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Mexican Chocolate Poke Cake

Mexican chocolate poke cake with a moist, coffee-braised crumb and cinnamon-cayenne warmth. Bake, pierce, and soak with sweetened condensed milk and chocolate syrup, then finish with whipped cream and a glossy chocolate drip style topping.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Rest time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cake
  • 1.75 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.75 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup strong brewed coffee, cooled
  • 0.5 cup vegetable oil
  • 0.5 cup buttermilk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Soak and topping
  • 1 cup sweetened condensed milk
  • 0.5 cup chocolate syrup
  • 2 cup whipped cream
  • 1 Chocolate shavings for topping

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake the cake
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x13 inch baking pan, keeping the pan ready to pour immediately. Visual cue: the pan looks lightly coated, not pooled with oil.
  2. Whisk together all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper until evenly combined. Visual cue: the dry mixture is uniformly brown with no spice clumps.
  3. Beat together eggs, strong brewed coffee (cooled), vegetable oil, buttermilk, and vanilla extract until smooth and glossy. Visual cue: the mixture turns lighter and fully emulsified.
  4. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined, stopping as soon as no dry pockets remain. Visual cue: thick batter with a smooth surface and no visible flour streaks.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 30-35 minutes at 350°F, until a toothpick comes out clean. Visual cue: the center springs back slightly and the top looks set.
Poke and soak
  1. While the cake is still warm, pierce all over with a fork so the holes reach throughout the crumb. Visual cue: lots of evenly spaced punctures across the entire surface.
  2. Combine sweetened condensed milk and chocolate syrup, then pour evenly over the warm cake to fill the holes. Visual cue: chocolate pools around edges and begins to soak in.
  3. Let the cake cool completely, covered if needed to prevent drying, for 30 minutes. Visual cue: the top thickens as the drizzle settles and turns glossy.
Finish and serve
  1. Top the cooled cake with whipped cream in an even layer. Visual cue: soft, snowy peaks that fully cover the chocolate-syrup surface.
  2. Sprinkle chocolate shavings over the whipped cream right before serving. Visual cue: dark curls are scattered across the top like a finished chocolate drip garnish.

Notes

For the best poke-cake soak, pierce immediately after baking while the cake is still warm, then pour the condensed milk and chocolate syrup in a steady stream so it penetrates evenly. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Freeze unfrosted cake (no whipped cream) up to 2 months; thaw in the fridge overnight and add whipped cream after. For a lighter twist, use light whipped topping in place of whipped cream while keeping the soak the same.