Extreme Chocolate Poke Cake

By srumbel

Chocolate cake topped with layers of chocolate pudding, chocolate ganache, chocolate whipped cream, caramel sauce, and mini chocolate chips. A true chocolate lover's dessert!
Author: JavaCupcake

Ingredients

• Cake
• 2 cups granulated cane sugar (15 ounces)
• 1 3/4 cups flour (7.7 ounces)
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 8 ounces (1 liquid cup) milk, any variety
• 1/2 cup butter (melted and cooled) or vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 small (3.6 oz.) boxes instant chocolate pudding mix, divided in half
• 32 ounces (4 liquid cups) milk (any variety), divided in half
• 8 ounce tub of prepared whipped topping or 2 cups of homemade whipped cream
• Chocolate Ganache
• 4 Tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter*
• 4 ounces (1/2 liquid cup) whole or 2% milk*
• 8 ounces good quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup prepared caramel sauce
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Details

Preparation time 15mins
Cooking time 50mins

Preparation

Step 1

Heat oven to 350°F.
Lightly grease a 9-inch x 13-inch baking pan with butter or non-stick spray.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), add the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed with a electric hand or stand mixer for 1 minute. Add the dry ingredients and mix on medium speed for 3 minutes. Stir in the boiling water. (The mixture will look very thin and runny at this point, but that's okay.)
Pour the mixture into your prepared baking dish. Bake for 35-38 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs. Remove pan from oven and place onto a wire rack to cool for 10-15 minutes.
While cake cools slightly, make 2 separate batches of the chocolate pudding according to box directions, but use a large mixing bowl for one batch. To that large batch, use a mixing spatula or spoon to gently fold in the whipped cream until well combined.
Also while cake is cooling, make a batch of chocolate ganache.
After the cake cools slightly but is still warm, use the end of a wooden spoon to poke 6 rows of holes into the cake. Each of the 6 rows should have 6 holes across (total of 36 holes in the cake). Use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to cover the cake with the chocolate pudding (not the batch with whipped cream added to it). Try to push as much pudding into the holes as you can.
Pour the chocolate ganache layer over the pudding and use the same offset spatula to spread it evenly across the cake.
Add the whipped cream and pudding mixture on top of the chocolate ganache and use a spatula to spread it evenly across the cake.
Next, drizzle caramel sauce over the entire cake and then sprinkle with chocolate chips.
Cover the pan with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.
Serves: 16
Notes
* If preferred, you can omit butter and milk in the chocolate ganache and instead, use 8 ounces (1 liquid cup) heavy whipping cream)