This Red Velvet Poke Cake with a cream cheese syrup filling & topped with the best cream cheese buttercream is even better than the original.
If you love red velvet, you are in for a treat with this easy poke cake. It’s so moist and rich with a cream cheese filling and frosting. Use your favorite boxed mix to make it easy, and watch it disappear when you serve it.
I wasn’t a big red velvet cake fan until I married my husband. His mom makes a killer one! I never knew that red velvet had chocolate until I made my own for the first time, and now I am a fan. Add chocolate to anything, and I will love it.
The only thing that makes a regular red velvet cake better is to turn it into a poke cake. If you’ve never made one, it’s just a simple way to dress up a cake with a filling; in this case, a rich cream cheese syrup is poured over the top so it oozes inside, creating a delicious filling.
And the frosting. Every cake needs it. So, we’re adding a rich swath of cream cheese frosting on top to complement the filling.
This red velvet poke cake is so amazing. Rich, moist, and creamy. Many poke cakes are made with a sweetened condensed milk filling, so you should know the cream cheese filling I use elevates it to platinum-level status. It’s so hard to resist.
How to Make an Easy Red Velvet Poke Cake
You can use your favorite recipe or make it easy to use a box mix. Follow the directions on the box using a 9×13 pan.
Once baked, let it cool, then poke holes in it. I prefer to use the end of a spatula to make even holes. Set aside while you make the cream cheese syrup.
In a small mixing bowl, beat, by hand, cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, and almond extract for 1-2 minutes.
Drizzle over the holes of the cake. Use a spatula to spread over the holes evenly. If there is any extra or a pool of frosting, spread the filling until it is absorbed into the holes. Chill in the fridge while you make the buttercream frosting.
Using an electric mixer, handheld or stand, beat butter on medium speed until creamy. Add cream cheese and almond extract; beat until well combined, with no chunks. Increase mixer speed to high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy; scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Slowly add 1/2 cup at a time and 4 cups powdered sugar, beating until well incorporated. Beat on high speed until smooth and light.
Remove the cake from the fridge. Frost and serve immediately, or cover and set in the refrigerator until ready.
More Red Velvet Recipes
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Easy Red Velvet Poke Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box red velvet cake mix follow package directions
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk (add an extra tbsp if it is too thick to drizzle)
- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Best Ever Cream Cheese Buttercream
- 1 cup butter softened
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
- 4-4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Red Velvet Cake
- You can make your own red velvet cake recipe, or to make it easy use a box mix. Follow the directions on the box using a 9×13 pan.
- Once baked, let it cool, then poke holes in cake, I prefer to use the end of a spatula to make even holes. Set aside while you make the cream cheese syrup.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a small mixing bowl beat, by hand, cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, and almond extract for 1-2 minutes.
- Drizzle over the holes of the cake. Use a spatula to spread over the holes evenly. If there is any extra or a pool of frosting, continue to spread the filling until it is all absorbed into the holes. Chill in the fridge, while you make the buttercream frosting.
Best Ever Cream Cheese Buttercream
- Using an electric mixer, handheld or stand, beat butter on medium speed until creamy. Add cream cheese and almond extract; beat until well combined and no chunks.
- Increase mixer speed to high and continue to beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Slowly, 1/2 cup at a time, add 4 cups powdered sugar, beating on low speed until well incorporated. Beat on high speed until smooth and light.
- Remove cake from fridge. Frost and serve immediately, or cover and set in fridge until ready to serve.
Notes
That looks incredible! Love all kinds of poke cake. 🙂
Oh my gosh this looks so amazing!!! Thank you for sharing at The Wednesday Round Up! I am pinning this for the future. It look so good! I’m sharing it on my FB page today at 5:30 pm (http://www.facebook.com/LovePastaBlog)
Thanks Emily! xo San
Hi San! Thanks so much for stopping by the Wednesday Roundup! This awesome post is being featured this week! Come on by and grab a featured button! I’ve also pinned this to our Link Party Pinterest board!
Thanks girl, I am remote and can’t link up but will tomorrow. I SO appreciate the feature!!! xo San
This looks amazing !
Could I make this into cupcakes?
I need something stunning( in cupcake form) for a baby shower and this looks perfect….
Please advise.
Thank You.
I have never tried cupcakes, but I think it would be lovely!!! Yes you could. Oh, can’t wait to hear how they turn out!!! xo San
Just a follow up:
I made these in cupcake form for a baby shower. Normally don’t ever use a first time recipe for strangers, in case it all goes wrong. Should never worried. I just poked the cream cheese syrup into each cupcake using a squeeze bottle. YUMMY ! Turned out beautifully and they tasted as good as they looked. A huge hit. Thank you for making me look so good 🙂
Wonder how this would taste with Cool Whip as frosting instead of buttercream?
Just wondering if I could stiffin the icing somehow to be able to make it crust, any ideas? I was thinking of using this recipe for my step-daughters 16th bday cake with some modeling chocolate decorations like zebra stripes and bows etc. It looks so yummy, I am so tempted to experiment. Want the cake to taste as good as it looks.
Justina – Have you tried this out yet? I would make a butter cream if you want to have a stiffer icing but that takes away from the red velvet – I think. But my mother-in-law makes a red velvet with buttercream and it still taste wonderful. Let me know what you end up doing. xo San
Cream Cheese Syrup…you have upped the game, my friend. I am addicted to cream cheese ANYTHING, but now in syrup form…pardon me while I go find my fat pants.
I don’t like almond extract will it taste ok to use vanilla? Can’t wait to make this for my kids Valentine school party!!
Hey Sandra! I was wondering if you had a recipe for Red Velvet Cake? My oldest LOVES red velvet and I would love to find a great recipe! I made your German Chocolate cake and it was a HUGE hit! Great recipe! Thanks
This Cake was a hit..Made it for Mothers Day for a family Affair,Can’t wait to make it again..
Oh and but the way…It was soooooooo Good.
The frosting was amazing, but the syrup was too thick and sat on top of the cake instead of getting absorbed. It didn’t taste like a poke cake.
The thickness of the syrup didn’t seep into the cake for me even after adding more milk. Like you, Linda, it just sat atop the cake. It was still tasty, but the poke was not present.
Hi! I’ve made your Red Velvet Poke Cake a couple times, huge hit with my co-workers. However, the cream cheese syrup for me has been more like loose peanut butter consistency; not something I can “drizzle’ in the holes. Any suggestions? I followed the recipe except for vanilla instead of almond. But my ‘syrup’ is too thick to drizzle. Thanks!
Have you tried popping it in the microwave for about 15 seconds?
This could totally help if the cream cheese is not totally softened, thank you!
I would suggest adding another tbsp of milk until you reach the right consistency! It definitely varies time to time but that should definitely help. Be sure you use cream cheese that’s at room temp. If you don’t have the time to soften it completely then pop it in the microwave for a couple seconds like Kayla suggested. I’m glad you like it despite it being so thick!
This cake was so overwhelmingly almond-ey it completely took away from the true taste of red velvet cake including the icing.. Vanilla extract would have complimented the taste much better. Ended up throwing this away. Very upsetting.
I’m so sorry you didn’t like the almond extract in the recipe! The kids LOVE almond flavor especially with the chocolate cake so we’re used to adding more. You can definitely adjust it to your preference and use less almond or sub it for vanilla extract next time!