This easy and delicious chocolate peanut butter poke cake is large enough to feed a crowd and a great dessert to bring to the party.
I often get asked to bring dessert to one of our family parties. There's always a pretty big group, so I want to make sure I make something that serves more than 6 or 8 people. I also have a lot of people in my family who love the combination of chocolate and peanut butter. So this chocolate peanut butter poke cake made in a 9 x 13 pan was just the trick.
More Chocolate Peanut Butter Desserts
The other dessert I brought was a triple berry buckle with a crunchy crumb topping. It was made in a smaller pan, but served with ice cream on the side, allowing smaller servings.
Making a Chocolate Peanut Butter Poke Cake
Poke cakes are often made with pudding, but this one uses a peanut butter sauce. It's just melted creamy peanut butter with a little extra butter and water to thin it out.
What is a Poke Cake?
As you may have guessed, a poke cake is a cake that is first baked. Then you poke holes all over and fill them with a delicious pudding mix, or in this case, a peanut butter sauce.
How Do You Poke a Cake?
Use the end of a wooden spoon to poke holes about 2/3 to 3/4 into the cake. Spread the holes evenly throughout the cake. You want enough so that each piece gets some of the filling, but not so many that there's not enough cake.
The chocolate cake is a box mix. I always add a small box of chocolate pudding and an extra egg (total of 3). That makes it a very moist chocolate cake.
Be the first to receive new posts and get access to our Subscribers Only Page.
Spread a layer of peanut butter sauce all over the cake and let it sink down into the holes.
After the sauce is spread, the cake goes into the refrigerator for about 20 minutes to set up. Then it's frosted with buttercream frosting.
A little hot fudge, more peanut butter sauce, and chopped up peanuts are drizzled on top of the cake for a decorative look.
I guarantee this chocolate peanut butter flavor combo will be a big hit. It's super moist, a little decadent. Also, it's sliced into 24 servings, so it's perfect for a larger group.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Poke Cake
Ingredients
- Box of chocolate cake mix.
- 1 box of instant chocolate pudding 3.9 oz
- an extra egg if box mix only calls for 2 eggs.
- 2 tablespoons chopped peanuts
- 2 tablespoons hot fudge or chocolate sauce
Peanut Butter Sauce
- 16 oz jar of creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons water
Frosting
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons or more of milk
Instructions
- Bake the chocolate cake in a 9 x 13 inch pan according to the directions on the box, adding an extra egg if needed (total of 3) and the chocolate pudding mix.
- Remove cake from the oven and cool. Poke holes evenly spaced, about 2/3 into the cake, with the end of a wooden spoon.
- In a saucepan, heat peanut butter, butter, and water. Whisk together until the peanut butter is melted and drips easily off a spoon.
- Reserve 2 tablespoons of the peanut butter sauce and pour the remaining amount over the cake.
- Set in refrigerator to set. (about 20 minutes.)
- Meanwhile, make the frosting by whipping powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla together in a large bowl. Add enough milk to get the consistency you like.
- Remove cake from refrigerator, top with frosting, and drizzle the reserved peanut butter sauce, and hot fudge, and sprinkle chopped peanuts all over.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although attempts have been made to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.
Jamee
Made this for a birthday! Everyone loved it!! Delicious 😋
Patti Estep
Wonderful! That's great to hear. Thanks for sharing Jamee.
AMY Forgione
Is the pudding instant or cook and serve.
Wasn’t sure if it mattered
Thank you
Patti Estep
Amy, it's instant pudding. I didn't realize there was a difference. I'll update the recipe. Thanks for pointing this out
judy swilley
Do you put the pudding mix (powder) in the cake batter?
Patti Estep
Yes Judy, I add it with the dry box mix. Sorry if that wasn't clear.
Dee
Oh my gosh that looks so dang good! I love anything with peanut butter and chocolate. I bet that pudding really makes it moist. This might sound crazy but could you make these into cupcakes?
Patti Estep
Thanks Dee. You could definitely make them into cupcakes.
Lynn
Curious... You say this serves 24 people. It is 13x9 pan which normally serves 12-15. If it serves 24 they must be tiny pieces. 😂 Guaranteed in my family it'd be 12!! Cake sounds amazing!
Patti Estep
Lynn, I often cut my 13 x 9 cakes into a 6 x 4 giving us 24 pieces. Especially with a decadent cake like this one. Sometimes I'll go with 5 x 4 for 20 pieces but usually not more. And the pan was pretty deep. Anyway, you can always have seconds. Of course, you could cut it any way you like. Hope your family loves it.
Lynn
Oh I am so sad. I made this for a picnic today. I have to say this cake is a bit overwhelming for me. You weren't kidding when you said it is decadent..way too rich for me in flavors with the thick peanut butter layer and the heavy frosting. I was disappointed. 🙁
Patti Estep
Lynn, it is really rich and I'm sorry to hear that you did not care for it. Hopefully, someone at your picnic enjoyed the work you put into your dessert.
Ana Maria
Never made a poke cake but this one sounds delicious.
Looks like you have convinced me to turn on the oven even during this heatwave. Thanks for the tempting recipe!
Patti Estep
LOL Ana. I hope it's worth it.
Sandra
My husband loves peanut butter so we buy it in 6 lb. cans. About how much would I need to measure out to make this cake?
Patti Estep
Sandra, I used an entire 16 oz. jar of creamy peanut butter which is about 2 cups. Hope he loves it.