Peanut Butter Chocolate Poke Cake

 Peanut butter is perhaps one of the most famous spreads on earth; it has taken the world by storm, with the creamy, buttery texture and its ability to be sweet yet savory. Peanut butter is ideal for anyone with a savory palate. When made into a dessert, the subtly sweet and nutty flavor isn’t overwhelming.

Poke cake 

All you need is a great cake recipe, a gooey sauce, and a wooden spoon to make delicious poke cake. By poking holes into the cake with the back of a wooden spoon and pouring sauce into the cake, you can rescue even the driest of cakes. This is an easy way to make an impressive single-layer cake without getting into the tricky art of slicing into the cake’s middle and creating layered cakes.

Most poke cakes are made with a wide variety of sauces, from caramel to chocolate; you can use any cake flavor.

The trick to getting the perfect cake is not poking the holes too close together.

There should be a hole per slice of cake.

A poke cake is quick and easy to make; it ready in an hour and a half. 

Chocolate peanut butter poke cake with peanut butter frosting

If you love chocolate cake with decadent frosting and creamy peanut butter, this is the recipe you have been waiting for.

Use a cast-iron casserole dish like the Uno Casa one for baking the cake as an alternative to the traditionally square version.

Don’t resist the urge to double it up and make an extra one! 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 ³/₄ cups all-purpose flour
• ³/₄ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 ¹/₂ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 medium-sized eggs
• ¹/₂ cup vegetable oil
• 1 ¹/₂ cups milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Sauce:

• ²/₃ cup creamy peanut butter
• 28 oz sweetened condensed milk

Frosting:

• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 10 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Topping: Chopped Reese’s peanut butter cups, chocolate syrup 

How to Make Chocolate Peanut Butter Poke Cake

The cake:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a round cast-iron casserole dish with parchment paper, or grease and flour the baking dish.

In a stand mixer or a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder.

 

In a mixing jug, combine the milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.

Mix on the medium-low speed for 2 minutes until well combined.

Pour into the casserole dish and bake. 

The cake should take approximately 30 – 35 minutes to bake completely.

A toothpick should come out clean.

Once the cake has baked, set it aside and allow it to cool completely. 

The Sauce:

Warm the peanut butter up and whisk it into the condensed milk. The mixture should be runny and smooth. 

Using the back of a wooden spoon or a clean finger, carefully poke holes into the cake.

Pour the sauce over the cake, allow the holes to fill, don’t use all of the sauce.

Keep the leftover sauce for the frosting. 

For the peanut butter frosting:

In a stand mixer or a bowl, cream together the confectioner’s sugar and the butter.

Pour in the leftover peanut butter sauce.

Beat on low until well combined.

Add more confectioners sugar to the mixture if it is too runny; the frosting should be thick enough to spread.

Spread the frosting onto the cake evenly, smooth out any large pieces with a silicone spatula.

Roughly chop Reese’s peanut butter cups up and spread them out evenly on top of the cake.

Drizzle with generous layers of chocolate sauce. 

Slice and serve with whipped cream or on its own! 

Tip: Serve the cake in the casserole dish or remove and frost the edges for a polished and clean-looking cake.

This recipe can be divided and made into cupcakes as well, reduce the baking time down accordingly. 

Family fun

The beauty of a poke cake is how adaptable the recipe is.

You can use a pre-made chocolate cake mix, or try marbling chocolate and vanilla cake mix together.

Make sure to make the cake according to the box’s instructions and allow it to cool. 

The cakes are easy enough for kids to help in the kitchen.

Kids can help with poking holes into the cake and pouring the sauce.

The cake won’t last very long as it is bound to be a family favorite. 

Nutty and chocolate alternatives 

Try making this recipe with toasted hazelnuts and melted Nutella for decadent chocolate hazelnut poke cake.

For best results, make your own homemade Nutella and pour it into the cake.

 Remember, next time you are baking, any cake that comes out a little too dry can be rescued and turned into a deliciously moist poke cake with a little sauce!