This Hot Fudge Cherry Poke Cake is a super moist and fluffy chocolate sheet cake that is soaked in sweetened condensed milk, a layer of hot fudge, cherry pie filling, and topped with a delicious light, creamy whipped cream frosting. This cake is simply out-of-this-world delicious!

I love everything about this cake from the made from scratch rich, moist chocolate cake, to the light heavenly whipped cream frosting. I especially love the combination of chocolate and cherries! It sorta reminds me of chocolate-covered cherries.😋

I think I could eat this cake every day of the week! But I’ve listed a few occasions that it’s especially great for below.

Chocolate Cherry Fudge Poke Cake is great for:

Valentine’s Day
Girls Night Out
Backyard Cookouts
Potlucks
Family Reunions
Holidays
Dinner Parties (it makes an elegant dessert)

How to make Chocolate Cherry Fudge Poke Cake (Please see the complete recipe below.)

First, we are going to make a homemade chocolate sheet cake. You’ll love this recipe. It’s so moist and fluffy. You can also use a box cake mix in this recipe as well. If you do, buy a Devil’s food chocolate cake.
While the cake is still warm, punch holes in the cake. I like to use the bottom of a wooden spoon for poke cakes. Pour the can of sweetened condensed milk all over the cake. Let the cake cool completely.
After the cake has cooled, drizzle warm hot fudge evenly over the cake. Use ½ cup of a store-bought hot fudge sauce ice cream topping such as Hershey’s.
Next, add the canned cherries. Is your mouth watering yet? Mine is just telling you how to make it.
The last topping is the frosting. This frosting recipe is absolutely perfect for this cake. It’s light and fluffy and not overly sweet. It’s a perfect frosting for the cake since it’s very rich.
Garnish with the remaining hot fudge sauce. I just heat it in the microwave for a few seconds or until it’s drizzling consistency. Top with a few mini chocolate chips or shaved chocolate pieces and a beautiful stemmed maraschino cherry.

Let’s talk about the frosting

I had to work on this frosting recipe a few times to get it just the way I wanted it in this recipe. I wanted it to be sturdier and richer than Cool Whip or whipped cream, but I didn’t want it as thick and rich as a traditional cream cheese frosting.

To make the whipped cream frosting. We’ll start out whipping the room temperature cream cheese on medium speed of an electric mixer. You must use room temperature cream cheese. Cold cream cheese will not work in this recipe.

After the cream cheese is whipped until it’s light and fluffy, add confectioners’ sugar and beat until smooth and creamy, next is the heavy cream. I used 2 cups of cold heavy whipping cream to get it to a light and fluffy consistency.

Beat for two to three minutes and add vanilla extract. Beat for about 1 to 2 minutes longer. That’s it.

It’s like a heavenly billowing cloud of sweet goodness! Enjoy and check out the complete recipe below.

Hot Fudge Cherry Poke Cake

Author: aletiadupree
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 22 to 24 minutes
Total Time: -28913964.45 minute
Yield: 12 to 16 servings
Category: Desserts

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Description

This Hot Fudge Cherry Poke Cake is a super moist chocolate sheet cake that is soaked in sweetened condensed milk, a layer of hot fudge sauce, cherry pie filling, and topped with a light, creamy, fluffy whipped cream frosting.

Ingredients

Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate (use Baker’s unsweetened baking chocolate)
½ cup (1stick butter) unsalted butter
1 cup water
1 cup sour cream
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
½ cup of hot fudge sauce. (I buy an 11.5-ounce jar of Hershey’s Hot Fudge ice cream topping and use the rest of the jar for drizzling on top of the frosting.)
1 (21-ounce) can cherry pie filling

Frosting

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
2 cups (cold) heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract or regular vanilla
Maraschino cherries with stems for garnish, optional
Mini chocolate chips for garnish, optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with a nonstick cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, sift flour, sugar, and salt together. Set aside. In a medium heavy saucepan, melt chocolate and butter over low heat. Add water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool for five minutes and then, pour over flour mixture and beat well with an electric mixer.
Combine sour cream and baking soda and fold into chocolate mixture.
Slowly, add beaten eggs and vanilla to the mixture and mix well. NOTE: Be careful not to over mix. Over mixing will make your cake tough. Just mix to incorporate the eggs and vanilla into the other ingredients.
Pour batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 22 to 23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. NOTE: Oven temperatures vary so be careful not to over bake. Allow the cake to cool for about 10 minutes.
While the cake is still warm, punch holes all over the top of the cake with the end of a wooden spoon.
Next, pour the can of sweetened condensed milk over the top of the cake. Set aside and let the cake completely cool.
After the cake has cooled, ½ cup of the hot fudge sauce in the microwave for 15 seconds or until the fudge sauce is thin enough to drizzle.
Drizzle chocolate mixture over the cooled cake. Reserve the remaining chocolate for drizzling on top of the frosting.
Spoon the cherry pie filling over the chocolate mixture and spread evenly.
For the frosting: Using a hand mixer or stand up mixer, place room temperature cream cheese in a mixing bowl. Beat until light and creamy. About a minute. (Make sure that your cream cheese is room temperature. Cold cream cheese will not work in this recipe.)
Slowly add the confectioners’ sugar and mix until cream cheese and sugar are completely combined. Then whip at high speed for 2 to 3 minutes or until light and fluffy.
Add the heavy whipping cream and vanilla and whip on high speed until light and fluffy. (about 1 to 2 minutes)
Spread the whipped frosting over the cake. Drizzle with the remaining chocolate glaze, chocolate chips, and garnish with Maraschino cherries with stems, if desired. Store cake in the refrigerator.

Notes

Recipe Notes/Do Ahead Tips: This cake can be made two or three days ahead. Frosting is best only made the day before serving. You can use a box cake mix. If you do, I suggest Duncan Hines Devil Food cake mix.