Position the cake in the preheated oven, allowing it to transform for 35-40 minutes until a slender testing implement emerges pristine when inserted into the center.
7. After removing the cake, permit it to rest and slightly contract, optionally smoothing the surface with a gentle press.
8. Craft a luscious caramel fusion by blending caramel sauce with sweetened condensed milk until harmoniously combined.
9. Once the cake has cooled, strategically perforate the surface using a wooden spoon’s handle, creating channels for the caramel to infiltrate.
10. Lavishly cascade the caramel mixture across the cake, ensuring each carefully created hole becomes a conduit for sweet indulgence.
11. Refrigerate the transformed dessert for a minimum of 4 hours, allowing the caramel to permeate and intensify the cake’s character.
12. Before presentation, embellish the surface with an artful drizzle of chocolate sauce, elevating the dessert to a truly magnificent finale.

Notes

• Refrigerate this indulgent dessert to let caramel deeply penetrate every delicious cake pore.
• Wooden spoon creates perfect holes for caramel’s sweet invasion across cake’s warm landscape.
• Condensed milk blends seamlessly with caramel, transforming ordinary cake into extraordinary treat.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Category: Desserts
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 12
• Calories: 430
• Sugar: 49 g
• Sodium: 250 mg
• Fat: 16 g
• Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 13.5 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 67 g
• Fiber: 2 g
• Protein: 6 g
• Cholesterol: 30 mg