Decadent Chocolate Pudding Poke Cake with Whipped Cocoa Frosting

For the Indulgent Cake Base:

• 2 ⅓ cups of flour, as sturdy as a foundation
• ½ teaspoon of kosher salt, the flavor’s gentle enhancer
• 1 ⅔ cups of granulated sugar, sweet as a whispered promise
• ⅔ cup of sifted cocoa powder, dark as midnight
• 2 teaspoons of baking powder, the lift beneath the wings
• ½ teaspoon of baking soda, the subtle rise
• 3 eggs, the binding trilogy
• ¾ cup of buttermilk, the tangy twist
• ½ cup of vegetable oil, for a moist embrace
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, a dash of pure aroma
• 1 cup of hot coffee, the depth in the darkness

For the Luscious Pudding Filling:

• 88 grams of chocolate instant pudding mix, the quick magic
• 2 cups of milk, the creamy conduit

For the Chocolate Whipped Cream:

• 2 cups of cold heavy cream, the cloud in the sky
• ⅓ cup of cocoa powder, sifted into a soft mountain
• ½ cup of powdered sugar, a gentle snowfall of sweetness
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, the echo of flavor

Baking the Delight:

1. Preheat the oven, line a baking pan, and prepare for alchemy.
2. Whisk together the dry cake constituents until they are one.
3. Introduce the eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, mixing to just shy of perfection.
4. Pour in the hot coffee and stir until a harmonious batter forms, free of floury clumps.
5. Bake the cake until it passes the toothpick test, then cool and prepare for the poke ceremony.
6. As the cake rests, conjure up the pudding, whisking until it reaches the pinnacle of thickness.
7. With a touch of care, pour the pudding over the cake, filling its poked caverns with chocolate richness.

Crafting the Whipped Frosting:

1. In a bowl chilled like winter, whip together heavy cream, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form, careful not to churn into butter.
2. Spread this whipped wonder over the pudding-kissed cake, creating swirls of clouds atop the chocolate landscape.
3. Finish with a sprinkle of chocolate shavings, like delicate bark from the trees of a chocolate forest.

Baker’s Wisdom:

• Room temperature ingredients are the muses of baking; they blend with ease.
• Embrace patience, for it is the baker’s virtue. Let the cake cool lest the frosting weep.
• Measure your flour with grace; spoon into the cup and level without packing.
• When poking the cake, size matters; larger holes for the thick pudding to seep through.
• Line your pan with parchment for a seamless release after the bake.

Serve this cake as the centerpiece of your gathering or as a decadent escape into chocolate. The pudding in every bite, the light whipped frosting, and the moist cake create a symphony that every chocolate lover will want to hear again and again. Enjoy each slice, and remember: the best things come to those who bake.