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This Death By Chocolate Poke Cake is for the serious chocolate lover! A chocolate cake that has been poked, filled, and covered with so much chocolate … Can you handle it?! 

chocolate poke cake slice on plate

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Death By Chocolate Poke Cake

Take my advice …. y’all might wanna sit down for this one. And say a prayer. Ask for forgiveness, because what you are about to see is a sin, I’m sure! You HAVE to make this Death By Chocolate Poke Cake – soon!!

What’s a girl to do when she wants chocolate? Go all out, of course! I seriously don’t think I could have stuffed much more chocolate into this cake without needing some sort of resuscitation! And we’re not talking about any kind of chocolate here folks …. when you have a serious chocolate deprivation, you go all out!

finished chocolate poke cake in pan

Feast your eyes upon this dark chocolate cake with luscious dark chocolate pudding and oozy dark chocolate topping ….. marry that with a divine mousse-like chocolate layer and for good measure, give it a full giant-sized dark chocolate bar. Be still my heart! I told y’all you would need to sit for this!

Some will call this cake a dream come true … and others will wonder what they got themselves into!! ? Apparently, I don’t need help finding temptation – I can find it all by myself! And I found it for you too! ? This would be a huge hit for any chocolate lover. Be forewarned, people WILL ask for the recipe so be sure to have it handy!

chocolate poke cake slices on plates with cake pan in background

Recipe for Chocolate Poke Cake

  • dark chocolate cake mix
  • Ingredients listed on the box to make the cake
  • instant Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate Pudding mix
  • milk
  • Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate topping
  • frozen whipped topping, thawed
  • Hershey Dark Chocolate candy bar
death by chocolate poke cake slice on plate

How to make Chocolate Poke Cake

  1. Bake the cake according to package directions using a 9×13-in. baking pan.
  2. Mix one of the pudding mixes with the 2 cups of milk in a medium bowl. Poke holes in the hot cake with the round end of a wooden spoon and slowly pour this mixture over the cake, trying to fill the holes.
  3. Microwave the chocolate topping (with the lid off) for about 45 seconds or until it pours easily. Pour evenly over the top of the cake. Let the cake cool completely.
  4. In a medium bowl, combine the second pudding mix with the additional 2 cups of milk. Carefully fold in the Cool Whip. Spread the mixture evenly over the top of the cake. Sprinkle the chopped candy bar over the top.
  5. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Store the cake (covered) in the refrigerator.
death by chocolate poke cake slice on plate

Poke Cake Tips and Tricks

If you have questions about making Death By Chocolate Poke Cake recipe, I have answers! Take a look at this section before leaving a comment if you run into trouble or just want some suggestions.

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  • If you cannot find the Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate Pudding at your local store – you may substitute any instant chocolate pudding in its place.
  • I found the chocolate topping near the ice cream toppings at my local big box store.
overhead view of chocolate poke cake slice on plate

Other poke cake recipes you may enjoy:

chocolate poke cake slice on plate
4.46 from 907 votes
Servings: 24 servings

Death By Chocolate Poke Cake

By Jamie Sherman
This Death By Chocolate Poke Cake is for the serious chocolate lover! A chocolate cake that has been poked, filled, and covered with so much chocolate … Can you handle it?! 
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 33 minutes
Total: 53 minutes

Would you like to save this?

We’ll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

Ingredients 

For the Cake:

  • 1 package dark chocolate cake mix, 15.25 oz.
  • Ingredients listed on the box to make the cake
  • 1 box instant Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Pudding mix, 3.56 oz.
  • 4 cups milk, divided
  • 1 box Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate topping, 12.8 oz.

For the topping:

  • 1 box instant Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Pudding mix, 3.56 oz.
  • 1 container frozen whipped topping, thawed, 8 oz.
  • 1 Giant Hershey Dark Chocolate candy bar, chopped, 6.8 oz.

Instructions 

  • Bake the cake according to package directions using a 9×13-inch baking pan.
  • Mix the pudding mix with 2 cups of milk in a medium bowl. Poke holes in the hot cake with the round end of a wooden spoon and slowly pour this mixture over the cake, trying to fill the holes.
  • Microwave the chocolate topping (with the lid off) for about 45 seconds or until it pours easily. Pour evenly over the top of the cake. Let the cake cool completely.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the second pudding mix with the additional 2 cups of milk. Carefully fold in the whipped topping. Spread the mixture evenly over the top of the cake. Sprinkle the chopped candy bar over the top.
  • Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Store the cake (covered) in the refrigerator.

Notes

  • If you cannot find the Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate Pudding at your local store – you may substitute any instant chocolate pudding in its place.
  • I found the chocolate topping near the ice cream toppings at my local big box store.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g, Calories: 252kcal, Carbohydrates: 37g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.003g, Cholesterol: 5mg, Sodium: 336mg, Potassium: 248mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 23g, Vitamin A: 77IU, Vitamin C: 0.03mg, Calcium: 98mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this? Leave a comment below!

Originally published on July 25, 2016. Updated on June 21, 2020.

Jamie

Jamie Sherman founded Love Bakes Good Cakes in February 2012. She is a self-taught home cook passionate about sharing easy, delicious, and family-friendly recipes. From comforting classics to irresistible desserts, I believe homemade food brings people together. Join me on my journey of creating and sharing meals that bring joy to every table!

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4.46 from 907 votes (906 ratings without comment)

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135 Comments

  1. Donna says:

    Making this delicious looking cake as I type! I added about 1/8 cup of crème de menthe in the cake mix and also crème de menthe chips. Sprinkled more of the chips on top. Cannot wait to try it!! Thank you for the recipe!!

  2. Sue says:

    By chocolate topping, do you mean hersheys syrup or hot fudge sauce? Thanks for the recipe!

  3. Rainy says:

    5 stars
    There are many versions of this recipe out there, but this one is a great one. The cake stays so incredibly moist!
    I slightly tweaked the frosting by only using 1.5 cups of milk in the pudding. this helps the pudding stay a little firmer and I used real whipped cream. it makes all the difference in the world.
    Also, I crushed Skor candy bars and sprinkled them on top instead of the plain chocolate. the drizzle caramel on top.

    This is a huge hit with my family. mother-in-law asks for this cake every year.

  4. Pamela Lynn Dankert says:

    The first time I made it I accidentally used regular chocolate frosting after putting it in the microwave to pour on the top. As it turned out my husband loved it like that so I made it that way the second time just so you know it was great!!

  5. Eva says:

    I made this sheet cake over the weekend and it came out great. The whole family absolutely loved it. So good and fairly easy to make. One of the best chocolate cakes I have ever made.

  6. Bali tour says:

    This cake was amazing! Tq!

  7. Stella says:

    Can you use chocolate frosting on top instead of the cool whip topping?

    1. Jamie says:

      Sure!

  8. Ranel says:

    I’ve made this 2 times! Amazingly good. Just make sure the middle of the cake is done or it turns out to soft, almost raw. It’s an awesome poke cake and one I know I’ll make many times over!

    1. Stella says:

      Can you use regular chocolate frosting on top instead of the whipped topping one?

  9. Aimee says:

    This cake was amazing!!! We will be making this one a lot. All the boys are raving about this cake. Thank you for the recipe!!!