This Boston Cream Poke Cake tastes just like the pie but in cake form! Easily made with a boxed cake mix, pudding and chocolate frosting!
BOSTON CREAM POKE CAKE
VIDEO INCLUDED BELOW:
TIPS FOR MAKING POKE CAKES:
- You’ll need a large round wooden spoon handle or other similar sized object to poke the holes. You want fairly large-sized holes for the pudding to go into.
- Don’t let the pudding set before pouring onto cake. Whisk the pudding well for a minute or two then start pouring straight into the holes of the cake.
- When softening the frosting in the microwave (to make it pourable) make sure not to get it bubbling hot. Just microwave it for a few seconds at a time and stir after each time until it gets to a smooth, pourable consistency. The cake should be completely cooled before doing this.
- I have tons of different poke cake ideas here on the blog. You can have a lot of fun with these cakes by switching out the cake, pudding and frosting flavors! One of my most popular poke cake recipes is this BANANA PUDDING POKE CAKE!
- I don’t recommend doing this as a layer cake. It just won’t hold up because of the pudding.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
yellow cake mix
ingredients needed to make cake; eggs, oil and water
instant vanilla or French vanilla pudding
milk
chocolate frosting
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE BOSTON CREAM POKE CAKE:
Make cake mix according to directions and bake in a well-greased 9×13 pan. When cake is finished, while still warm, poke holes all over cake (about 1-inch) intervals using a wooden spoon handle or other similar size object. 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 bowl, add milk to pudding mixture and continue to whisk until most of the lumps are removed.
Pour pudding on top of warm cake. Taking care to pour straight into the holes in the cake.
Take a spoon and spread it out. I like to very gently press down to ensure that pudding goes into the holes and spread it all the way to the sides.
Put cake in fridge and allow to cool completely before adding the frosting (about 2 hours.) Remove the lid and foil covering from the tub of chocolate frosting. Pop it in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds. Stir with a spoon. It should still be thick but pourable – not bubbly hot. Pour chocolate frosting on top of pudding.
Spread frosting to evenly cover cake. Start in the middle and gently spread to the sides.
Allow to cool on the counter for a few minutes, then put into the fridge to fully cool and set up. This cake needs to be kept refrigerated.This is one of those cakes that I think tastes better after it has sat in the fridge overnight. It really helps the pudding to settle in and blend all the flavors.
Originally published: March 2012
Updated & republished: January 2020
BOSTON CREAM POKE CAKE
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- ingredients needed to make cake; eggs, oil and water
- 2 (3.4 oz) boxes instant vanilla or French vanilla pudding
- 4 cups milk
- 1 tub chocolate frosting
Instructions
- Make cake mix according to directions and bake in a well-greased 9 x13 pan.
- When cake is finished, while still warm, poke holes all over cake (about 1-inch) intervals using a wooden spoon handle or other similar size object.
- 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 bowl, prepare pudding.
- Whisk together instant pudding mix with 4 cups milk.
- Whisk for about a minute until most of 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).
- Remove the lid and foil covering from the tub of chocolate frosting.
- Pop it in the microwave for about 10-15 seconds.
- Stir with a spoon.
- It should still be a little thick but pourable - not bubbly hot.
- Pour chocolate frosting on top of pudding.
- Spread frosting evenly over cake starting in the center then spreading it towards the sides.
- Allow to cool on the counter for a few minutes, then put into the fridge to fully cool and set up.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
WANT MORE POKE CAKES? TRY THESE!
BANANA PUDDING POKE CAKE
CARROT PUDDING POKE CAKE
LEMON RASPEBERRY POKE CAKE
BUTTERFINGER POKE CAKE
RED VELVET POKE CAKE
COCONUT CREAM POKE CAKE
I have made this cake twice now, and I have also made your Oreo poke cake as well!! As soon as we finish one of these cakes my boyfriend is always asking for another! Thank you so much for your recipes and for your dedication! 🙂
HI I MAKE HOMEMADE CAKES SO I WAS WONDERING CAN I MAKE MY BUTTER CAKE N CUSTARD INSTEAD OF THE CAKE MIX N PUDDING WILL IT WORK ???
You can certainly use your own cake recipe for the base.
Making it again today. Everyone loves it. I have done many different poke cakes. Thanks Brandie
Have made this cake twice. So easy and so good !
So easy and everyone loves it! Glad you are enjoying this recipe.
I've made this 3 times and everybody ask for the recipe. So easy and very good.
My packet of pudding says to cook for few minutes… My question is do I have to cook n thn pour or I should skip cooking the pudding?
You have the wrong type of pudding. You purchased cook and serve pudding and you need the instant pudding. Sorry!
Hi Brandie–
I purchased Duncan Hines Whipped Chocolate Frosting by accident instead of the usual “thick” frosting. Will melting the whipped chocolate frosting work?
Hi JJ – it will still work. Just don’t warm it up for too long. Keep a close eye on it. You want it to be easily spreadable but not hot so it will set up as it cools. Hope that makes sense!
It does! Thank you! I’ll tell you how it turns out!
I’m not sure what I did wrong when making the pudding. It was very watery. I followed all directions and still put the frosting on it. .
Hi Heather! It sounds like you made the cook & serve pudding (which needs to be cooked on the stove first) instead of the instant pudding :/
My husband absolutely loves this version of poke cake Above All Others!
I make it alot, and so many many more of Your Awesome recipes as well!
THANKS SO MUCH BRANDIE!! ????
Made this again tonight 2nd time in 3 weeks. My kids LOVED it. Lets see this time if it passes my niece’s family test!
Hi Tom! I love it!! Hope your niece loves it too! Appreciate you coming back to leave a comment on this recipe 🙂
I was searching Google in the middle of the night for a easy, pudding dessert. I saw this recipe come up . I knew I had found the one! Thanks to online grocery ordering and
pick-up I had all the ingredients for dinner and dessert by 9::30 am. The cake is in the refrigerator chilling but I don’t think it’ll make it till tomorrow for my Husband and I to taste test. I garnished my cake with fresh strawberries it looks scrumptious!
Can I use regular pudding, the kind you make on the stove and not instant pudding?
I made this last night and covered it with a plastic cover in the fridge. Today when I took the cover off– the frosting was wet and runny. It ran right off the pudding. It tasted wonderfully, but what did I do wrong? Should I not have covered it? I cooled it for at least 2 hours, but I still got condensation under the cover and I it dripped onto the frosting making it runny. It is fluid and did not harden. That’s the only thing I can think of. Does any one have any suggestions?
Hi Dolores, yes, it sounds like it was covered when everything wasn’t totally cooled. Heat is the only thing that would cause condensation on the plastic wrap. There is no need to cover it while in the fridge until you’ve already sliced it. I am so happy you enjoyed it though!! 🙂
Can you use a different kind of frosting? Chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting?
Absolutely! I have a ton of different poke cake options here on my site. The varieties are endless! 🙂
Hi, can’t find the 3.4oz of instant pudding in my area. Any other suggestions? Thanks!
Hi Dee, you’ll want to go with whatever instant vanilla pudding you can find. It can be two smaller boxes or one larger box. Hope that helps!