I have been wanting to make a poke cake for quite some time now and this month’s “Strawberry Bundts” themed Bundt Bakers, hosted by Tammy from Living the Gourmet, finally gave me the perfect excuse to make one. Did I really need an excuse though? Not really. Frankly, I can’t believe it took me this long to get around to trying it on my own. Sometimes, my laziness and procrastination manages to find a way to annoy even me.

So what’s a poke cake anyway? Well y’all, it’s exactly what it sounds like; a cake poked with several little holes. You might ask, “Why the heck would anyone want to poke a perfectly good cake full of holes?” The answer is simple my friends, “To add more flavor and moisture to the cake of course.” Simply fill those little ol’ poked holes with a fruit purée or gelatin mixture and let the flavor party begin.

Now, ya’ll might first take a gander at this cake and think, “Well, gosh darn that looks like a mighty fine chocolate cake.” Sorry to disappoint, this cake may be drizzled in milk chocolate sauce, however, there is no chocolate in the actual cake itself. Nope, none at all, it’s just a tad bit on the over-baked side. You better believe there was some sadness, disappointment, and overall bitterness felt as I opened my oven door to reveal this discovery. That’s what tends to happen when using a pretty Bundt pan. All those nooks and crannies require turning down the heat if you want them to stay a pale golden yellow. My bad.

Next time around, I’ll make sure to watch this loaded strawberry cake closer than I would watch out for Brenna when she’s in one of her “moods.” Because just like being attacked by a rogue kitty with an attitude is not on my list of things to experience, finding an over-baked cake in my oven, is just no fun and often leads to heartache and hissy-fits. However, unlike the moody kitty, at least a little bit of happiness can be found in the over-baked cake. The center is tender, moist, sweet, buttery, and worth every lil’ calorie-loaded bite. It allows you to sink your teeth into it, instead of it sinking its teeth into you.

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 Cup Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
• 1 3/4 Cups Granulated Sugar
• 4 Eggs
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 Cup Sour Cream
• 1/2 Cup Chopped Strawberries (Additional for Garnish)

Strawberry Purée:

• 1 1/2 Cups Sliced Strawberries
• 1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 2 Teaspoons Lemon Juice

Milk Chocolate Sauce:

• 3/4 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1/4 Cup Unsalted Butter
• 3/4 Cup Finely Chopped Milk Chocolate

Directions:

Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease and flour a Bundt pan; set aside
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder; set aside.
4. Cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed for 3 minutes.
5. Add each egg, one at a time to the butter and sugar mixture; mix on medium speed for 30 seconds after the addition of each egg.
6. Add the vanilla; mix for 30 seconds.
7. Add 1/3 of the flour and mix on low until just incorporated.
8. Add 1/2 of the sour cream and mix on low until just incorporated.
9. Repeat the two steps above and then add the remaining 1/3 of the flour and mix on low until just incorporated.
10. Spread 1/3 of the batter into the Bundt pan and then top with 1/2 of the chopped strawberries.
11. Repeat the step above and then spread the remaining 1/3 of the batter on top of the last layer of strawberries.
12. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean.
13. Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes.

Strawberry Purée:

1. Place all of the ingredients into a food processor and purée until smooth.
2. Pour the purée into a measuring cup or decorating bottle.
3. Using a chopstick or the handle of a wooden spoon, poke several holes down into the cake.
4. Carefully fill each hole with strawberry purée.
5. Allow the cake to rest for 1 hour before flipping it out onto a baking rack.

Milk Chocolate Sauce:

1. Place the finely chopped chocolate into a medium glass bowl; set aside.
2. Heat the heavy cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until warm, stirring constantly.
3. Pour the cream and butter mixture on top of the chocolate; set aside for 10 minutes.
4. Whisk the cream and chocolate together until smooth.
5. Allow the sauce to sit for 20 minutes to thicken. Stir every 5 minutes to ensure that the sauce remains smooth.
6. Drizzle the chocolate sauce over the cake and garnish with fresh strawberries.

Suggestions:

• The batter for this cake will be very thick. Use a silicone spatula to spread it out evenly in the Bundt pan.
• Bundt pans come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and metal finishes, all of which can affect the baking time of your cake. Keep a careful watch on your cake when it is baking. If the top of your cake is browning too quickly, tent the cake with foil. You may choose to lower the temperature of your oven to 325 degrees if you are using a dark coated, smaller, or decorative Bundt pan.
• Make sure to not poke through the sides or bottom of the cake when poking the Bundt full of holes for the purée.
• This cake is best served the same day that it is made due to the water content of the strawberries. If you don’t plan on serving all of this cake at once, you may choose to hold off on decorating it with the chocolate sauce and strawberry garnish until right before you serve it.

Improvements:

• Add 1/4-cup of cocoa to the cake batter.
• Add miniature chocolate chips to the cake batter.
• I used this Nordic Ware Jubilee Bundt Pan to make this cake. I love that it has so many nooks and crannies to fill with the chocolate sauce and chopped strawberries.
• I suggest using this Melt-N-Decorate Bottle to fill the holes in your Bundt cake with the strawberry puree.
  
• Dust each slice of cake with powdered sugar before serving.

Print

Yum

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Poke Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:
• 3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 Cup Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
• 1 3/4 Cups Granulated Sugar
• 4 Eggs
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 Cup Sour Cream
• 1/2 Cup Chopped Strawberries (Additional for Garnish)
Strawberry Purée:
• 1 1/2 Cups Sliced Strawberries
• 1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 2 Teaspoons Lemon Juice
Milk Chocolate Sauce:
• 3/4 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1/4 Cup Unsalted Butter
• 3/4 Cup Finely Chopped Milk Chocolate

Directions:

Cake:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease and flour a Bundt pan; set aside
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder; set aside.
4. Cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed for 3 minutes.
5. Add each egg, one at a time to the butter and sugar mixture; mix on medium speed for 30 seconds after the addition of each egg.
6. Add the vanilla; mix for 30 seconds.
7. Add 1/3 of the flour and mix on low until just incorporated.
8. Add 1/2 of the sour cream and mix on low until just incorporated.
9. Repeat the two steps above and then add the remaining 1/3 of the flour and mix on low until just incorporated.
10. Spread 1/3 of the batter into the Bundt pan and then top with 1/2 of the chopped strawberries.
11. Repeat the step above and then spread the remaining 1/3 of the batter on top of the last layer of strawberries.
12. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean.
13. Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes.
Strawberry Purée:
14. Place all of the ingredients into a food processor and purée until smooth.
15. Pour the purée into a measuring cup or decorating bottle.
16. Using a chopstick or the handle of a wooden spoon, poke several holes down into the cake.
17. Carefully fill each hole with strawberry purée.
18. Allow the cake to rest for 1 hour before flipping it out onto a baking rack.
Milk Chocolate Sauce:
19. Place the finely chopped chocolate into a medium glass bowl; set aside.
20. Heat the heavy cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until warm, stirring constantly.
21. Pour the cream and butter mixture on top of the chocolate; set aside for 10 minutes.
22. Whisk the cream and chocolate together until smooth.
23. Allow the sauce to sit for 20 minutes to thicken. Stir every 5 minutes to ensure that the sauce remains smooth.
24. Drizzle the chocolate sauce over the cake and garnish with fresh strawberries.

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#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all of our lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board right here. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme or ingredient. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Bundt Bakers can be found on our home page.

And don’t forget to take a peek at all of the Bundts the other talented bakers have baked this month:

• Chocolate Covered Strawberry Poke Bundt by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Freeze Dried Strawberry Bundt with Cream Cheese Glaze by Sweet Sensations
• Jam Strawberry Bundt Cake by Bizcocheando
• Lemon Strawberry Poke Bundt by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Neapolitan Zebra Bundt Cake by All That’s Left Are The Crumbs
• Strawberry Balsamic Bundt Cake by Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Strawberry & Cream Bundt Cake by Patty’s Cakes
• Strawberry Crunch Bundt Cake by Cookahloic Wife
• Strawberry Bundt Cake with White Chocolate Ganache by The Queen of Scones
• Strawberry Bundt Mousse Cake by Sneha’s Recipe
• Strawberry Bundt Poke Cake by Our Good Life
• Strawberries & Cream Naked Bundt Cake by Living the Gourmet
• Strawberry Jam Bundt Cake by Katin Spajz
• Strawberry Key Lime Cheesecake Bundt by The Crumbly Kitchen
• Strawberry Orange Bundt Cake by I Love Bundt Cakes