Red Velvet Poke Cake (+Video)
This Red Velvet Poke Cake is the original poke cake recipe! Red velvet cake poked with pudding, topped with Cool Whip and Oreos!
A SIMPLY DELICIOUS 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!
CAN I USE HOMEMADE WHIPPED CREAM?
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.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- red velvet cake mix
- ingredients needed to make cake (eggs, oil & water)
- instant cheesecake pudding
- milk
- whipped topping (COOL WHIP),
- Oreo cookies
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. You can do this part immediately before serving the cake if you like. This will ensure the cookie bits are crunchy when you serve it.
Then dig in!
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Red Velvet Poke Cake (+Video)
Ingredients
- 15.25 ounce box red velvet cake mix
- (ingredients needed to make cake – eggs, oil & water)
- 2 (3.4 ounce) boxes instant Cheesecake-flavored pudding
- 4 cups milk
- 8 ounce tub frozen whipped topping (COOL WHIP) thawed
- 10 Oreo cookies, crushed (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare cake mix according to package directions for a 9×13 cake. Once cake comes out of the oven, allow it to cool for just a couple of minutes.
- Then, with a wooden spoon handle, a spatula handle, or some other similarly-sized object, begin poking holes in the warm cake. You want the holes to be 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 pudding mix with 4 cups of 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 whipped topping. Spread it out evenly over the pudding layer.
- Spread crushed Oreos onto the top of the cake.
Video
Notes
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 and republished: May 2019
I work at an assisted living home and I am always looking for something new for desserts. I have 3 residents that are diabetics. I have a diabetic red velvet cake recipe. I am going to try this with that and use the sugarfree pudding anti light cool whip. I think they will really like this. Thank you.
Is this cake best if made the same day or can it be made a day ahead and not be too soggy?
Personally I think this cake is best when you make it the night before. 🙂
Instead of the pudding mix do u think the mix that comes in the cheesecake box with crust would work?
I love the description of the conversation, you had with your love. I think it is exactly the same everywhere but you#re lucky because he did know about the pudding! 🙂 When reading about Cheesecake flavored pudding it makes me even more sad i do not live in the US…. This cake looks amazing and I definitely would love to have a piece of this right now!
I hope this doesn't post twice…. basically I want to know if leftovers can be frozen? Or if not, how long does it last in the fridge? Thanks so much!!
Looks Wonderful!!! I wonder how it would to use the new cream cheese cool whip frosting.
Anonymous – no. Just dry pudding mixes and 4 cups of milk – not 8. 🙂
Hi!! Instead of 2 hrs in the fridge can I leave over night? Or take it out in 2 hrs, put whipped cream on it then stick it back in fridge over night?
Do I mix the pudding according to the directions on the box and then mix with 4 cups of milk?
I just made this tonight for my and a friend's birthday celebration and it was a HUGE hit! I used Vanilla pudding instead of Cheesecake pudding since that is all the store had, but it was still very delicious. Thanks so much, and I look forward to trying your other poke cakes soon!
my husband picked this out for his birthday dessert off pinterest. we just finished it off and it was a hit! everyone loved it! not overly sweet, just wonderful, light and yummy! thanks! kennedy's in texas
Hi Erin! I just saw that new product the other day at Food Lion. I am going to try it out too. My husband loves any kind of whipped topping so I know he would probably love those new flavored frostings they have now!
This looks so good!! I'm going to be making this later today! By the way, I found Cream Cheese cool whip frosting and I'm so trying it! It's new and I found it right next to the cool whip in my local Walmart!
Thank you so much everyone for such sweet comments!! I'm so happy this has been a successful recipe for you! Anonymous, you could use chocolate but obviously you aren't going to get the same flavor as you would with the cheesecake pudding. Cream Cheese frosting is traditional with red velvet cakes. The closest flavor I would probably try would maybe be vanilla. I hope that helps! ~Brandie
I really want to make the red velvet poke cake but the store didnt have the chhesecke instant filling the only had chocolate, do u think that will work??
I just made one with milk chocolate cake, milk chocolate pudding mix, and milk chocolate frosting and it is delicious!
I had to use french vanilla and Thank God it worked
Red Velvet Cake is a favorite in my house so I knew I had to try it, I posted it today. Thanks for the inspiration – it was amazing 🙂
mickey
Ok…you truly are the "poke cake" queen! I love it! We have a basket dinner with several other churches this coming Sunday. This will be going in my picnic basket! I'll let you know how it goes :).
I just put mine in the fridge. I can't wait to taste it. It looks so yummy!!!! Thank you for sharing
I made this for people moving and making it for a card party on Saturday night. Had trouble finding cream cheese pudding. It is sooo pretty too!
Made this today, but I DID go with the white chocolate pudding, and topped it with cream cheese frosting and raspberries. It's amazing. Just friggin' amazing.
Oh man! This looks and sounds fantastic!! I am sooooo making this! Thanks for sharing it!
Made this yesterday for an LSU FOOTBALL party! It was definitely a HIT! (and The best part was that I got to eat the leftovers today! ;D) THANK YOU!!
Making this for my boyfriends birthday tonight, very excited.
I just got done pouring the pudding on and it is in the fridge now!!! Can wait to show up with this beautiful cake tomorrow for labor day!!! 🙂 thanks so much for the recipe I will let you know what everyone thought about it tomorrow!!!
Thank you for sharing the recipe. I used sugar-free pudding, light cool whip, and, with a little extra milk, whisked in 4 oz fat free cream cheese to the pudding (will try 8oz next time).
Also, I topped with shredded coconut and chopped walnuts instead of Oreos. I'm not really a red velvet fan and don't like pudding…but this was AWESOME!
Everyone loved it.