This Triple Chocolate Cake is an easy dessert recipe that is made for chocoholics. It is pure indulgence for everyone who loves chocolate. The best part is that this death by chocolate poke cake is super easy to make.
All the layers are bursting with chocolate. You start with a lush chocolate devil’s food cake and then fill it with a creamy chocolate pudding and finally top with even more chocolate goodness. How could you go wrong?
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Triple Chocolate Cake is rich, moist and very decadent. It is a simple sheet cake, however you can make as a round layer cake if you prefer. This chocolate cake features chocolate pudding to enhance the tender sponge.
If you’re looking for more poke cake recipes, try these Pumpkin Poke Cake, Lemon Meringue Poke Cake and Snickers Poke Cake. We’re also loving this gluten free Devil’s Food Cake.
Why We Love This Chocolate Poke Cake with Pudding Recipe
This cake is layer upon layer of chocolatey goodness. If you’re having a bad day, this cake will make it all better. Death by chocolate poke cake is by far one of the most popular cake recipes. Find out the history of this lush cake.
- Quick: Because you use a box cake mix and other prepackaged ingredients this is a simple poke cake recipe.
- Easy Ingredients: All found in pantry or fridge it is so delicious for chocolate lovers.
- Family Friendly: A favorite cake for birthdays, cookouts and parties. If they love the favor of chocolate, this will be their favorite chocolate cake.
- Adaptable: Can make it low-calorie or fat free or sugar free versions of this favorite cake.
Ingredient Notes for Triple Chocolate Cake Recipe
- Devil’s Food Chocolate Cake: One box of any brand of this chocolate cake.
- Pudding Mix: Chocolate fudge instant pudding mix.
- Sour Cream: This adds a super moist aspect to the cake.
- Hot Fudge Sauce: One of the secrets to make this cake so very chocolatey.
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Variations and Substitutions for this Moist Homemade Chocolate Cake Recipe
A moist cake with an amazing crumb. It is fudgy but light and of course so full of chocolate flavor. This simple recipe will become on of your families favorite cakes.
- Ingredient variation: It is easy to use sugar free pudding mix and fat free sour cream and milk.
- Ingredient substitution: Replace the sour cream with Greek yogurt or buttermilk if you prefer.
How to Make a Moist Triple Chocolate Cake Recipe
This cake is layer upon layer of chocolatey goodness. It is moist and delicious. If you’re having a bad day, this cake will make it all better. It’s like a big hug from your best friend.
These are the basic steps for making hershey triple chocolate cake. Refer to the full, printable recipe card below for detailed instructions.
Step 1: Prepare Cake
First, preheat oven to 350°F. Next, the cake mix and dry pudding mix with eggs, vanilla, milk, canola oil and sour cream. Then pour cake batter into 9×13″ cake pan and bake for 20-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.
Step 2: Poke
While the cake is still warm, use the end of a wooden spoon to poke holes all over the top of the cake being careful not to go all the way to the bottom. Heat the hot fudge sauce in the microwave on full power for 30 seconds to thin it out; if you need continue at 15 second increments until thin.
Step 3: Pour
Next, pour the entire jar of hot fudge sauce over the cake and allow it to soak into the holes. After the cake is cool, prepare the pudding layer by mixing a package of instant chocolate fudge pudding with 2 cups of cold milk. Then pour the pudding mixture over the top of the cake layer and spread in an even layer. Let the cake cool. Place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.
Step 4: Frost the Cake
Meanwhile, in a bowl combine the whipped cream and hot cocoa mix. Mix until combined. Finally, spread whipped topping over top of cake and lastly sprinkle chop chocolate shavings on top.
Recipe FAQs for the Best Chocolate Cake
Expert Tips for Making This Chocolate Pudding Poke Cake Recipe.
- Nuts: Add a layer of chopped nuts to the recipe, try walnuts, pecans or even almonds.
- Add More Chocolate: Top different varieties with different varieties of shaved rich chocolate. Even use a chocolate frosting or chocolate buttercream to enhance the chocolate flavor.
- Caramel: Replace the hot fudge topping with caramel.
- Dietary consideration tip: Sugar free pudding or fudge topping for the desert cake.
- Cupcakes: Make the chocolate cupcakes and top with semi-sweet chocolate chips.
What to Serve with Triple Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Salted Caramel Iced Coffee
- Starbucks Iced White Chocolate Mocha
- Birthday Cake Milkshake
Triple Chocolate Poke Cake
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Ingredients
For the Cake
- 15.25 ounces Devil's Food Cake mix, 1 Box
- 3.4 ounces Chocolate Fudge Instant Pudding Mix, 1 box
- 3 Eggs
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 cup Milk
- ½ cup Canola oil
- ½ cup Sour cream
For the pudding layer
- 12.8 ounces Hot Fudge Sauce, 1 jar
- 3.4 ounces Chocolate Fudge instant pudding mix, 1 box
- 2 cups Milk
For the Topping
- 8 ounces Whipped topping, frozen thawed,
- 1½ cup Hot cocoa mix
- ½ cup Milk chocolate chips, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Combine cake mix and dry pudding mix with eggs, vanilla, milk, canola oil and sour cream.
- Beat on medium speed until well combined, about 2 minutes.
- Pour batter into 9×13″ baking dish and bake for 20-22 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- While the cake is still warm, use the end of a wooden spoon to poke holes all over the top of the cake being careful not to go all the way to the bottom.
- Heat the hot fudge sauce in the microwave on full power for 30 seconds to thin it out; if you need more time, continue at 15 second increments until thin.
- Pour the entire jar of hot fudge sauce over the cake and allow it to soak into the holes.
- Let stand until completely cooled.
- When the cake has cooled, prepare the pudding layer by mixing a package of instant chocolate fudge pudding with 2 cups of cold milk.
- Immediately pour the pudding mixture over top of the cake and spread into an even layer.
- Place cake in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a bowl combine the whipped topping and hot cocoa mix. Stir until combined.
- Spread whipped topping over top of cake.
- Sprinkle chocolate on top.
Christina’s Notes
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- Nuts: Add a layer of chopped nuts to the recipe, try walnuts, pecans or even almonds.
- Add More Chocolate: Top different varieties with different varieties of shaved rich chocolate. Even use a chocolate frosting or chocolate buttercream to enhance the chocolate flavor.
- Caramel: Replace the hot fudge topping with caramel.
- Dietary consideration tip: Sugar free pudding or fudge topping for the desert cake.
- Cupcakes: Make the chocolate cupcakes and top with semi-sweet chocolate chips.
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- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.
Some of this doesn’t make sense. It says round cake pan, then a 9×12 in the recipe. It says 1 oz. fudge sauce, then 12.8 oz. The whipped topping says 1 oz.
Sorry about that, they changed the formatting on the recipe card. It has been updated. Thank you for bring it to our attention.
Triple chocolate is such a crowd pleaser!