🍒 Black Forest Poke Cake
Inspired by classic German Black Forest flavors — chocolate cake, cherries, and whipped cream.
⏱ Time
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Prep: 20 minutes
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Bake: 30–35 minutes
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Chill: 2–4 hours
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Serves: 12–15
🛒 Ingredients
Cake
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1 box chocolate cake mix (plus ingredients listed on the box: usually eggs, oil, water)
Cherry Filling
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1 (21 oz) can cherry pie filling
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1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
Topping
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1 (8 oz) tub whipped topping (like Cool Whip), thawed
or 2 cups heavy whipping cream + ¼ cup powdered sugar (homemade whipped cream) -
½–1 cup chocolate shavings or mini chocolate chips
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Optional: maraschino cherries for garnish
👩🍳 Instructions
1️⃣ Bake the Cake
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Prepare and bake the chocolate cake in a 9×13-inch pan according to package directions.
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Let the cake cool for about 10–15 minutes (still slightly warm is perfect).
2️⃣ Poke the Cake
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Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes all over the cake, about 1 inch apart.
3️⃣ Add the Filling
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In a bowl, stir together cherry pie filling and sweetened condensed milk.
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Spoon evenly over the cake, spreading so it fills the holes.
4️⃣ Chill
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Cover and refrigerate for at least 2–4 hours (overnight is even better).
5️⃣ Add Topping
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Spread whipped topping evenly over the chilled cake.
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Sprinkle with chocolate shavings or mini chocolate chips.
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Garnish with cherries if desired.
🍫 Homemade Whipped Cream Option
If making fresh:
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Beat 2 cups cold heavy cream until soft peaks form.
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Add ¼ cup powdered sugar and beat to stiff peaks.
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Spread over chilled cake.
⭐ Tips
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For extra flavor, brush the cake with 2–3 tablespoons cherry juice before adding filling.
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Add a splash (1–2 tablespoons) of kirsch or almond extract to the cherry mixture for a more traditional flavor.
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For a richer cake, use devil’s food cake mix.
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Store refrigerated up to 3–4 days.
If you’d like, I can also give you:
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A completely homemade (from scratch) version
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A boozy adult version
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A mini cupcake poke version
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Or a no-bake Black Forest icebox version 🍒