S’mores Poke Cake
This is the perfect dessert to bring to a cookout to enjoy for adults and kids alike. S’mores Poke Cake is really fun to make and comes out creamy and delicious. The whole cake chills in the fridge before eating making it cool, and decadent, perfect for a late summer/early fall evening. My kids especially loved creating this with me.
All you need to make this delicious S’more Poke Cake is white cake mix, chocolate pudding and marshmallow fluff. We loved incorporating graham crackers right into the cake. They got soft and blended in beautifully. It created a tasty graham cracker layer in the cake when you cut into it that not only tasted great but looked cool as well.
We tested the recipe with cooked chocolate pudding and the kind you mix with cold milk. I preferred the results from the cooked chocolate pudding best. Both would work great and you can use either, but the cooked chocolate pudding sets up a little better in the end than the kind you mix with cold milk. Some of out taste testers preferred the cold pudding so it’s really up to you.
We topped our cake with marshmallow fluff. It doesn’t look great when you smear it on, but don’t fret, it will get covered with that cold cool whip layer and you won’t even see it. You will taste it in the layers of your cake and you can’t have a S’mores Poke Cake without it. I topped mine with chocolate chips, and some with Hershey bar pieces, use whatever your heart desires. Enjoy!
S’mores Poke Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box white cake mix
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 c neutral cooking oil
- 1 cup water
- 1 3.4 oz pkg cook & serve chocolate pudding (can use instant pudding too)
- 1 8 oz tub cool whip
- 15 sheets graham crackers
- 1 7oz jar marshmallow fluff
- 2 cups milk (can use 2% or skim)
- 2 tbsp chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp mini marshmallows
Instructions
- Spray a 9 x 13 inch glass dish with non stick cooking spray.
- Preheat the oven to the directions on the white cake mix box.
- Mix the cake mix, oil, water, and eggs on medium speed for 2 minutes. Or as the box specifies.
- Spread the cake batter into the 9 x 13 inch dish. Then break six graham cracker sheets in half. Place the 12 halves of graham cracker on top of the batter. Push each one down with your finger until partially submerged. See picture above.
- Bake according to the package directions on the white cake mix box. About 20-25 minutes. Or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- While the cake is cooking, cook the pudding according to the package instructions using the 2 cups of milk. Allow to cool for a few minutes but not so much that is completely sets. You will pour it over the warm cake.
- Take the cake out of the oven and then poke holes all over the cake with the bottom of a wooden spoon. This doesn't have to be perfect, but you want enough holes where the pudding can seep in.
- Pour the pudding over the warm cake. Spread evenly with a spoon so that it seeps into the holes.
- Empty the contents if the marshmallow fluff onto the top of the cake and spread evenly. It will eventually even out with the warmth of the cake and pudding melting it a bit as you go. It will look like a hot mess, just keep going, it's going to be all covered up with cool whip.
- Break eight more sheets of graham crackers in half. Then spread the halves evenly on top of the fluff. This will soften under the cool whip and as the cake cools.
- Allow the cake to cool at this point for 15 minutes.
- After cooling, empty the tub of cool whip on top of the cake. Spread evenly over the graham cracker layer.
- Crush any remaining graham crackers (I prefer two sheets) and sprinkle evenly on top of the cool whip. Then top with the chocolate chips and mini marshmallows.
- Allow the cake to cool in the fridge for 2 hours before serving.
Could not find directions to use instant no-bake pudding that was referenced to look above?
So Sorry for the confusion! I removed the see above part. What I meant was in my text above the recipe I talked about using both cooked pudding and instant. Both worked fine. Half of my taste testers preferred the instant over the cooked and the other half preferred the cooked over the instant. It’s all subjective really but wither way tastes wonderful!