Easter poke cake is an easy way to turn ordinary box cake mix into a dessert perfect for the springtime celebration. An easy prep and you’ve got a colorful and delicious end to your Easter meal!
I love ending holiday meals with festive desserts.
However, I’m not much for spending time fussing over involved creations when there’s a special occasion.
I’d rather be part of the action and spend time with my family and friends than toil away over a fussy dessert.
This Easter poke cake is the perfect solution!
It’s delicious and pretty, decked out with pastel colors, but as easy as making a box of cake mix and instant pudding.
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need:
- Cake mix– White cake mix and the ingredients listed on the box.
- Pudding– Instant white chocolate pudding. You could use vanilla if you prefer.
- Milk– For the pudding
- Heavy cream– Don’t substitute a lower fat dairy product
- Sugar– Powdered
- Vanilla– Real vanilla extract for best flavor
- Food coloring– Pink, blue, green, and yellow
How to Make the Cake
Easter poke cake is pretty easy to put together!
To do it, preheat the oven to the temperature that the boxed cake mix says.
Prepare the cake mix according to the direction on the cake mix box.
Once you have the batter, divide the batter into four different bowls and add a few drops of food coloring to each bowl.
Stir the batter and food coloring together until the batter in each separate bowl is a solid color.
Using a spoon, scoop the batter up and drop it into a 9×13 baking dish sprayed with nonstick spray.
Make small drops of each color randomly all over the baking dish until you’ve used all the batter.
Once you’ve added all the batter lightly tap the bottom of the dish on the counter to release any air bubbles and spread the batter a bit.
Use a toothpick and lightly swirl the colors just a little bit, do not over mix the colors.
Bake according to the directions on the package.
Once the cake is done and a toothpick in the center comes out clean, take the cake out of the oven and let it sit for about 10 minutes.
Then poke holes about an inch apart all over the top of the cake with the end of a wooden spoon or a large straw.
Let the cake finish cooling.
Assembling the Cake
Once the cake is cool, whisk the pudding mix and milk together in a large bowl until the mixture is smooth.
Pour the pudding mixture all over the top of the cake and spread around with a spatula, trying to get as much pudding into the holes.
Spread any remaining pudding all over top of the cake and let it chill in the refrigerator the pudding is set about 30-40 minutes.
Once the pudding is set, beat the heavy cream and vanilla extract together in a large bowl using a hand mixer until soft peaks form.
Beat in the powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.
Spread the whipped cream over top of the pudding layer.
Add sprinkles to the top of the cake if desired.
Slice and serve.
Enjoy!
Storing Leftovers
Wrap the baking dish tightly with foil or plastic wrap and store leftover cake in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Can I make this ahead of time?
If you want to take some work out of the holiday, bake the cake and poke the holes a day in advance.
Store the baked cake tightly covered in the fridge and then finish it with the pudding and whipped topping the day you intend to serve it.
Tips and Tricks
- Work quickly when dropping the batter into the prepared pan. The batter will spread when it hits the pan.
- Want to make your life even easier? Use thawed Cool Whip on the cake instead of making homemade whipped cream.
- Substitute any flavor of pudding you like!
Other Easter Dessert Recipes
Easter poke cake is an easy way to make a festive dessert for the spring holiday.
Make it and watch every-bunny enjoy!
Looking for other Easter dessert recipes?
Try these:
- Easy Easter Bunny Brownies
- Carrot Cake Ice Cream Cake
- Easter Bunny Cinnamon Rolls
- Banana Pudding Poke Cake
- Cadbury Creme Egg Dip
If you’ve tried this EASTER POKE CAKE, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Easter Poke Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box of white cake mix + the ingredients called for on the box to make the batter
- 2 3.3 oz boxes instant white chocolate pudding
- 3 1/2 cups milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pink blue, green and yellow food coloring
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to the temperature that the boxed cake mix says. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl prepare the cake mix as directed on the back of the box. Once you have the batter, divide the batter into four different bowls and add a few drops of food coloring to each bowl. (Do not mix the colors)1 box of white cake mix
- Stir the batter and food coloring (you can add more drops till you reach the desired color you’d like.) Using a spoon, scoop the batter up and drop the batter into the prepared baking dish, make small droops of each color all over the baking dish. (the drops are going to spread because of the greased dish, so work a bit fast)Pink
- Once you’ve added all the batter lightly tap the bottom of the dish on the counter. Use a toothpick and lightly swirl the colors just a little bit, do not over mix the colors. Bake for however long the box for the cake mix says.
- Once the cake is done take it out and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Then poke all over the top of the cake with the end of a wooden spoon or a large straw, about an inch apart. Then let cool completely.
- In a large bowl add the white chocolate pudding mix and milk, whisk together until everything is dissolved. Pour the pudding mixture all over the top of the cake and spread around with a spatula, trying to get as much pudding into the holes. Spread any remaining pudding all over top of the cake and set in the refrigerator until the pudding is set. About 30-40 minutes.2 3.3 oz boxes instant white chocolate pudding, 3 1/2 cups milk
- In a large bowl add the heavy cream and vanilla extract and beat using a hand mixer until soft peaks form. Add in the powdered sugar and mix until stiff peaks form. Takes about 5-6 minutes. Once the pudding is set on the cake, spread the whipped cream over top of the pudding layer.2 cups heavy cream, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- You can add sprinkles to the top of the whipped cream if you’d like, it’s optional. Slice and serve!
Notes
- Work quickly when dropping the batter into the prepared pan. The batter will spread when it hits the pan.
- Want to make your life even easier? Use thawed Cool Whip on the cake instead of making homemade whipped cream.
- Substitute any flavor of pudding you like!
Nutrition
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