Mint Chocolate Poke Cake

This mint chocolate poke cake has warm hot fudge poured into the holes, followed by mint-flavored chocolate fudge pudding and a homemade mint whipped cream topping. I finish it with chopped Andes mints, and I like making it a day ahead so the pudding can soak into the cake and everything gets completely cold.

Mint Chocolate Poke Cake with Hot Fudge and Andes Mints

When I was a kid, I was obsessed with Thrifty mint chocolate chip ice cream. My dad, who also had his own obsession with ice cream, took me there almost every night in the summer for a cone and at other random times during the year. We’d get there at like 8:45 p.m., fifteen minutes before closing, which I think now is the worst possible behavior for employees trying to get out of there to go home. At least we knew exactly what we wanted. I still wouldn’t do it now, though. Anyway, my commitment to the mint chocolate flavor combo started early, so making this mint chocolate poke cake feels like following a thread that’s been there since childhood.

I’m still very much into the flavor, but my ice cream choices have become a lot more wild these days. Mint chocolate is something I now save for cakes, brownies, cookies, and any excuse I can find to put Andes mints on top of something chocolate. There’s still some childhood nostalgia attached to Andes mints for me.

Chocolate and mint will always have a power-couple dynamic. Chocolate is the anchor and mint is the spark, and I think they taste best cold. It’s the collision of fire and ice, which sounds dramatic for a piece of cake, but that’s how I think about it.

The Decisions Behind This Recipe

• The hot fudge goes into the holes before anything else because this isn’t a decorative layer sitting on top. The pudding comes later, but the fudge is what gets down into the cake first. When you cut into it, you’re going to find concentrated spots of hot fudge inside the cake, which is part of why I wanted to make it in the first place. I’ve used the holes for different fillings in my Snickers poke cake and German chocolate poke cake, but for this one, I wanted hot fudge down inside the chocolate cake.
• I like using instant chocolate fudge pudding instead of regular chocolate pudding because I think the darker chocolate flavor tastes better with the mint whipped cream and keeps the cake from tasting too sweet. The mint extract goes into the pudding, so the whole cake has mint chocolate flavor, not just the top.
• Refrigerating the cake after adding the fudge gives it time to cool and firm up before I spread on the pudding. Otherwise, everything starts turning into one big chocolate layer, which is fine, but it wasn’t what I imagined for this cake. I wanted two different chocolate things going, and chilling the hot fudge first was how I got there.
• Yes, you could technically serve this cake in 4–5 hours. But when I leave it overnight, the pudding has more time to work its way into the cake, the cake gets moister, and everything is completely cold. I think it tastes better that way.
• I finish the cake with homemade mint whipped cream because it’s lighter than frosting and makes sense with all the fudge and pudding. I like waiting until close to serving time to add it so it still looks like freshly whipped cream instead of something that has been through a lot. The chopped Andes mints and extra fudge on top add even more chocolate-mint flavor, which was never going to be subtle anyway. I made sure of that.

Ingredients

• Chocolate cake – Start with a prepared 9×13-inch chocolate cake that has cooled completely. A boxed chocolate or devil’s food cake is what I use, but a homemade chocolate cake is fine too. This isn’t the recipe we’re going to prove something by baking from scratch.
• Hot fudge sauce – Use jarred hot fudge sauce, not regular chocolate syrup. It needs to be warm enough to pour into the holes, but not so hot that it melts into a mess on top. Once refrigerated, the fudge will firm up.
• Instant chocolate fudge pudding and cold whole milk – Make sure you’re using instant pudding, not cook-and-serve. The 3.9-ounce package is the size you need, and cold whole milk helps the instant pudding thicken properly. Don’t use cook-and-serve pudding because it requires heating and won’t work with this method.
• Mint extract – You’ll use mint extract in both the pudding and the whipped cream. Don’t automatically substitute peppermint extract, because the flavor is different and can get aggressive very quickly.
• Heavy whipping cream and confectioners’ sugar – Use cold heavy cream so it whips up properly. The confectioners’ sugar sweetens the cream and adds stability so the topping doesn’t soften as quickly.
• Green food coloring – Completely optional. It doesn’t change the flavor, but I like the pale green whipped cream because it lets everyone know what kind of cake they’re getting into.
• Andes mint chocolates – Chop them up for the top of the cake. They add little pieces of mint chocolate in every slice and make the cake look appropriately committed to the assignment.

How to Make Mint Chocolate Poke Cake

Find the complete printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the BOTTOM OF THE POST.

• Step One (bake and cool the chocolate cake)
  Prepare your chocolate cake in a 9×13-inch baking dish according to the package directions, including whatever eggs, oil, water, or other ingredients the mix calls for. Let the cake cool completely, at least 1 hour. You don’t want to add the hot fudge while the cake is still warm.
• Step Two (poke the holes and add the hot fudge)
  Use the handle of a wooden spoon or a large skewer to poke holes all over the cake. I like the wooden spoon because the holes are wide enough to get a good amount of fudge inside. Warm the hot fudge sauce until it’s easy to pour, but not too hot, and save about two tablespoons for the topping if you’d like. Pour the remaining fudge over the cake, aiming for the holes instead of dumping everything into the middle. Use a spatula to spread whatever remains on the surface and encourage more of it into the holes. Some fudge will stay on top, and that’s fine.
• Step Three (refrigerate the fudge-filled cake)
  Put the cake in the refrigerator uncovered for at least two to three hours. I leave it uncovered during this first refrigeration because covering it too soon can trap condensation and add moisture where I don’t want it. Once the cake is completely cold, you can cover it if you’re refrigerating it longer than three hours.
• Step Four (add the mint chocolate pudding)
  Whisk the instant chocolate fudge pudding mix with the cold whole milk and mint extract until the mixture is smooth. Have the cake ready before you do this because instant pudding thickens quickly, and you want to spread it while it’s still easy to move. Spread the pudding evenly over the cold cake, getting it into any openings the fudge didn’t fill. Cover the baking dish and refrigerate for at least another two hours. I like leaving it overnight because the pudding has more time to absorb into the cake, and I think the texture is better after a full night in the refrigerator.
• Step Five (make the mint whipped cream)
  When you’re ready to serve the cake, beat the cold heavy whipping cream with the confectioners’ sugar, mint extract, and a few drops of green food coloring, if you’re using it. I like to put my mixing bowl in the freezer for about 15 minutes beforehand because cold equipment helps the cream whip. Keep beating until stiff peaks stand upright when you lift the beaters. Stop as soon as you reach that stage so the whipped cream doesn’t become grainy.
• Step Six (finish and serve the cake)
  Spread the mint whipped cream over the chilled cake and scatter the chopped Andes mints across the top. If you saved some hot fudge, drizzle it over everything before cutting. Cut the cake into 12 large slices and serve it straight from the refrigerator. I don’t let this one sit out to warm up because chocolate and mint taste best cold.

Recipe Tips

• Don’t cover the cake during that first refrigeration after the hot fudge goes in. The cake needs to cool without condensation collecting under the lid and adding moisture where nobody asked for it. Once it’s cold, you can cover it if it needs more refrigerator time before the pudding.
• Use the handle of a wooden spoon if you have one. A skewer makes smaller holes, but I want enough room for the hot fudge to get down into the cake. It’s called a poke cake for a reason.
• Spread the pudding as soon as you mix it. Instant pudding thickens quickly, so have the cold cake sitting there ready to go before you start whisking. You want it smooth enough to spread across the top and get into any holes that still have room.
• For the whipped cream, use cold heavy cream and chill your mixing bowl for about 15 minutes first. The colder everything is, the easier it is to whip the cream without overdoing it. Once it does, stop mixing before it starts looking grainy.

Storage and Make-Ahead

• Keep leftover mint chocolate poke cake covered in the refrigerator for 3–4 days. The whipped cream is at its best the first day, but the cake does stay good for several more days.
• This is a great cake to make ahead. You can bake the cake, add the fudge and pudding, then refrigerate it overnight. Add the mint whipped cream, Andes mints, and fudge drizzle shortly before serving so the top still looks fresh.
• Serve this cake straight from the refrigerator. There’s no reason to let it come to room temperature first. The cold chocolate, mint, and fudge is the point.

FAQs

• Can I use a homemade chocolate cake?
  Yes. Any chocolate cake baked in a 9×13-inch pan is fine, as long as it’s completely cooled before you add the fudge.
• Can I use regular chocolate pudding instead of chocolate fudge pudding?
  Yes. Regular chocolate pudding will make a lighter-colored, somewhat sweeter filling. I like the chocolate fudge pudding because the darker chocolate flavor tastes better with the mint.
• Can I use mini chocolate chips instead of Andes mints?
  Yes, but you’ll lose some of the mint flavor from the topping. Mini chocolate chips still add chocolate texture and look good scattered over the whipped cream.
• Can I adjust the amount of mint extract?
  Yes, but do it carefully. Mint extract can go from fresh to toothpaste-flavor very quickly. Start with the amount in the recipe, then taste the pudding or whipped cream before adding more.

From My Kitchen Notes

Small observations from the margins.

• I know when something needs to cool down before anything else can reach it.
• It has taken me a while to see that not everything that’s full has been filled.
• I’ve learned that space is not the same thing as distance.
• Lots of things absorb more when they’re given the night.
• I can tell when something is only sitting on the surface.
• I’ve never confused being cold with being finished.
• There’s a difference between covering something and protecting it.
• A sweet finish does not change what never made it through.

Chocolate Has a Thing for Mint

• Andes Mint-Fudgey Brownies – Fudgy chocolate brownies, Andes mint chocolates.
• Chocolate Peppermint Lush – Creamy chocolate and peppermint layers, no baking required.
• Peppermint Patty Brownies – Fudgy chocolate brownies, peppermint patties.
• Potted Chocolate Mint Puddings – Chocolate mint pudding, cookie dirt, mint seedlings.
• Dark Chocolate Peppermint Crackle Cookies – Dark chocolate, peppermint, crackled cookie tops.
• Double Chocolate Peppermint Bark – Two kinds of chocolate, peppermint, homemade candy.