Vanilla and Chocolate Poke Cake – Keke Wanira Me Te Tikarete.
I made this keke (cake) last year for Whittaker’s chocolate. The brief was to create a birthday cake and I had always wanted to do a poke cake so I set to work creating the tastiest one I could. What is a poke cake you may be wondering? It is a cake that you bake and poke deep holes in to it. You then fill those holes with whatever deliciousness you desire. The original version of this keke was made with a peanut butter ganache but because I know this is not everyone’s cup of tea, I have adapted this version to be nut free. I have created this version many times and you can choose what type of chocolate ganache fills those delicious holes in your keke (cake). For this version I bake a moist vanilla cake. We then poke deep holes in to the cake and fill them with chocolate ganache. It is finished with a simple chocolate buttercream, pink French meringue and some sprinkles of goodness! Kia pai tō wā tunu keke – happy cake baking! If you are peanut butter and chocolate lover then try the vanilla, chocolate and peanut butter poke cake.
I created this in a sheet pan but you can also bake it in a 23 cm cake tin too if you want. This cake is perfect for a birthday cake or for any occasion at all! I can’t wait to see what you think e te whānau (family), it is a cake I have made a few times this year and people always go back for more!
Vanilla and Chocolate Poke Cake – Keke Wanira Me Te Tikarete
Ingredients
The Vanilla Cake – Te Keke Wanira
- 1 ¼ C miraka (milk)
- 1 ½ tbsp winika, wai rēmana rānei (vinegar or lemon juice)
- 200 g pata kūteretere (softened butter)
- 1 C huka hāura (brown sugar)
- ½ C puehu huka (icing sugar)
- 1 tsp tote (salt, fine)
- 1 tbsp wanira (vanilla)
- 2 hēki (eggs, size 7)
- 2 ¼ C puehu parāoa noa (plain flour)
- 1 ½ tsp pēkana paura (baking powder)
- 1 tsp pēkana houra (baking soda)
The Chocolate Ganache – Te Ranu Tiakarete
- 220 g tiakarete (chocolate, I recommend a caramel filled chocolate or any chocolate that will melt smooth)
- ⅔ C kirīmi (cream)
Chocolate Icing – Pani Reka Tiakarete
- 100 g tiakarete tote (I used sea salt chocolate, 62% with saffron but use what you want)
- 125 g pata kūteretere (softened butter)
- ½ C puehu huka (icing sugar)
- 1 tsp wanira (vanilla)
Instructions
The Vanilla Cake – Te Keke Wanira
- Pre-heat the oven to 140 °CNote: I know this is a low temperature but trust me, if you bake a little lower, the cake will stay nice and moist with an even rise.
- Grease a 20 x 25 cm rectangle tin with 5cm high sides or a 23 cm cake tin and line it with baking paper.
- Add the miraka (milk) and winika (vinegar) or wai rēmana (lemon juice) in to a jug. Give it a good stir and leave it aside to turn in to buttermilk.
- Add the pata kūteretere (softened butter), huka hāura (brown sugar), puehu huka (icing sugar), tote (salt) and wanira (vanilla) to a large bowl. Tāwhiuwhiua mō te 5 mīniti – whip it (on high) for 5 minutes. You want this mixture to be light in colour and super fluffy. If not, whip for a couple more minutes.
- Add a hēki (egg) at a time, whipping for 20 seconds after each egg.
- Sift in half of the puehu parāoa (flour) and pour in half of the milk mix. Fold them gently in to the mixture until it has just combined.
- Sift in the remaining puehu parāoa (flour), pēkana paura (baking powder), pēkana houra (baking soda) and the rest of the milk mix. Fold it all together again until smooth.
- Pour it in to your prepared tin. Smooth out the mixture and then bake gently.
- If you are baking it as a sheet cake it will take 40-45 minutes to bake. If you are using a cake tin it will take 45-55 minutes to bake. Check at the 45 minute mark.
- The cake is ready when it springs back in the middle when pressed. As it bakes, prepare the chocolate ganache so it is ready to add as soon as the cake has baked.
The Chocolate Ganache – Te Ranu Tiakarete
- Chop the tiakarete, (chocolate) into small pieces.
- Add the tiakarete (chocolate) and kirīmi (cream) in to a heat proof bowl and gently melt over a pot over barely simmering water. This can also be done in 20 second bursts in the microwave. Stir it gently until it has transformed into a glossy, smooth ganache.
- Remove the cooked cake from the oven and cool for 5 minutes.
- Using the end of a wooden spoon (2 cm wide) gently poke deep holes around 2 cm apart all over the cake. Do this gently but twisting the handle side to side to help it move cleanly in to the cake (refer to the video for this).
- As soon as the holes are created, pour the chocolate ganache all over the cake. Using a spatula, smear it all over the cake making sure it goes in to the holes.
Chocolate Icing – Pani Reka Tiakarete
- Chop the tiakarete (chocolate) in to fine pieces and gently melt in the microwave. Cool for 5 minutes.
- Whip the pata kūteretere (softened butter), puehu huka (icing sugar) and wanira (vanilla) together. Add the cooled tiakarete (chocolate) in two or three additions, whipping for 20 seconds after each one.
- Spread the buttercream over the cooled cake with the back of the spoon to create a wispy effect. Add some fun ruireka (sprinkles) or whatever takes your fancy!
- You can also do what I did and pipe on some French meringue with a few drops of pink food colouring whipped in for good measure!
Such an easy cake to bake and it tasted amazing. I’ve made it a couple of times as a birthday cake. Everyone loves eating it.
Yes – this makes me so happy! Poke Cakes are just meant to be aren’t they! So awesome to hear!