Moore Kathy - Delicious poke cakes: 80 super simple desserts with an extra flavor punch in each bite

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We dedicate this book to our familiesRoxannes family, Bob and Grace Bateman, and Kathys family, David, Laura, and Amanda Moorewhose love makes our lives sweeter.

Put an end to dry, tasteless cakes and quickly transform a ho-hum cake into something glorious. Just poke, pour, and enjoy! The recipes in Delicious Poke Cakes make it easy.

Begin with a baked cake, prepared from a box mix or by following one of the simple from-scratch cake recipes included here. Poke holes in the cake with a fork, the handle of a wooden spoon, a straw, or a skewer. Pour a pudding, topping, glaze, gelatin, or sauce over the cake and let the flavor seep into every crevice and permeate every morsel of cake, soaking the cake with all the goodness and flavor. Finish it off with a luscious frosting or topping, and now that everyday cake has pizzazz. You will discover a wonderful flavor boost in every bite.

The unsurpassed make-ahead convenience of these cakes means they are year-round winners for busy cooks. Poke cakes are perfect for everyday family dinners, for all those special holiday celebrations, and for every delicious gathering all year long. Some believe the first poke cake may have been a white cake drizzled with colorful gelatin and frosted with whipped topping. On the other hand, old-fashioned pound cakes were often poked with a fork and drizzled with juice. Both are great, but this recipe collection doesnt stop there. There is a recipe for every tastedecadent chocolates and caramels, fresh fruit, and more. Serve a fun, updated classic cake; a colorful kid-friendly dessert; or an adults-only cake laced with liquor.

With all these enticing flavors, dont forget that effortless, no-fuss cooking is the real treat. The ingredients are basic and may be waiting in your pantry already. Never again shy away from making dessert, and rest assured that your cake will be the hit of the party, potluck, or picnic. No stressjust rave reviews.

Just bake the cake, poke, pour, and serve.

Bake a cake. Many are baked in a 9 x 13-inch pan, but some of the recipes are for layer cakes, loaf cakes, or Bundt cakes. Spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray. Use the size of the pan recommended in the recipe. After baking, leave the cake in the pan, unless otherwise directed in the recipe.

Poke the cake. The recipes will tell you what to poke the cake with and when to poke it. Sometimes you poke the cake soon after taking it out of the oven; sometimes the cake needs to cool completely.

Use larger holes for thicker or chunky toppings and smaller holes for liquids. Follow the recommendation in the recipe.

Poke holes evenly over the entire surface of the cake. The more holes, the better, especially when poking with a fork.

Poke the holes deep into the cake, but do not punch through the bottom of the cakeyou dont want the flavorful liquid to seep out.

Pour the topping or sauce over the cake. Pour the syrup, topping, or sauce very slowly, drizzling it over every spot on the cake and filling the holes. Sometimes you will want to stop and let the liquid seep into the cake, then pour some more. Sometimes you may want to use the back of a spoon or the tip of a table knife to help spread the sauce and fill the holes.

If the liquid seems to pool in one particular spot, you may find you want to poke a hole in that very spot.

Frost the cake. There is a suggestion on each recipe, such as whipped topping, whipped cream, or luscious frosting. We offer a really tasty suggestion that is our favorite, but of course, you can select another frosting if that is your preference.

Which pan? A 9 x 13-inch baking dish is often used for these recipes. Metal and glass both work for these recipes, but we often choose a glass baking dish, as it is attractive for serving. Occasionally, we use 9-inch round cake pans, loaf pans, and Bundt pans. Use the size of pan recommended in the recipe.

Spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray. For a Bundt cake, we find that nonstick baking spray with flour works well.

Bake the cake for the recommended time and test for doneness. Often that means inserting a wooden pick into the center of the cake; the cake is done if the pick comes out clean. Other tests for doneness include checking to see if the sides of the cake begin to pull away from the sides of the pan or gently pressing the top to see if it springs back. Carefully test the cake, and if its not done, return it to the oven to bake for 2 or 3 minutes more, then test it again. Repeat until the cake is done. Use hot pad holders and be cautious, as the cake and oven are hot.

Leave 9 x 13-inch cakes in the pan. Poke cakes baked in a 9 x 13-inch pan are left in the pan so all of the topping you poke and pour over the cake permeates the cake.

Cakes baked in layer cake pans and Bundt pans are removed from the pan. Be sure to follow the recipe as to when to remove the cake from the pan.

For Bundt cakes, you will sometimes poke the surface of the baked cake and pour a flavorful sauce over it, then invert it, poke more holes, and pour more sauce over it. Talk about a lot of flavor! When we do this, we recommend inverting the cake onto a wire rack placed over a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. This will ensure that the bottom of the cake does not become soggy from sitting in the glaze. To easily move the cake from the rack to a cake plate, use two long pancake turners and carefully lift the cake.