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Moist chocolate cake, chocolate pudding, and Oreo cookies come together for a rich, satisfying dessert in this Oreo poke cake.
I am really into poke cakes right now. What can I say, my midwest roots run deep! I love cake, pudding, and whipped topping.
I went through a poke cake phase a few years ago, too, when I made coconut poke cake and banana pudding poke cake.
This year I’m hitting a whole bunch of flavors, including some really decadent chocolate ones like this Oreo poke cake.
If you love a rich, chocolatey dessert and you can’t get enough Oreos in your life, this is definitely going to be the recipe for you!
WHAT IS OREO POKE CAKE?
If you’ve never had a poke cake, you might be confused by the name of this recipe.
Poke cakes are 13×9-inch sheet cakes that get “poked” with a straw or the handle of a wooden spoon after they have baked. Some kind of filling then gets poured over the top, filling the holes and soaking into the cake itself.
The cake then usually gets topped with whipped cream or whipped topping to cover the holes. Sometimes other garnishes or toppings are added to complement the flavor of the cake.
In the case of this Oreo poke cake, a rich chocolate cake with Oreo cookies in the batter gets filled with a chocolate pudding mixture and topped with Cool Whip and even more Oreos.
It’s a little bit similar to my chocolate toffee poke cake, but perfect for people who crave that cookies-and-cream flavor!
HOW TO MAKE THIS OREO POKE CAKE
One thing I love about poke cakes, other than how delicious they are, is that they’re really easy to make.
Yes, this recipe starts with a cake mix, but don’t let that fool you. We’re using my doctored cake mix method so no one would ever guess you started with a mix. Plus, it keeps the recipe easy to make so anyone can do this!
Ingredients you’ll need
To make my Oreo poke cake, you will need:
- 1 box devil’s food cake mix
- 2 boxes instant chocolate pudding mix
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 26 whole Oreo cookies
- 2 cups whole milk
- 8 ounces frozen whipped topping
- ¼ cup hot fudge sauce
I love using devil’s food cake mix here to make the cake base super rich and decadent. One of the boxes of chocolate pudding will get mixed in with the cake itself to ensure the cake stays nice and moist!
Add the pudding mix to the cake batter even if the cake mix you bought has pudding in it already. Trust me on this.
If you’re able to find Oreo pudding mix at your store, feel free to use that in this recipe instead. It’s a lot harder to find than chocolate pudding mix, though, so don’t stress if you can’t find it. The chocolate pudding is absolutely delicious here!
Making oreo poke cake
Your first step to making Oreo poke cake is to make the cake itself.
Using a mixer, beat together the cake mix, one box of the pudding mix, the sour cream, eggs, oil, vanilla, and water. Mix this for about 2 minutes, then coarsely chop 10 of the Oreos and fold them into the cake batter.
Spread the batter into a greased 13×9-inch pan and bake for about 30-35 minutes. The cake is done when the top springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the cake cool for 10 minutes, then take a smoothie or bubble tea straw or the handle of a wooden spoon and poke holes all across the cake.
You want the holes to go about halfway into the cake and be spaced every inch or so.
Next, whisk together the second box of pudding mix and the milk for 2 minutes, then immediately pour it over the cake. Use a spatula to make sure you get the pudding into all of the holes.
Let the cake cool completely before moving on to the next step.
Finely chop 8 of the remaining Oreos and fold them into the Cool Whip. Spread this mixture over the cake, then cover and chill the cake for at least 4 hours.
Right before serving the Oreo poke cake, coarsely chop the remaining Oreos (there should be 8 left) and sprinkle them all over the cake. If you’d like, drizzle the cake with some hot fudge sauce as well.
Store the cake, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Keep in mind that the Oreos will get soft over time, so the cake is best served within 24 hours of assembling.
RECIPE FAQS
Can you use yogurt instead of sour cream in the cake?
Yes! If you don’t have sour cream or don’t like to bake with it, you can substitute plain Greek yogurt in the cake batter.
Where can I find Oreo pudding mix?
I prefer making this cake with instant Oreo pudding mix, but it’s kind of hard to find. I have had the most luck finding it at Walmart in the past.
If you can’t find Oreo pudding mix, don’t worry – using the instant chocolate pudding mix is just as delicious!
Do you use the whole Oreos, filling and all?
Yes! Simply chop up the whole Oreos to add to the cake batter and whipped topping and to garnish the finished cake.
I use regular Oreo cookies in this Oreo poke cake, although you could use Double Stuf if you like.
Can you use a homemade cake mix?
Yes! If you want to use fewer store-bought ingredients, you can swap in a homemade devil’s food cake mix instead of the boxed one.
What can you use instead of whipped topping for this oreo poke cake?
I know that not everyone likes to use whipped topping, and that’s ok!
I do NOT recommend using whipped cream here, since the cake needs to chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours before serving. Regular whipped cream doesn’t hold up quite as well over time, so it is likely to start to weep.
Instead, try using stabilized whipped cream frosting, which will hold up much better to adding the Oreo cookies and resting in the refrigerator before serving the Oreo poke cake.
Oreo Poke Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 package devil’s food cake mix 15.25 ounces
- 2 packages instant chocolate pudding mix 3.9 ounces each, divided use (see note below)
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs lightly beaten
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup warm water
- 26 whole Oreo cookies divided use
- 2 cups whole milk
- 8 ounces frozen whipped topping thawed (Truwhip or Cool Whip)
- ¼ cup chocolate fudge sauce optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment paper or spray with non-stick cooking spray.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat together the cake mix, 1 box of chocolate pudding mix, sour cream, oil, eggs, vanilla and water on medium speed until well combined, about 2 minutes. Be sure to scrape the bottom of your bowl as needed.
- Coarsely chop 10 Oreos and fold the chopped Oreos in the cake batter.
- Spoon batter into the prepared pan and use an offset spatula or spoon to spread the batter into an even layer.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the top of the cake springs back when lightly touched.
- Allow cake to cool for 10 minutes. Using a smoothie straw or the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes across the cake, spaced every inch or so, halfway into the cake.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining box of chocolate pudding mix and milk for 2 minutes. Immediately pour the pudding evenly over the cake, making sure the mixture gets into the holes. Allow cake to cool completely.
- Finely chop 8 Oreos and gently fold them into the whipped topping. Evenly spread the whipped topping onto the cake. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours.
- Just before serving, coarsely chop the remaining 8 Oreos and sprinkle them onto the cake and if desired, drizzle with chocolate fudge sauce.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
After pouring the pudding on the cake, do you cool the cake completely on the counter or in the refrigerator?
Hi Melissa – I let it cool on the counter, then cover it and move it to the refrigerator to chill. Hope this helps!
Jamie