The Best Eggnog Cake (Poke Cake Recipe) | Beyond Frosting (2024)

FAQs

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.

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.

Both cakes called for hole-poking action long before the 1970s. Even though Jell-O isn't quite the potluck-table staple it once was, there are still plenty of home bakers poking holes in their cakes and filling them with sugary semi-liquids.

Adjusting the cooking time and temperature

Everyone's oven is different and you'll get to know the quirks of your own as you use it to bake more and more. If your cake has a soggy middle, the first thing to try is bringing the temperature down a little and baking for slightly longer.

Buttermilk is an acidic ingredient, which helps break down the gluten in your baking and creates a more tender cake.

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.

Let cakes cool for 15 minutes. Remove from pans and cool for an additional 15 minutes. Place them back in the pan so that you can pour the jello over the top. Take a fork and poke wholes all around the cake.

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

The most traditional version is the fish poke bowl, typically made with raw, marinated fish. The two most common fish poke bowls are the tuna poke bowl, made with sushi-grade yellowfin tuna, and the salmon poke bowl.

Before it's served, you'll add a layer of cream cheese frosting and sprinkle candied pecans on top for some crunch. Internet lore would have you believe this pineapple-topped concoction was Elvis Presley's favorite cake, that he even asked his grandmother to make it for him as a kid.

Why is poke so delicious? ›

When done right, with cubed chunks of fresh sashimi-grade tuna, ahi poke (pronounced poh-kay, not poh-kee) is kiss-from-da-ocean fresh, giving the dish a clean, bright taste. The raw tuna is seasoned with ingredients such as soy sauce, sesame oil, scallions and chili peppers.

A cake that's wet in the middle, in most cases, has not baked long enough. Put it back in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Be sure to check every 5 minutes with the toothpick test for any changes. If sliced, cover with aluminum foil to prevent the top from browning even more.

Most common reason is when the oven door is opened too soon and the cake hasn't set up and baked properly. The mixture could be too soft due to not enough ingredients or if there is too much liquid added. Using too much raising agents can make the cake rise too much too quickly and it implodes on itself.

Blind-bake your base before adding a filling to help to firm the base and avoid liquid being absorbed into it. Prick the base with a fork to help steam escape, cover with foil or parchment, and weigh it down with ceramic baking beans, uncooked rice or white sugar. Then bake at 220°C (425°F) for 15 minutes.

Sticky cake and cupcake tops are from a reaction with sugar and water. Sugars are hygroscopic, meaning they attract water. Within baked goods, sugars help maintain a moist and tender crumb. Sugar on the exposed tops, however, will grab water from humid air, creating a wet or sticky top.