Why is my poke cake soggy?

Make sure the holes aren't too close together or too far apart —if they're too close together, your cake could be too moist; if they're too far apart, there may not be enough filling throughout the cake.

What's the best way to poke holes in a cake?

A clean wooden spoon handle is the best tool and gives you nice big holes to fill with liquid gelatin, but in a pinch a chopstick or even a fork could work . Holes about 1½ inches apart in a grid pattern are ideal, but poke cakes are forgiving; it'll be delicious regardless of the spacing.

Do you poke holes in a cake when it's hot or cold?

It's best to make the holes in the cake while it is still slightly warm , because as it cools the crust on top of the cake will crumble more easily.

How do you keep a cake super moist?

Seven Bakery Secrets to Incredibly Moist Cakes Every Time Use Buttermilk Instead of Milk. Add Vegetable Oil. Use Instant Clearjel or Instant Pudding Mix. Use the Right Recipe. Don't Overbake. Bake in Sheet Pans Instead of individual Cake Pans. Use a Simple Syrup or Glaze. Apr 23, 2021

How long is poke cake good for in the fridge?

Store the Jell-O poke cake, tightly covered with storage wrap or foil, in the refrigerator for up to three days .

Why does my cake have tunnels?

Adding too much sugar can weaken the gluten structure in a cake to the point that it may collapse. Why does my cake have large holes or tunnels? When a cake batter is overmixed, gluten strands are strong enough to trap air bubbles inside the cake . Slowly mix batter on a low speed until ingredients are just combined.

What causes large holes in cakes?

Gluten can lead to large air pockets in cakes . Too much chemical leavener, like baking powder, can lead to large air bubbles in cakes. Broken emulsion and inconsistent ingredient temperatures can cause air pockets in cakes. The way you fill your pan with cake batter can cause air pockets.

What to do if your cake has a soggy bottom?

This is a term that usually applies to pastry particularly pies. If you. use a glass or ceramic pie dish you're sure to get a soggy bottom. Use a metal or foil pie tin cook the bottom of your pie blind, then. add the filling and pie crust. ... You've either not cooked enough or left in in the cake tin for too. long. Apr 1, 2020

How do you dry a soggy fruit cake?

If they have not absorbed the alcohol from a previous feeding then you could leave them unwrapped for a couple of days in a cool place (cover loosely with a clean tea towel) and some of the excess alcohol should evaporate . Once they feel drier then you can re-wrap them and then maybe only feed them very sparingly.

Why is my vegan cake soggy?

You could try different ones or try reducing the water and/or oil content a little . If you're adding things like fruit to the batter it can release juices during baking that can make cakes soggy. I usually reduce my water and oil content a little when I bake these types of cakes.

Peppermint Poke Cake Recipe (2024)

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Rich chocolate peppermint cake moistened with sweetened condensed milk, smothered in whipped cream and topped with candy cane bits.

This cake recipe has been a reader favorite for years. Do you know how I’ve been trying to update some of my older photos and recipes? Well, I pulled this one a couple of months ago for some re-vamping. And on Thanksgiving Dayon the dotmy inbox started filling up with readers wanting to know where the recipe had disappeared to.

I can’t believe what Christmas rule-followers you all are! I didn’t get a single question about this peppermint recipe until Thanksgiving day. I guess that’s when Christmas “officially” begins. Although, when it comes to my house we don’t mind starting a little early with the tunes. I don’t decorate until after Thanksgiving though (and since we just barely moved, it won’t be until waaaaaaaaay after Thanksgiving this year) and we don’t start eating peppermint until after Thanksgiving either.

I’m too busy cramming in as much pumpkin and pecan pie as I can right up until the last Turkey-day minute.

But now that it isofficially the holiday season, allow me to re-introduce you to my famous Christmas Poke Cake.

aka Peppermint Poke Cake

aka Candy Cane Poke Cake

aka Better Than Christmas Poke Cake

It’s got a lot of aliases.

There are a lot of different ways you can piece this gem of a recipe together. In this post, I’m going to give you the basic version:

Chocolate Cake

Normally, I say you can go from scratchorbox mix in most of my recipes that call for a baked cake. But in this particular recipe, I really think you should be using a box mix cake.

Why?

A box mix always yields a softer more tender cake than a homemade cake. That’s just the fact. I’m not saying you can’t make a mean, moist chocolate cake from scratch. I’m just saying that I seriously doubt it will be asairy as a box cake mix. And when it comes to a poke cake, airy = absorbent = ☺️.

Sweetened Condensed Milk

This is the magic maker. If you’ve ever had a poke cake, you know that the SCM fills the holes poked in the cake and seeps into every nook and cranny, making an incredibly moist and delicious dessert.

Cool Whip

Goes on top, obviously. People always ask, “can I use homemade whipped cream?” Suuuuuuuuure. If you must.

But here are my rules for subbing homemade whipped cream in a poke cake:

Either make stabilized whipped cream, or
Don’t add it to the cake until the very last moment before serving,
Most importantly: don’t email me complaining that it didn’t turn out the way my pictures look!!!!

Got it? Good.

Andes Peppermint Bits

Okay, so here’s something really important to know about this cake!! I’m not using actual candy cane peppermint bits here.

Maybe it’s just me, but I’d rather not break my teeth whilst enjoying my dessert. So I almost always default to Andes Peppermint Bits anytime I’m making a recipe that needs “candy cane” pieces. They are white chocolate peppermint candy bits, and they are DELICIOUS. And you won’t break your teeth eating them.

I never have a problem finding them at Walmart or Target in the baking aisle or in the seasonal foods section. Trust me, this is something your sensitive-teeth friends are going to appreciate!

You’re welcome!

Here’s the cake I originally posted a few years ago. You can see that it looks alittle bit different than the basic cake recipe I described above.

That’s because this one includes crushed Candy Cane OREOS on top (YUM!!) and about a 1/4 cup – 1/2 cupof hot fudge saucein addition to the sweetened condensed milk poured over the cake (and I whisked in a couple of tablespoons of peppermint creamer into the SCM). If you’re looking to amp up this recipe a bit, that’s the way to go, let me tell you!

No matter how you make it, ENJOY!

And happy Christmas season!

Peppermint Poke Cake Tips

A box mix always yields a softer more tender cake than a homemade cake.
Use stabilized whipped cream, or don’t add it to the cake until the very last moment before serving.
I never have a problem finding Andes Peppermint Bits at Walmart or Target in the baking aisle or in the seasonal foods section.
If you’re looking to amp up this recipe a bit, crushed Candy Cane OREOS on top and about 1/4 cup – 1/2 cup hot fudge sauce in addition to the sweetened condensed milk poured over the cake are great additions!

Peppermint Poke Cake FAQ

Can I make this poke cake in advance?

Yes, you can make it up to 3 days in advance. Just store it covered in the fridge.

Will this recipe work with a different size cake pan?

I have only ever made this recipe in a 9×13 cake pan. I cannot say for certain that it will work with a different size cake pan, but you can give it a try and let me know in the comments how it turns out.