Lemon Pudding Poke Cake
Lemon Pudding Poke Cake is a bright and citrusy dessert made with lemon cake, instant pudding filling, and whipped topping!
An Easy, Moist, Citrus Flavored Cake
This Lemon Pudding Poke Cake is the kind of easy dessert that feels extra special with very little effort. Totally my food language, ha! I love this fluffy lemon cake that gets filled with smooth, creamy lemon pudding and gets topped with a light and creamy whipped topping and fresh lemon zest. It’s the perfect spring treat for lemon lovers!
Frequently Asked Questions
My utensil of choice is a round wooden spoon handle. I find that they work best. When you use the wooden spoon, you can cut easier between the holes so the slices look nicer too. If you don’t have a wooden spoon, you can use something of similar size.
You should poke the holes 3/4 of the way down (most of the way down), but not all the way through. Also, poke them about an inch apart from each other.
Absolutely! I used lemon pudding. I think a French vanilla or vanilla would also be yummy options. To keep the lemon flavor the most that it can be, stick to the lemon pudding.
Shockingly no, the pudding mix doesn’t make the cake soggy, just extra moist. As the cake chills and the pudding sets up in the cake, it has a denser and more moist texture, but not soggy.
The cake should chill for at least 1 hour after adding the pudding so it has time to fully set inside the holes. For best results, you can chill it longer (up to a few hours or even overnight) to allow the flavors to develop and the texture to become even more moist and creamy. Poke cakes actually get better the longer they sit.
Yes, you can make the poke cake up to 24 hours in advance of serving. Make and store covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
If you’d like to do that, I’d recommend using my Lemon Poke Cake recipe. It already uses Jell-O and has been tried and tested.
Lemon Poke Cake should be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Serve chilled.
To Freeze: Wrap in a double layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil and freeze for 2-3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
Ingredients Needed: (See Recipe Card Below For The Full Recipe)
- box lemon cake mix– if you’ve been down the cake aisle lately, you may have noticed that some of the cake brands are changing their cake mix sizes. I try to stick to Duncan Hines or Pillsbury because they’re currently the most at 15.25 ounces. Unfortunately, Betty Crocker has decreased to 13.25 ounces. Did you know when I started this site in 2010, cake mixes were 18.25 ounces?! A vanilla or white cake mix is an option, but you will not have the same amount of lemon flavor in the dessert unless you add lemon extract to it. You can also use a gluten-free cake mix for a GF option. Add an extra egg or use buttermilk in place of the milk to help the gluten-free cake keeps it moisture better.
- milk – I prefer whole milk for best results but 2% will work.
- melted unsalted butter– It is best if you use unsalted butter, but salted butter will still work for this recipe.
- large eggs
- INSTANT lemon pudding mix– make sure you’re grabbing the correct type of pudding mix. Don’t make a mistake and grab the Cook N Serve kind- you NEED the Instant Pudding Mix! The other kind will just end up as a globby mess.
- whipped topping– thawed. Like a tub of Cool Whip or the off brand kind. This comes in original, low-fat, and zero sugar. Get the one that you prefer.
- lemon zest
How To Make Lemon Pudding Poke Cake
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. In a bowl, using an electric hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the cake mix, milk, butter, and eggs for 2 minutes on medium-high speed. Pour the batter into your prepared pan.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 30 minutes.Using the back of a wooden spoon or a wide straw, poke holes all over the cake.
Whisk together the milk and lemon pudding mix, then quickly pour the mixture over the cake, making sure to fill the holes.
Refrigerate the cake for 1 hour to set.
Spread the whipped topping over the cake, then sprinkle the lemon zest on top.
Slice, serve, and enjoy.
Craving More Recipes?
Lemon Pudding Poke Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 15.25 ounce box lemon cake mix (Duncan Hines or Pillsbury)
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 3 large eggs
Filling:
- 2 cups whole milk
- 3.4 ounces INSTANT lemon pudding mix
Topping:
- 8 ounce tub whipped topping, thawed
- 2 lemons, zested
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray.
- In a bowl, using an electric hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the 15.25 ounce box lemon cake mix, 1 cup whole milk, ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled, and 3 large eggs for 2 minutes on medium-high speed. Pour the batter into your prepared pan.
- Bake on the middle rack for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 30 minutes.
Filling:
- Using the back of a wooden spoon or a wide straw, poke holes all over the cake.
- Whisk together the 2 cups whole milk and 3.4 ounces INSTANT lemon pudding mix, then quickly pour the mixture over the cake, making sure to fill the holes.
- Refrigerate the cake for 1 hour to set.
Topping:
- Spread the 8 ounce tub whipped topping, thawed over the cake, then sprinkle the lemon zest from two lemons on top.
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.
Any cake we make now has to be a poke cake. Absolutely delicious!
This sounds delicious I will make it this Sunday