Boston Cream Poke Cake (+Video)
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!
AN EASIER VERSION OF THE FAMOUS PIE
This is an easy and fun cake that everyone wants the recipe for. I have made this recipe more times than I can count for friends, family and co-workers. It’s requested for birthday cakes, celebration cakes and just because! It tastes just like a Boston Cream Pie but so much easier to make!
TIPS FOR MAKING BOSTON CREAM POKE CAKE:
- 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 do not recommend doing this as a layer cake. It just won’t hold up because of the pudding.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- yellow cake mix – you could use a butter cake mix but you will need to use the ingredients called for on the back of the box (butter instead of oil.) You could also use a vanilla cake mix or you can make a homemade yellow cake!
- eggs, oil and water – you will be following the directions on the back of the cake mix box for a 9×13-inch cake.
- instant vanilla or French vanilla pudding – it has to be instant – not cook and serve. It will never set up if you use the cook and serve.
- chocolate frosting – use your favorite brand and it can either be the creamy kind or the whipped kind.
HOW 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.
CRAVING MORE POKE CAKE RECIPES?
Originally published: March 2012
Updated & republished: June 2023
Boston Cream Poke Cake (+Video)
Ingredients
- 15.25 ounce box yellow cake mix
- ingredients needed to make cake; eggs, oil and water
- 2 (3.4 ounce) boxes INSTANT vanilla or French vanilla pudding
- 4 cups milk
- 16 ounce tub chocolate frosting
Instructions
- Make cake mix according to directions and bake in a well-greased 9 x13-inch 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 refrigerator to set and cool (about 2 hours).
- After age has cooled, remove the lid and foil covering from the tub of chocolate frosting. Put 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 layer of cooled cake. 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 refrigerator to fully cool and set up.
Video
Notes
- This cake needs to be kept refrigerated. This cake tastes even better after it has sat in the fridge overnight.
- For a more homemade cake flavor, try substituting the water in the cake mix recipe with milk.
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.
I am sharing this on FB with the following post- My kids made this cake last night- It was GREAT! And easy enough a 5 yo and 7 yo did it (only needed me to take the cake out of the oven!). They used a yellow butter golden cake, store brand vanilla pudding (2), store brand chocolate frosting. It set up great! Daddy said it was one of our best ideas yet! Thank you for sharing! There will be LOTS MORE poke cakes in this house!
Just saw this on Pinterest and this looks AMAZING! My MIL makes a Jello-o cake with the 'poke' technique – this I will have to try! Thanks!
~Jaime @ CouponCrazyFreebieFanatic.com
LOVE this cake… I made it and it disappeared, everyone liked it as well… 😀
I love this cake I aslo made the banana pudding poke cake but my family just loved this one more! the first time i made it when poking the hole I made kind of a mess but it was still good! So this time when poking the hole I use a turkey baster and while I poked and twist this seemed to be less messy and less crumbs and the then when I poured the pudding I did it slowly so the pudding can go in the holes Im still practingon these recipies but having fun while I am doing it! thanks again for the recipies!
I've made your red velvet poke cake and it was a huge hit at work! I just bought the stuff to make this one, and was wondering if you or anyone on here has tried doing these as cupcakes?
It says to do it while the cake is WARM…not HOT. I just did mine and waited about 10 minutes. I used a plastic mixing spoon and the procedure was tedious but problem free. I also substituted cheesecake flavored pudding for regular vanilla, just to make the flavor a little more interesting. I also dropped the cake on the counter (from only an inch or so) a few times to help the pudding settle into the holes a bit. Looking forward to sampling the result at tonight's birthday dinner.
Mine didn't come out nearly as neat looking as your after the hole poking step. I used a wooden spoon handle within about a minute of removing it from the oven…it looked really messy afterward. Should I have let it cool longer?
Stumbled onto your site from Pinterest. Oh. My. Goodness. Can't wait to try some of your poke cake recipes. Lots of parties coming up this summer, just screaming for lemon, Boston cream or red velvet poke cake!
I made this cake last night for a cookout (today). It tasted delicious and it was a big hit! However, my icing never really set up. I made the cake/pudding parts last night and added the icing this morning after a night in the fridge. I stored it in the fridge until right before it was served. Any suggestions as to why the icing was runny?
2 AND 1/2 CUPS OF POWDERED SUGAR–2 TSP.WHITE KARO CORN SYRUP–2 TSP. VANILLA-3 TBS. SOFTENED BUTTER OR MARGARINE–3 TBS. MILK.
i USE IT ALL THE TIME. IT WORKS.
JOYCE
This recipe is just amazing! I made this last night and I can't stop eating it! LOL hopefully there will be some left for my son and husband later. This site is my new go to for recipes. Thanks again.
This is wonderful! Too bad when I was putting it back in the fridge after we all got a taste test tonight I dropped it. 🙁 Oh, well I will just have to make it again! 🙂
? for you – could I put a chocolate ganache frosting over the
pudding? Where you combine heavy cream with chocolate morsels and cool – then spread on?
never heard of poke cake before, they all look delicious. I will have to resist trying them all.
thank you for the great cake recipes—-well all
the recipes
Looks wonderful! Do you think this would work with a gluten-free cake mix?
hmmmm…I've never tried but I'd love to hear your results if you give it a go!
I do not usually comment but had to on this. My husband has always been a fan of Boston Cream Pie. He has had diabetes for quite a few years so hasn't had one in quite a while. I made this with all "no sugar added" ingredients. He absolutely loved it!!
Yay!! I just love hearing that!! Thank you so much for letting me know!!
Yay! I really appreciate y'all coming back to let me know how a recipe turned out for you. I am just so happy this one turned out to be a success! ~Brandie
This cake is amazing! I made it this morning and had a piece this evening and it was sooo good! I didn't have any problems with the icing moving around, etc. The first piece was a little difficult to get out 'clean' but it still tasted wonderful! 😉 Can't wait to try the coconut poke cake this week for a work potluck! You and your recipes rock! Thanks! 🙂
Finally made this and hubby said it was one of best cakes I've ever made…not bad for 30 yrs of baking for him. 🙂
Anon- I certainly don't consider myself an accomplished cook- but I've made my share of mistakes before!! One of them was to use soy milk in a pudding/cool whip frosting for my lactose sensitive hubby. It didn't set up right and I later read that there's something about soy milk that doesn't work with jello. Go figure! I don't know if this is true of other dairy alternatives now available (almond, coconut, rice…) but maybe Google has an answer 😉
I have the cake in the oven right now and I am SOO excited to take this to a friend's house tomorrow! Boston Cream meets Poke Cake = Match made in heaven 🙂
Can you make this with soy milk??
My review: HUGE HIT!!
My husband loved it. I made the lower fat version of the cake from the directions on the box (using water & unsweetened applesauce). I made 2 boxes of the 1 ounce puddings (yes, they were the sf/ff version) and it was too much pudding, but still very good!
I cannot wait to try another flavor of your poke cakes. Thank You!!
Thanks everyone. I'll report back with a review. 🙂
Anon… Double check those boxes .. they may be the sugar free kind.
wow! you're awesome, thank you so much for your quick response. we might just be able to figure this out so i can make it for thursday. yes, i live in the U.S., new york.
the smaller box (1 oz) uses 2 cups of milk and makes four 1/2 cup servings so 2 cups.
the larger box (1.5 oz) uses 3 cups of milk and makes six 1/2 cup servings so 3 cups.
i stood in the baking aisle trying to figure it out, i even asked another shopper. lol is this information helpful to help figure out how much pudding i should make (pudding & milk)? thanks again, i appreciate your assistance!!