One of the site’s most popular recipes, Jack and Coke Cupcakes, has been transformed into a boozy, chocolate poke cake! A whiskey chocolate ganache fills a rich chocolate cola cake, which is topped with a creamy whiskey buttercream icing.

Something about poke cakes appeals to a wide range of people. I was never especially interested in them before I produced this one, but the internet certainly is.

To be honest, I felt they were a little old and cheesy.

What is a poke cake?

Poke cake is exactly what it sounds like: a cake with holes in it.

Fortunately, this does not imply that you are eating a cake with missing bits. You really fill those holes with delectable fillings, including as syrups and ganaches, which soak into the cake and offer gobs of taste as well as a touch of whimsy.

Poke cakes first appeared about 1970, when Jell-O created the dish to enhance sales. Their original recipe was as follows:

• Bake a sheet cake using white cake mix and set it aside to cool.
• Poke holes all over the top of the cake with a fork.
• Fill the holes on the top with strawberry Jell-O mix.
• Place the cake in the refrigerator to enable the Jell-O to solidify.
• When the cake had set, you frosted it with Cool Whip.

That, to be honest, does not appeal to me. Cake and Jell-O do not seem like a nice combination, but I may be wrong! In any case, individuals have grown more inventive since the 1970s, and the varieties of poke cakes available on the internet now come in any flavor you can think of.

Why poke cakes are so popular

Keep in mind that this is just my opinion and hypothesis, but here are my thoughts on why poke cakes are such a popular dessert:

• It’s a sheet cake, so no special pans, leveling, or layers are necessary.
• You don’t need any special tools to create the holes; the end of a spatula or wooden spoon works well.
• The final cake is moister than a standard sheet cake.
• It’s a simple method to enhance a packaged cake mix.
• You get to vent your rage by stabbing a cake (is it just me?)

My upgrade: a boozy whiskey chocolate poke cake

I wanted to start making poke cakes, but everything I came up with seemed too mundane. So I started with what I knew was already a popular dish on my site: Jack and Coke cupcakes.

Since it already contained a chocolate whiskey ganache filling in the centre, the recipe was readily transformed into a chocolate poke cake. I changed it up a little to make it more fluid, and it’s excellent for filling the holes in the cake!

How much whiskey is in the cake?

There are about 4 ounces of whiskey in total:

• 2 ounces (1/4 cup) whiskey in the chocolate whiskey filling
• 2 oz. (3 tbsp.) whiskey in the frosting1 1
• 2 ounce (1 Tablespoon) brushed over the top of the cake immediately after it is removed from the oven 1

But, you may adjust the quantity as needed.

Personally, I think the quantity I ask for in the recipe is just enough to taste the whiskey, but not so much that it overpowers the other tastes in the cake.

Do I have to use Jack Daniel’s whiskey?

Nope! You may use any whiskey you have on hand, as long as you like the taste.

For the greatest taste profile, I suggest Tennessee whiskey, bourbon whiskey, or Irish whiskey.

Tips for making Jack and Coke chocolate poke cake

• The sugar from the Coca Cola is required. You can’t use any of the reduced or sugar-free varieties since they won’t work for this recipe.
• As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, brush it with 1 tablespoon whiskey. It enhances the taste and moisture of the end product.
• Let the cake to cool before poking it. Let it to cool for 10 minutes before beginning to poke your holes. If you do it when the cake is still too warm, it will rip and pull more than you want.
• Make a few holes, but not too many! Make 4 holes across the short side and 5 along the longer side with the end of a wood spoon, spatula, or similar sized implement. You could also put 5 across x 6 down, but I think that 4 x 5 is just enough to keep the ganache contained without turning the cake into a mushy mess.

• Don’t add the whisky too early in the ganache-making process. Make sure you add it right at the end, otherwise you’ll cook off part of the taste!
• You must strike a balance between having the ganache be too chilly or too heated. Too cold, and it will be too stiff to work with. If it gets too hot, it will melt through your piping bag and make a mess! Wait until it’s cold enough to pipe into a piping bag without causing any problems.
• You may leave out the vanilla extract. If you want the finished product to taste as much like whiskey as possible, leave off the vanilla essence. The vanilla compliments the whiskey taste well, yet it makes the whiskey flavor less robust.

How to store poke cake

The chocolate poke cake may be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days if properly covered, so a 913 pan with a tight-fitting lid is ideal.

If you leave the cake out for more than two days, it will develop an odd, mushy feel.

How to serve poke cake

Another advantage of sheet cake desserts is that they are simple to serve. Just cut into squares, pull out with a spatula, and set on serving plates. Ta-da!

If you wanted to get fancy, you could decorate each piece of cake with gummy cola bottles or candied lime fruit slices (the same way I top each of my Jack and Coke cupcakes).

More 21+ desserts

Cakes and cupcakes

• The Most Delicious Jack and Coke Cupcakes
• Cupcakes with red wine chocolate filling and blackberry buttercream frosting
• Amaretto-Soaked Strawberries on Boozy Angel Food Cupcakes
• Cupcakes with Champagne

Other treats

• Chocolate Baileys Pie
• Mint Chocolate Chip Stuffed Ice Cream
• Donuts with Baked Eggnog
• Margarita Chewy Cookies
• Balls of Bourbon
• Popcorn Balls with Cinnamon Buttered Rum
• Ice Cream with Bourbon Butter Pecans
• Champagne Nutella Dip
• Shots of Mimosa Jello