What is a poke cake you ask? No, what you are thinking is 100% untrue, it is not in fact a cake created by children who simply stick their fingers into it. What kind of backroom chop shop do you think I’m running over here? Not that that would stop me from eating it of course because I’m a strong believer in helping my body to build up it’s immunity, and I’m also a strong believer in cake, sooo…there’s that. Yeah, that’s what’s happening, I’m only caring about my health here 😉 . But seriously folks, (ugh, Amber, seriously??!!! NOBODY says “folks” anymore unless they have some kind of strong Irish accent, as in “I don’t give two folks about that” . I honestly don’t even know how you’re capable of using a computer when you’re so clearly stuck in the deep South circa 1952) a poke cake is really just all the delicious things. Join me on a journey here for a moment, and just imagine removing your tray of cupcakes (or full on cake if that’s what you’re doing), and thinking to yourself “mmm….fresh from the oven cupcakes…things could not possibly get any better than this.” I’m here to tell you that you are oh so wrong. Next, imagine poking a whole whack of holes into your cake/cupcakes (get out that aggression 😉 . You could use your fingers if you want I suppose, but a) not too sanitary and b) due to the “just removed this from a super hot oven and maybe I don’t want to spend half my Sunday in the emergency room for third degree burns (wuss, burns-shmurns…just walk that sh*t off and you’ll be fine 😉 )” nature of baked baked goods, I recommend using, well anything else!)
Now picture melting together (a melting pot I can definitely get behind), some good quality chocolate, sweetened condensed coconut milk and Kahlua, and then liberally pouring all of that goodness over your cupcakes. Then watch with childish glee as as all those nooks and crannies you’ve created in your cake suck up all that deliciousness making your cake super moist and filled with all the things. Feel free to do this procedure as many times as you like (two worked well for me, but you do you).
But wait!!! That’s not all because, apparently to me, that’s still way too boring, I mean all we have so far is a delicious chocolate cupcake infused with coffee liqueur, sweetened coconut milk and extra chocolate (*yawn*). We need to lighten up all that dense, rich fudginess with a little soupçon of caramel butterscotch frosting infused with Golden Oreos. Now we’re cookin’ with gas! (*forehead slap* “Seriously Amber, enough with your old timey-ness, please enter the 21st century stat.” “You know what fake reader?? You can just shoosh with all your nay saying. One more insult outta you and I’m just going to sulkily depart to go sit on my chesterfield, listen to my Victrola and throw on my ankle-hiding skirt and bonnet.” Side side note for those who are interested, I fell down the rabbit hole of looking up the origins of “cooking with gas” and here’s what I found:
“In the 1930’s, the catch phrase Now you’re cooking with gas, meaning “you’re on the right track,” was heard on popular radio shows at the behest of the natural gas industry, as part of a quiet marketing push for gas-powered stoves.”
This actually made me a bit upset at myself for using that phrase – Damn you capitalist gas companies circa 1930, why am I forever falling for your trickery? 😉
So in the interest of full disclosure, I actually made these cupcakes back in…I don’t even know, October maybe? So, even if I had any left (which of course I do not), I would absolutely not recommend eating them. I mean, my baking’s OK, but I don’t believe it can stand up to quite that lengthy a test of time (what am I here, McDonalds? This article was very disturbing. Burgers should not still look fine after 20 years. Am I alone in this?). Also, I don’t want to be responsible for anyone’s food poisoning. Instead, I highly recommend you just get on making these babies for yourself (I think I call all dessert stuffs “babies”, I may just have a secret cannibal inside me just waiting to come out. The irony is not lost on me here, but there it is 😉 ). They’re actually quite a joy to make, I can’t tell you how much magical (aka embarrassing) squealing noises came out of my mouth during the pouring stage:
Fun times.
Don’t poke the bear, poke these cupcakes instead.
Yield: 1 dozen
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 1 cup cake flour
- 1 cup cane sugar
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- large pinch salt
- 1 egg replacer
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons non dairy milk
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/4 cup vegan butter
- 1/2 cup Kahlua, divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon caramel extract (if you don’t have it, feel free to substitute with more vanilla extract or maple extract instead)
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons hot strong coffee
- 1/2 cup vegan sweetened condensed milk (I’ve found this at both the grocery store in the organic section and the bulk store)
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
Frosting:
- 1 cup vegan cream cheese
- 1/4 cup vegan butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon caramel extract (if you don’t have it, feel free to substitute with more vanilla extract or maple extract instead)
- 1 package butterscotch instant pudding
- 1 cup icing sugar
- large pinch coarse sea salt
- 8 Golden Oreo’s, plus more cut into quarters for decorating the top
- coarse sugar for sprinkling on top
Directions
- Line a cupcake tin with 12 liners and preheat oven to 300°F.
- In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
- Add egg replacer, non-dairy milk, coconut oil, butter, 1/4 cup of Kahlua, vanilla and caramel extracts and stir well.
- Slowly pour the hot coffee into the batter, mixing well.
- Fill cupcake liners 3/4 of the way full and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean/dry.
- Remove cupcakes from the oven and poke holes in it (I did about 5-6 per cupcake and used the back of a small mixing spoon to make the holes, but you can use whatever you have handy).
- While cupcakes are still warm, add the chocolate chips to a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
- Add the sweetened condensed coconut milk and remaining 1/4 cup of Kahlua to a microwave safe measuring cup or small bowl. Heat the coconut milk and Kahlua until they begin to boil, then pour over the chocolate chips. Allow to sit for 1-2 minutes then whisk the chocolate until smooth.
- Using a small spoon, immediately pour onto the top of all of your cupcakes filling the holes you poked in. I did two passes to really let it soak in (which I highly recommend doing). It’s a bit messy, but don’t worry about that
- Place the cupcakes in the fridge to cool and soak.
- While your cake is cooling, make the frosting by beating together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in vanilla and caramel extracts and salt. Gradually sift in butterscotch pudding mix and icing sugar (only adding enough icing sugar to get the consistency you want. If it ends up too thick, just add a splash of non-dairy milk to thin it out slightly). Crush or chop 8 Oreos and stir into your frosting.
- Once cupcakes are cooled, frost them and place a quartered Oreo in the centre and sprinkle with coarse sugar (or if you want it a smidge more salt infused, sprinkle with a little bit of coarse sea salt as well).
- Store in the refrigerator.
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