This Chocolate Ganache Poke Cake with Berries starts with a light, fluffy white cake, fills it with rich chocolate ganache, and finishes it with whipped ganache and a pile of fresh berries. It's an easy make-ahead dessert for potlucks, birthdays, and summer gatherings, and every slice has ribbons of chocolate running right through it.
Love this style of dessert? Browse all of our easy poke cake recipes for more fillings and flavors.
What Is a Poke Cake?
Poke cake was invented by the Jell-O company in 1969 as a way to sell more gelatin. The original version starts with a baked white sheet cake. Once it cools, you poke holes all over the top with a fork, pour strawberry Jell-O over it so it runs down into the holes, and chill the cake until the gelatin sets. Then the whole thing gets frosted with whipped topping.
Poke cakes are enjoying renewed popularity, and bakers now fill them with everything from salted caramel, flavored syrups and boozy cocktail mixtures to coffee and chocolate ganache. This chocolate poke cake with ganache keeps the easy boxed-cake base but swaps the gelatin for a simple two-ingredient chocolate filling, so you get pockets of fudgy chocolate in a tender white crumb.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- White cake mix. A box of white cake mix, prepared with the eggs, oil and water listed on the package, keeps this recipe easy. Its light, airy crumb soaks up the ganache and makes a pretty contrast with the dark chocolate. Older recipes call for an 18.25-ounce box, but today's smaller boxes (about 13 to 16 ounces) work just as well. Yellow cake mix or a homemade white sheet cake are fine swaps.
- Chocolate chips. Semi-sweet chocolate chips melt into a glossy ganache that's rich without being cloying. Use bittersweet chips for a darker flavor, or milk chocolate chips for a sweeter, kid-friendly version (milk chocolate makes a softer ganache, so give it a little longer in the fridge before whipping).
- Heavy whipping cream. The cream turns the melted chocolate into a smooth, pourable ganache and gives the whipped ganache layer its body. Use heavy cream or whipping cream; half-and-half or milk won't whip.
- Whipped topping. A thawed tub of whipped topping adds a light, creamy layer between the ganache and the berries. You can swap in about 2 cups of homemade sweetened whipped cream, or skip it and pile the berries straight onto the whipped ganache, the way the cake in the photos is finished.
- Mixed berries. Strawberries, blueberries and raspberries add color and a fresh, tart bite that balances the chocolate. Halve or slice large strawberries, and pat all the berries dry so they don't weep into the topping.
Helpful Tips
Match the holes to the filling. Change up the size of the holes you poke to suit the filling you're using. For thin syrups or gelatin, perforate the entire top of the cake with a fork. For thicker sauces and creams like this ganache, poke evenly spaced, larger holes with a wooden skewer or the tip of a wooden spoon handle, about an inch apart.
Fill the holes with a cake injector. A cake injector is the easiest way to make sure a perfect portion of that chocolate ganache ends up in every single bite. A stainless steel cupcake injector works like a big syringe: draw up the warm ganache, push the tip about halfway down into the cake, and squeeze gently as you pull it out so each hole fills from the bottom up. Work in a grid about an inch apart. No injector? Poke the holes with a spoon handle, pour the ganache over the top, and nudge it into the holes with a spatula.
Let the cake cool completely. Bake the cake in a 9x13 baking pan and give it at least an hour to cool before you fill it. Warm cake is fragile and tears around the holes, and it melts the ganache so it soaks in unevenly. To speed things up, cool it for 20 minutes on the counter, then 20 more in the fridge.
Keep the ganache warm, not hot. Melt the chips and cream together over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, and take the pan off the heat as soon as the mixture is smooth. Let it sit for about 10 minutes before filling the cake. Ganache that boils can split and turn grainy or oily.
Chill before you whip. The remaining ganache needs about 30 minutes in the fridge, until it's cool and thick like pudding but not firm. Whip it on high in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer for 2 to 3 minutes, until it turns a lighter brown and holds soft peaks. If it sets too firm to whip, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes and try again.
Variations
- Mint chocolate. Stir ¼ teaspoon of peppermint extract into the warm ganache, or use the filling from our Mint Chocolate Ganache, and top the cake with fresh mint leaves along with the berries.
- White chocolate and raspberry. Make the ganache with white chocolate chips and top the cake with raspberries for a pretty white-and-red dessert. White chocolate ganache is softer, so chill it a little longer before whipping.
- Double chocolate. Use a chocolate or devil's food cake mix instead of white for an all-chocolate cake. If you want even more, try our Quadruple Chocolate Poke Cake.
- Hot fudge. Swap the ganache filling for warm homemade hot fudge sauce, which soaks in quickly and stays fudgy when chilled.
- Mocha. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of instant espresso powder in the cream before adding the chocolate chips. Coffee deepens the chocolate flavor without making the cake taste like coffee.
- Red, white and blue. Top the cake with strawberries and blueberries only for an easy Fourth of July or Memorial Day dessert.
Serving Ideas
Cut this cake straight from the pan into 12 squares and serve it cold, so the ganache stays firm and the slices hold their shape. A thin knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between cuts gives you the cleanest edges. It's a natural fit for potlucks, birthday parties, showers and backyard barbecues, since it travels in its own pan and needs nothing more than berries on top before serving.
Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a spoonful of extra berries on the side. If you're putting together a dessert table, pair it with something fruity and light, like our Berries and Cream Sheet Cake, so guests can choose between chocolate and fruit (or take a little of both).
Storing & Freezing
Keep leftover poke cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The berries soften and release juice after the first day, so if you plan to serve the cake over several days, top only the slices you're serving and keep the rest of the berries in a separate container. You can also make the cake through the whipped ganache layer a day ahead, cover it, and add the whipped topping and berries just before serving.
To freeze, leave off the whipped topping and berries. Freeze the ganache-topped cake in its pan, or cut it into squares and wrap each one in plastic wrap and foil, for up to 2 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, then add the whipped topping and fresh berries. Don't freeze the cake with berries on top, because they turn mushy as they thaw.
More Poke Cake Recipes
If you loved this recipe, here are a few more poke cakes you might enjoy:
Recipe
Chocolate Ganache Poke Cake with Berries
Equipment
- cake injector optional
- small pot or saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 18.25 ounce package white cake mix, prepared to package instructions plus the eggs, oil and water listed on the box (any standard 13 to 16 oz box works)
- 1 ½ cups chocolate chips semi-sweet
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 cups mixed berries such as strawberries, blueberries and raspberries
- 8 ounces whipped topping thawed
Instructions
- Prepare the cake mix according to the package directions and bake it in a greased 9x13-inch pan for the time listed on the box (usually 25 to 30 minutes), until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely, about 1 hour.
- Make the ganache: combine the chocolate chips and heavy whipping cream in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until the chips melt and the mixture is smooth, 4 to 5 minutes; don't let it boil. Remove from the heat and let it cool for 10 minutes.
- Fill the cake with about ⅓ of the ganache. With a cake injector, push the tip halfway into the cake and squeeze gently as you pull it out, working in a grid about 1 inch apart. Without an injector, poke holes 1 inch apart with the handle of a wooden spoon or a skewer, then pour the ganache over the cake and nudge it into the holes.
- Refrigerate the remaining ganache for about 30 minutes, stirring once, until it's cool and thick but not firm. Transfer it to the bowl of a stand mixer and whip on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until it's lighter in color and holds soft peaks.
- Spread the whipped ganache evenly over the cake. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours, until set.
- Just before serving, spread the whipped topping over the ganache and scatter the berries on top. Cut into 12 squares and serve cold.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition details are an estimate, per serving.
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