Poke Cake is something that was really trendy in my little corner of Kentucky when I was growing up in the late 80’s and early 90’s. It seemed everyone we knew had a different recipe all the time for these cakes that are named for the literal holes poked into them with a wooden spoon, which are then filled with any and everything from Jell-O mix (or jelly here in the UK) to custard. You name it, there’s a poke cake for it and salted caramel is so suited to this type of cake.
This recipe is for salt lovers and the card-carrying members of the salty-sweet admiration club. If you can’t bear salt with sweet, then this recipe isn’t for you, but if like myself you love the combination then I suggest you drop everything and make this cake immediately. I dare you not to start eating it straight out of the pan… It’s that good! That said, when using a salted caramel sauce and salt flakes on top it is very salty and not for the faint of heart – I love that, but some people don’t so if you want to play it safe simply skip the salt flakes sprinkled on top. You can always taste it first and add them later if you like.
The beauty of a poke cake is not in its fancy presentation. They are usually a bit basic, sitting in their cake tins looking like the homemade sheet cakes at birthday parties in 1985, but they really shine once they are cut and you see all the gooey goodness weaving through them. The salted caramel seeping out of the poke holes in this cake is so enticing!
Salted caramel sauce is readily available at most grocery stores – I like the ones from Joe & Seph’s which I can normally find on Ocado or at my local Waitrose. Likewise, if you don’t have sea salt flakes like Maldon Salt or similar, skip the sprinkle at the end. Fine table salt will be too strong and grainy – it’s not at all what we want here and it won’t matter if you just omit it. Let’s get started!
Ingredients
For the Cake
- Non-stick cooking or baking spray
- 50g unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 70g dark chocolate chips
- 125g soft light brown sugar
- 100ml strong black coffee, still hot
- 100ml buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 130g plain flour
- 25g cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 1 jar of salted caramel sauce (approximately 250g – it’s ok if it’s a little more or less)
For the Frosting
- 60g dark chocolate chips
- 40g unsalted butter
- 25g soft light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
- 50ml double cream
Method
- Add all the ingredients for the frosting to a medium-sized saucepan over low heat, stirring until melted. Pour into a bowl, cover with cling film and chill in the fridge for a couple of hours.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160° Fan / 350°F and prepare a square cake tin by spraying it with some non-stick cooking or baking spray.
- Use a large pan and a heat-proof bowl to make a double boiler. Fill the pan about 1/3 of the way with water and sit the heat-proof bowl inside. Pour the butter and remaining chocolate chips to the bowl and melt it, stirring occasionally over the simmering water below.
- Once the chocolate and butter are melted, remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the buttermilk with a wire whisk, followed by the egg, whisking until it’s well combined.
- Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into the liquid mixture and stir with the wire whisk until it’s all mixed in and you have a smooth cake batter.
- Pour the batter into your prepared cake pan and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Leave the cake to cool in the pan.
- When the cake is completely cooled, it’s time to poke the holes. Use the round end of a wooden spoon handle to poke holes all over the cake. It doesn’t need to be uniform and they don’t need to look good. You’re just poking holes to serve as a home for the ooey gooey salted caramel sauce.
- Use a large spoon to pour salted caramel sauce into all the holes in the cake. Fill em up, but keep about 1/3 to 1/2 of your caramel sauce to finish the cake later. The caramel may start to sink and that’s ok – the holes will also catch some of the frosting later and you won’t see them.
- Once you’ve filled the poke holes with salted caramel sauce, it’s time to move on with the frosting. Remove the frosting from the refrigerator, uncover it and using an electric mixer, beat the sauce for 2 or 3 minutes or until it becomes whipped and almost fluffy.
- Spread the chocolate frosting over the cake using a rubber spatula. Once it’s all covered, use the rest of your remaining salted caramel sauce to drizzle over the top of the frosted cake. If you really love salt, finish by sprinkling a few sea salt flakes over top, but I urge caution. You can always taste this and add more. How much you use may depend on the saltiness of the caramel sauce you buy, so it’s possible you’ll want to skip this step altogether. Enjoy!
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