Banana Split Poke Cake

Name: Banana Split Poke Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 175 min
Ingredients: 15.25 ounce box yellow cake mix; ingredients listed on box: eggs, oil and water; 8 ounce can crushed pineapple 100% juice, drained well ((reserve 2 Tablespoons juice for the batter)); 2 (3.4 ounce) boxes instant banana cream pudding mix; 3 cups cold whole milk; 8 ounce tub whipped topping, thawed; 2 ripe bananas, sliced; ½ cup hot fudge sauce; ½ cup chopped walnuts; ½ cup crushed waffle cone pieces; ½ cup maraschino cherries, drained

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Banana Split Poke Cake is a simple cake made with banana pudding, pineapple, hot fudge, whipped topping, cherries, and waffle cone pieces!

An Ice Cream Shop Inspired Cake

Poke Cakes are a favorite dessert of mine. If you look around the site, you’ll find so many kinds of Poke Cake recipes. When I made this Banana Split Poke Cake, I knew it was going to be a good one! If you love the classic flavors of a banana split, this dessert is going to be a must make for you! So much flavor, tasty and fun textures!

A white plate with a slice of Banana Split Poke Cake.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can I make this Poke Cake ahead of time?

Yes. This cake is actually even better after it chills for several hours since the flavors have time to blend together. You can make it up to a day ahead of time.

Can I add bananas before refrigerating the cake?

You can if you plan to serve the cake within about 24 hours. Placing the bananas underneath the whipped topping helps slow browning since the topping acts like a seal. Otherwise, it’s best to add them just before serving.

How do I prevent the bananas from browning?

You can lightly toss the banana slices with a little lemon juice, orange juice, or crushed vitamin C powder, though it may slightly change the flavor. Adding the bananas right before serving works best.

What other toppings can I add?

Sliced strawberries, caramel drizzle, mini chocolate chips, chopped peanuts, or extra pineapple all work well with this cake.

How do I know when my pudding is ready?

You don’t want to over mix the pudding. You want the pudding to be thin so it soaks into the holes of the cake easily.

How to store leftover Banana Split Poke Cake?

Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For the best appearance, add the sliced bananas right before serving. This cake is best served chilled and is not recommended for freezing.

A slice of Banana Split Poke Cake on a dessert plate.

Ingredients Needed: (See Recipe Card Below For The Full Recipe)

yellow cake mix– plus the ingredients listed on box; usually eggs, oil and water. I used a 15.25 ounce box of cake mix. Look at your box of mix, some brands have decreased their cake mix some over the last few years. Some brands are even down into the 13 ounce range. Using Homemade Yellow Cake Mix is always an option too. White cake mix works great here too.
crushed pineapple 100% juice– Draining the pineapple helps keep the cake from becoming overly wet while still adding flavor and moisture.
instant banana cream pudding mix– You must use instant banana cream pudding mix for this recipe. Cook and Serve Pudding will not set properly and can make the cake too wet because it has to be cooked first before it sets up. Double check your boxes of pudding mix when grabbing them from the grocery store. Unfortunately, they make the boxes look so similar and set them next to each other on the shelves—- DON’T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF GRABBING THE WRONG KIND. Y’all, this happens so much and people get mad at me because they used the wrong ingredient. Additionally, if you can’t find banana cream pudding, you can use Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix.
cold milk– I usually use whole milk and don’t recommend using skim milk. I don’t use milk alternatives so you’d have to use your own experience with those to know if they would work here or not.
whipped topping– Homemade whipped cream can be substituted for whipped topping. Just keep in mind stabilized whipped cream tends to hold up best for chilled desserts.
ripe bananas
hot fudge sauce– thick hot fudge will give you the drippy look, if you use Hershey’s or another syrup like chocolate sauce then it’ll get runny and not give you that good presentation.
chopped walnuts– if you want this to be nut free, you can leave out the walnuts or replace them with extra waffle cone pieces or sprinkles for crunch. Also, pecans can be used instead of walnuts.
crushed waffle cone pieces – this is optional but I had them in my pantry and decided to use them here and we all really loved the extra texture.
maraschino cherries

Yellow cake mix, crushed pineapple, instant banana cream pudding mix, cold milk, whipped topping, bananas, hot fudge sauce, chopped walnuts, crushed waffle cone pieces, and maraschino cherries.

How To Make Banana Split Poke Cake

Prepare cake

Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray (I like the kind with flour in it). Prepare the yellow cake mix according to package directions (using the ingredients listed on the box: eggs, oil and water.) Then gently fold the drained crushed pineapple and 2 Tablespoons reserved juice into the batter.

Bake cake and cool

Pour the batter into the baking dish and bake on the middle rack for about 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool for about 10–15 minutes, then use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes all over the cake (about an inch apart).

Prepare instant pudding

In a large bowl, whisk together the both instant banana pudding mixes and cold milk until slightly thickened but still pourable. Immediately pour the pudding onto the cake, make sure to aim for the holes.

A bowl of cake batter, a baked cake and a cake with holes with a pudding mixture.

Add toppings

Let the pudding set for a few minutes, then spread the whipped topping evenly over the cake. Drizzle the hot fudge sauce over the top. I do sort of a diagonal zig zag pattern. Sprinkle the chopped walnuts and crushed waffle cone pieces evenly over the cake.

A Banana Split Poke Cake being covered with whipped topping and garnishes.

Allow the cake to set

Put the cake into the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. To set Poke cakes actually get better the longer they sit and the flavors can meld together. Just before serving, slice the bananas and arrange them evenly over the top of the cake and add maraschino cherries. Slice and serve!