Chocolate Mudslide Poke Cake
I’m not much of a cocktail drinker at all, but I had my first mudslide a couple of years after college, when I met a girlfriend out for dinner at a popular chain restaurant. Surprisingly, it was love at first sip. Chocolate combined with Kahlua and Irish cream, with a kick of vodka? This beer and wine girl had no trouble polishing it off!
For as much as I love poke cakes, I don’t make them nearly often enough. I’ve had the idea for this one floating around in my head for a couple of months and finally got around to executing it. I thought that a chocolate cake combined with the flavors of a classic mudslide cocktail would taste fabulous. I’m happy to report that the experiment was a success!
My favorite poke cake includes an infusion of sweetened condensed milk and caramel topping… I put a spin on that for this mudslide cake and whisked together sweetened condensed milk with hot fudge sauce, vodka, Kahlua and Baileys Irish Cream. As soon as the cake came out of the oven, I poked tons of holes all over the top and slowly poured that concoction over top so it could seep down into the holes.
Next, the waiting is the hardest part (aaand now I have Tom Petty stuck in my head). The cake needs to be cooled to room temperature, then refrigerated for an hour before topping it, then you have to wait another hour to dig in. It’s a double-edged sword because waiting really is torture, but it’s the perfect recipe for making a day ahead. It truly gets better the longer you let it marinate in the refrigerator.
The amount of alcohol that I used for this cake provides a nice kick – it’s noticeable but not too strong. If you are looking for more of a punch, feel free to up the amounts to your liking. Conversely, if you’d rather not use alcohol at all, you can just omit it from the recipe for a simple, yet sublime, chocolate poke cake.
Now I just need to keep myself from sneaking a forkful at a time out of the refrigerator ;-)
One year ago: Quick & Easy Refrigerator Dill Pickles
Two years ago: Crab Bisque
Four years ago: No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie
Six years ago: Pistachio Nut Ice Cream
Chocolate Mudslide Poke Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box devil's food cake mix
- 14 ounce (396.89 ml) can sweetened condensed milk
- 12 ounce (340.2 g) jar hot fudge (or use homemade!)
- 2 tablespoons vodka
- 2 tablespoons Kahlua
- 2 tablespoons Baileys Irish Cream
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) Cool Whip
- Shaved chocolate, to garnish
Instructions
- Bake the cake according to the directions on the box.
- Remove the cake from the oven and immediately poke holes all over the top using either the bottom of a wooden spoon, a skewer or a fork.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, hot fudge sauce, vodka, Kahlua and Baileys. Slowly drizzle the mixture all over the cake. Allow the cake to cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Spread the Cool Whip over the top of the cake, top with the shaved chocolate and refrigerate again for 1 hour. Serve cold and refrigerate any leftovers.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
How long would you recommend making this in advance? Is 2 days too long to let the alcohol sit? I don’t want the cake to taste like just the alcohol in it. I have to travel, so 2 days is the closest I can do. Would it be worth it, or just skip the alcohol? Thanks for your input.
Hi Bev, I would only recommend one day in advance for most poke cakes so you don’t want it to get too soggy.
I made this for a dinner party, and I bought small bottle of the liqueur. I then made it 6 more times over the next month. Now people are constantly asking me to make this for their birthday and any party I get invited to. Needless to say, I now keep large bottles of Kahlua, Bailey’s, and Vodka at all times!
I’ve also been making my own whipped cream topping and flavoring it with more Bailey’s and Kahlua, for that extra kick.
Just finish poking the holes and pouring on the liquid. Making it for a New Year’s Day brunch tomorrow. I will let you know the results tomorrow.
I can’t wait to follow this recipe to try it for my weekend family dinner. It would surprise everyone…. so yummy:)
Oh Mamy…This cake looks amazing, I it is perfect!!
yummy. It looks so moist and delicious. I’m going to give it a try on weekend.
I don’t drink alcohol, what could I use instead?
Hi Kirsten, You can simply omit the alcohol.
I made this for the Labor Day picnic we’re having today. I didn’t have any regular vodka on hand, so I used Pinnacle’s chocolate whipped cream vodka instead. That can’t be bad, right? I think this show-stopping dessert is gonna knock everyone’s socks off! I’ve been anxiously waiting to make this since it was first posted, and today is the day.
This was really great. I forgot to pour the mixture on while the cake was hot. It still tastes great. This was this syrupy goo on the bottom of the pan–YUMMO!!!
Oh my goodness! This cake looks and sounds fantastic! So chocolaty, moist, and full of mudslide goodness!
This is a bookclub cake if I ever saw one — just waiting for a bunch of women to indulge! :D
We absolutely love your Better Than Anything Cake, and this looks just as good! To make it kid-friendly, how would you recommend making it? (i.e. without alcohol). Thanks!
Hi Kathy, Yes, I would just omit the alcohol and leave everything else the same!
YUM! I love a good poke cake and this looks amazing and so moist. I love the idea of using Kahlua and Irish Cream in it. I bet the flavor is out of this world!
Do you need to change anything if you were to use real whip cream on top instead of the other? My thinking is this puppy is getting consumed rather quickly as it is. I just hate the thought of all that goodness being topped with anything less than real whip cream, really dislike the chemical version.
Hi Susan, Nope, you don’t need to change a thing if you use real whipped cream! Enjoy!
This looks amazing! I will definitely make it without the alchohol.