Kahlua Coffee Poke Cake
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This simple Kahlua Coffee Poke Cake is infused with coffee liqueur and espresso flavors and topped with a decadent chocolate frosting.
No meal is complete without a delicious dessert! This Kahlua poke cake with cake mix is the perfect ending to your St. Patrick’s Day meal, or any meal really!

While I love Guinness and Irish Coffee cupcakes, I was searching this year for something a little different. My indecision led me to create this Kahlua Coffee Poke Cake that I am in LOVE with!
Why You’ll Love This Easy Kahlua Poke Cake Recipe
- Super Easy Recipe! This simple poke cake recipe starts with cake mix to make it super easy to make.
- So Much Flavor! With a combination of rich chocolate and delicious espresso, this Kahlua poke cake with cake mix is so flavorful.
- Boozy or Not! While I love this boozy cake with Kahlua, you can easily make this recipe using homemade non-alcoholic Kahlua.
- Perfect for Parties! This is an amazing combination of dessert and drinks.

Kahlua Coffee Poke Cake Ingredients
- Cake Mix: I use cake mix to start this recipe because it made it so much easier. Feel free to substitute your favorite homemade cake mix. You can use yellow or chocolate cake mix.
- Espresso Powder: Espresso powder helps intensify the flavors of the chocolate in this cake.
- Vegetable Oil and Eggs
- Kahlua
- Sweetened Condensed Milk
- Butter
- Unsweetened Cocoa
- Milk
- Vanilla Extract
- Powdered Sugar
Essential Items for this Recipe
- 9×13 Cake pan
- Mixing bowls
- Lollipop sticks
- Whisk

Frequently Asked Questions
How boozy is this boozy dessert? The recipe uses 1/2 cup of Kahlua in the cake and then a small additional amount in the frosting. The Kahlua isn’t baked or cooked in any way so the alcohol won’t cook off at all.
What is Kahlua? Kahlua is a rich and dark brown coffee liqueur that is made with rum, coffee, sugar, and vanilla. It is used in a myriad of cocktails like white Russians and espresso martinis.
What is a poke cake? Holes are poked into a baked cake where a liquid like syrup, pudding, or fruit puree is poured over it to soak into the cake. This helps creates a moist and flavorful dessert by allowing the liquid to infuse the cake with extra flavor in every bite through the poked holes.Â
More Coffee Infused Desserts
If you loved Kahlúa Poke Cake recipe, you’ll like these other desserts for coffee lovers:

Kahlua Coffee Poke Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box Cake Mix yellow or chocolate
- 3/4 cup Water
- 2 Tablespoons Espresso Powder
- 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
- 3 Eggs
- 1/2 cup Kahlua
- 1 cup Sweetened Condensed Milk
Frosting:
- 1/2 cup Butter
- 1/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa
- 3 Tablespoons Kahlua
- 2.5 Tablespoons Milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 3 cups Powdered Sugar
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Combine the water and espresso powder. Heat for 1 minute in the microwave. Stir well.3/4 cup Water, 2 Tablespoons Espresso Powder
- In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, espresso, oil, and eggs. Mix well. Pour into prepared cake pan and bake according to package directions.1 box Cake Mix, 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil, 3 Eggs
- In a small bowl, combine Kahlua and sweetened condensed milk.1/2 cup Kahlua, 1 cup Sweetened Condensed Milk
- Once done, remove from the own and poke holes in the top of the cake {I used lollipop sticks}. Pour Kahlua mixture on the top of the cake and refrigerate until cooled.
Frosting
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the cocoa and bring the mixture to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk in the Kahlua, vanilla, and milk.1/2 cup Butter, 1/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa, 3 Tablespoons Kahlua, 2.5 Tablespoons Milk, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- While whisking continuously, add powdered sugar in 1 cup increments. Spread over cooled cake. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.3 cups Powdered Sugar
Notes
- You can use yellow or chocolate cake mix for this recipe.
Nutrition




yummm, looks and sounds delish. pinned!
Looks amazing!
What a new idea! Kahlua poke cake is a must try!
Thanks for linking up at #PureBlogLove Link Party. The party goes live every Thursday night at 8 p.m. EST. and runs through the week end. I’m hosting at http://www.homemadefoodjunkie.com. I’d love to see more of your great ideas at our party!
Sounds and looks like a yummy combo! Thanks so much for taking the time to link up with us over at the #HomeMattersParty – we hope to see you again this Friday! Feel free to bring a friend!
As a big fan of coffee, I love all things with coffee flavor, coffee cakes, coffee cookies, coffee ice cream. Thanks for sharing this recipe with us. Can’t wait to try out this weekend.