Kentucky Butter Poke Cake - Easy buttermilk pound cake topped with a quick homemade cream cheese frosting and almonds. Super easy to make and tastes amazing! Cake mix, buttermilk, eggs, cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, almond extract, and sliced almonds. Make a day in advance and refrigerate overnight. Great for parties and potlucks! #cake #dessert #pokecake #almond
Heat oven to 350°F. Spray a 13x9-inch cake pan with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, beat cake mix, buttermilk, 4-oz cream cheese, and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 30 to 33 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
While the cake is cooking, in a medium microwavable bowl, beat together 8-oz cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth. Beat in vanilla and almond extract. On low speed, mix in powdered sugar until frosting is smooth and creamy. Mix in milk. Place the bowl in the microwave and heat on HIGH for 30 to 50 seconds or until smooth and thin enough to pour. Stir in almonds.
Poke holes in the warm cake about every 1/2 inch with a spoon handle, spatula handle or chopstick. Pour glaze over the cake and let the cake cool completely.
Refrigerate at least 2 hours or until topping is set before serving. Store covered in refrigerator.
Notes:
I used a box of yellow cake mix. Feel free to use any flavor that you enjoy.
To make homemade buttermilk, combine 1 cup of milk with 1 Tbsp of white vinegar or lemon juice. Let stand for 5 minutes or until the milk starts to curdle.
Use the end of a spoon handle, spatula, or chopstick to poke the holes in the cake. You want the holes to be fairly large to have the glaze seep into the holes. A fork will not make big enough holes.
Make sure to pour the frosting/glaze over the cake right after you remove the cake from the oven. The glazes will soak into the cake better if the cake is hot.
This cake is best made the day before and refrigerated overnight. That gives the frosting time to set up.
Feel free to add some toasted coconut to the frosting.
Don't like almonds? You can omit them or substitute any nut you prefer.