Red Velvet Poke Cake
This Red Velvet Poke Cake is the original red velvet poke cake recipe! Red velvet cake poked with pudding, topped with Cool Whip and Oreos!
A Unique Red Velvet Cake
Red Velvet Poke Cake is made with red velvet cake mix with a creamy cheesecake filling and topped with whipped topping and crushed Oreos. The idea for this Red Velvet Poke Cake came when I was at Wal-Mart. The Banana Pudding Poke Cake recipe was such a hit when I first introduced it here that I really wanted to create something special for Valentine’s Day. That is where this Red Velvet Poke Cake was born! It turned out so good!
These poke cakes are probably one of the best cakes I have ever had, just love them and they are soooo easy to make. So glad I came across this site, they will be my “go to” cake when I need a dessert.
– Jenny
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course! If you prefer homemade whipped cream, then by all means, make your own whipped cream. Homemade whipped cream often doesn’t stay stabilized for long though so it won’t hold up as well as Cool Whip.
Of course. I am not your Momma, you make it how you want. You don’t need my permission to make a homemade cake or homemade whipped cream. I prefer simpler and easier recipes so this is how I prefer to make it.
If you don’t want to use Oreos, you can use mini chocolate chips, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, chocolate shavings or chocolate curls. You could also use any chocolate candies or sprinkles. Another idea is to take some of the red velvet cake crumbs that may come out when making your holes and add that to the topping layer too.
Adding the crushed Oreo’s immediately before serving will ensure the cookie bits are crunchy when you serve it. If you let them sit in the Cool Whip for a longer period of time, they’ll get soggy. So if you aren’t eating this all right away, just sprinkle the crushed Oreos on top as you serve.
Yes, when you aren’t serving this, it needs to be kept in the fridge because of the pudding and Cool Whip.
Yes. In fact, I think poke cakes are almost better if they are allowed to hang out in the refrigerator for a day. I would just wait to add the crushed Oreo cookies on top until you are ready to serve so they stay crunchy.
Store leftover poke cake in an airtight container, or wrapped with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
You can freeze this poke cake for up to 3 months in a freezer safe container. The texture of the cake may change once done thawing though.
Ingredients Needed: (See Recipe Card Below For The Full Recipe)
- red velvet cake mix – I am aware that boxed cake mixes have been reduced in ounces in recent years. This recipe will still work though.
- ingredients needed to make cake (eggs, oil & water)– this may vary from cake brand to cake brand and the quantities needed. Just follow the quantities on the back of the cake mix box. You can substitute the water for milk and melted butter for the oil if you want a slightly richer tasting cake.
- instant cheesecake pudding – you can also use vanilla as well.
- milk – I think this works best with 2% or whole milk. I do not recommend anything less than 2% fat.
- whipped topping– Cool Whip can be used, or any brand of whipped topping or make it homemade.
- Oreo cookies – see my Frequently Asked Questions above for other options.
How To Make Red Velvet Poke Cake
Prepare cake according to package directions for a 9×13-inch cake. Once cake comes out of the oven, allow it to cool for just a couple of minutes. Then, with a wooden spoon handle or some other similarly-sized object, begin poking holes in the warm cake. You want the holes to be fairly big so that the pudding has plenty of room to get down in there. Be sure to poke right down to the bottom of the cake.
In a medium bowl, whisk together dry pudding mix with 4 cups of milk. Whisk until all the lumps are gone. Pour pudding over cake. Taking care to get right into the holes as much as possible. Spread it all out and using the back of the spoon, gently push pudding down into the holes. Put the cake into the fridge to set and cool (about 2 hours). If you have anything hanging out in your fridge that is stinky, be sure to cover your cake.
Once your cake has completely cooled, spread on whipped topping. Spread it out evenly over the pudding layer. If you haven’t done so already, crush your Oreo cookies. I just place mine in a ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Leave some of the pieces big. It’s nice to have a bit of a crunch when you eat the cake. Spread crushed Oreos onto the top of the cake. e
Then dig in!
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Red Velvet Poke Cake (+ Video)
Ingredients
- 1 box red velvet cake mix
- ingredients needed to make cake: eggs, oil & water (use amounts on back of box)
- 2 (3.4 ounce) boxes instant cheesecake pudding (or vanilla)
- 4 cups milk
- 8 ounce tub whipped topping, thawed (Cool Whip)
- 10 Oreo cookies, crushed (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare 1 box red velvet cake mix with ingredients needed to make cake: eggs, oil & water to package directions for a 9×13-inch cake. Once cake comes out of the oven, allow it to cool for just a couple of minutes.
- Then, with a wooden spoon handle or some other similarly-sized round object, begin poking holes in the warm cake. You want the holes to be big enough so that the pudding has plenty of room to get down in there. Be sure to poke right down to the bottom of the cake.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 (3.4 ounce) boxes instant cheesecake pudding with 4 cups milk Whisk until all the lumps are gone.
- Pour pudding over cake. Taking care to pour it right into the holes as much as possible.
- Spread it all out and using the back of the spoon, gently push pudding down into the holes.
- Put the cake into the fridge to set and cool (about 2 hours).
- Once your cake has completely cooled, spread on 8 ounce tub whipped topping, thawed. Spread it out evenly over the pudding layer.
- Spread 10 Oreo cookies, crushed onto the top of the cake. Then slice and serve!
Video
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Originally published: July 2012
Updated photos and republished: July 2024
Can I make the night before or will it get soggy?
Nope, it won’t get soggy. Poke Cakes often get better if they’ve had time to sit overnight (in the refrigerator)
Do you let the cake cool completely before pouring the pudding mixture over it
If you using the homemade whipping cream, how far in advance can you put it on the cake before serving. 24 h be okay?
It can start to break down since homemade whipping cream is not stabilized. I would do it the day you’re going to serve it to be safe.
Light and tasty! Yes, do the Oreo cookies right before serving ❤️
Thanks so very much Valerie for taking the time to come back and comment!!
All the poke cakes are awesome but this one is absolutely amazing
Thanks so very much – love hearing that!
Does it freeze well?
very, very good and moist. My son loves red velvet cake. This knock it out of the park.
My son loved this cake. He asked me to try it a second time but for the filling he wanted me to try using Oreo instant pudding flavor! (I also added a bit of softened cream cheese) it was amazing. This is our go to cake now.
Love hearing that Michelle! I actually have a poke cake recipe with the Oreo pudding – it’s so good! I can see it being good with red velvet! Great combination – thank you SO much for commenting!! https://www.thecountrycook.net/oreo-pudding-poke-cake/
This looks so good! Any suggestions on how I could incorporate a Oreo crust?
This is one of the best cakes I have ever made. It was so moist and creamy. YUM.
Made this many times. Everyone thinks I slaved for hours to make it nope. Sometimes I do French vanilla and cheesecake instead of just cheese cake pudding.
This looks so delicious,,????,I will most definitely be giving this one a try????….
Hope you love it Sharon!!
I have made the Boston Cream Cake and the lemon cake. These are probably one of the best cakes I have ever had, just love them and they are soooo easy to make. There is no end to the variations you can make. So glad I came across this site, they will be my "go to" cake when I need a dessert.