Description
A rich, moist chocolate poke cake soaked in chocolate syrup and topped with a creamy peanut butter mousse and mini Reese’s cups. This crowd-pleasing dessert is easy to make, make-ahead friendly, and perfect for parties.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 box (15.25 oz / 432g) yellow cake mix
- 1 box (3.4 oz / 96g) instant chocolate pudding mix
- 3 eggs (implied by standard box mix instructions)
- 1/3 cup (80ml) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (240ml) hot coffee or hot water
- 1 cup (240ml) chocolate syrup
- 1/2 cup (120ml) boiling water
- 1 cup (250g) creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (150g) mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.
- In a large bowl, combine yellow cake mix, instant chocolate pudding mix, eggs, vegetable oil, and hot coffee. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes until smooth.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not overbake.
- While the cake bakes, mix chocolate syrup with boiling water in a small bowl.
- As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, poke holes all over the surface about 1 inch apart using a wooden spoon handle or chopsticks.
- Pour the chocolate syrup mixture evenly over the hot cake. Let the cake cool completely in the pan (1-2 hours).
- In a medium bowl, combine creamy peanut butter, heavy cream, powdered sugar, and salt. Beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Spread the peanut butter topping evenly over the cooled cake.
- Sprinkle chopped mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups over the top.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving to let the topping set.
Notes
The cake gets better after sitting in the fridge for a few hours. Ensure the cake is warm when pouring the syrup for best absorption. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For a gluten-free option, use a gluten-free cake mix. For a dairy-free version, use coconut cream instead of heavy cream.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 square slice
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 38
- Sodium: 320
- Fat: 24
- Saturated Fat: 10
- Carbohydrates: 52
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 8
Keywords: Reese's cake, poke cake, peanut butter chocolate, party dessert, easy cake recipe, make ahead dessert