Strawberry Pudding Poke Cake
Turn a basic cake mix into a soft, light, melt in your mouth Strawberry Pudding Poke Cake in no time with only a few staple ingredients!
A MOIST AND SWEET DESSERT RECIPE
Strawberry Pudding Poke Cake is an easy dessert packed with fruity flavor, moist cake, and creamy pudding that soaks into every bite. Topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries, it’s a fruity and sweet treat perfect for any occasion and it’s easy to whip up! It’s a versatile dessert that can feel fancy while being simple and basic to make. If you’ve been around a while, you know my love for Poke Cakes runs strong!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
I prefer Duncan Hines cake mixes as they still stick to the 15.25 ounce mixes, but this recipe will still work if your preferred brand has reduced in size. Quite a few brands have decreased to 13.25 ounces of cake mix in a box, but don’t worry, this poke cake recipe will still work out just fine. I prefer the Duncan Hines boxes since I’m getting a bit more and I prefer the taste of those cakes. Just don’t use Jiffy Cake mixes, they don’t have enough in the boxes. I suppose you could buy two and make it work.
Sure, if you don’t want to use pudding, you could use Jell-O. If that’s the case, I’d just make my Strawberry Poke Cake recipe instead since it uses Jell-O.
Yes, this can be made with vanilla cake mix or white cake mix while using strawberry pudding. There are plenty of ways to mix it up.
I believe you could add some strawberry extract to the Cool Whip if desired. I’d start with about ½- 1 teaspoon to really amp up the strawberry flavor. Adding this will also give the Cool Whip a pink color too.
You may see some poke cake recipes use a fork – those are better if you’re just using Jell-O (the gelatin kind) but when making a pudding poke cake – you need bigger holes. I recommend the end of a clean wooden spoon or other similar sized object.
There are two common mistakes that you may have made if you find that you cake did not set up properly. In order for this Poke Cake to turn out properly, you NEED to use INSTANT pudding. There are two types of puddings on the shelf at your grocery store. One is a cook and serve and one is instant. Cook and serve pudding requires heat to set up. You make it in a pot on the stove. I can’t tell you how many times people tell me their cake has not set up and there is mush on the bottom of their cake – it is guaranteed they accidentally used cook and serve pudding. Instant pudding does not need heat to set up – that is why it is instant.
Cook and serve pudding tastes more like traditional homemade vanilla pudding so a lot of people still enjoy it but that is NOT the kind you want for this type of recipe so make sure your box says “INSTANT” on it.
Yes, this could all be made sugar free as well. Just grab the sugar free cake mix, instant pudding and whipped topping.
Use the toothpick test to make sure it is done baking. If the toothpick comes out wet then bake for a couple more minutes.
Due to the nature of these ingredients, you have to store any leftovers in the fridge and you should store the cake in the fridge when you aren’t actively serving it. It will start to break down the other layers of the cake if it gets warm and it will naturally do this overtime. The cake should last for up to 2-3 days. After 2-3 days the cake will get too moist to keep. This cake can also be frozen.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- box strawberry cake mix– I prefer Duncan Hines, but other brands will work. I discussed this more in depth in the Frequently Asked Question section above.
- water – you can actually switch this out for milk for a richer flavor.
- vegetable oil – you can use melted and cooled butter instead of vegetable oil – the same amount.
- large eggs – if you have time, allow the eggs to come to room temperature. This helps them to incorporate into the batter easier.
- instant vanilla pudding mix– it is CRUCIAL that you grab the large box of pudding mix and double check that you grabbed the Instant Pudding, not the Cook and Serve type stuff.
- cold whole milk– if possible, I truly suggest sticking to whole milk – it just makes the pudding taste better. Cold milk is needed to help the instant pudding set up.
- whipped topping– The brand name is called Cool Whip but you can use the store brand as well. You can make homemade whipped cream if you prefer. Just a note about Homemade Whipped Cream though- it doesn’t stay stabilized as long as Cool Whip does, so it will start to break down over time fairly quickly. So, if using homemade, I’d plan on eating the whole cake within a day.
- strawberries – this is optional, I just like the way the freshly sliced strawberries look on the finished cake.
HOW TO MAKE STRAWBERRY PUDDING POKE CAKE
Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a bowl, mix together the cake mix, water, oil, and eggs and pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Bake for about 30 minutes on the middle rack (or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean). Then let cool at room temperature for about 20 minutes, then move to the fridge to finish cooling for another 40 minutes. Once cooled, poke the cake all over with a straw or the handle of a wooden spoon (or other similarly sized object) keeping the holes at least ½ an inch apart. Set aside.
Then make the pudding by whisking together the pudding mix and the milk in a medium sized bowl. Whisk until smooth but not thickened.
Pour the pudding mixture into all the holes in the cake and any remaining, just pour all over the top of the cake. Cool the cake again, in the fridge, for at least 1 hour to allow the pudding to set up. Finally, spread the whipped topping over the cooled cake.
And top with sliced strawberries. Slice and enjoy!
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Strawberry Pudding Poke Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box strawberry cake mix (I prefer Duncan Hines)
- 1 cup water (you can also use milk)
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 (5.1 ounce) box instant vanilla pudding mix (large box)
- 3 cups cold whole milk (yes, that is the right amount for the larger box of pudding)
Toppings
- 8 ounce tub whipped topping (Cool Whip)
- sliced fresh strawberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a bowl, mix together 1 box strawberry cake mix, 1 cup water, ½ cup vegetable oil and 3 large eggs and pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake for about 30 minutes on the middle rack (or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean).
- Then let cool at room temperature for about 20 minutes, then move to the fridge to finish cooling for another 40 minutes.
- Once cooled, poke the cake all over with a straw or the handle of a wooden spoon (or other similarly sized object) keeping the holes at least ½ an inch apart. Set aside.
- Then make the pudding by whisking together 1 (5.1 ounce) box instant vanilla pudding mix and 3 cups cold whole milk in a medium sized bowl. Whisk until smooth but not thickened.
- Pour the pudding mixture into all the holes in the cake and any remaining, just pour all over the top of the cake. Cool the cake again, in the fridge, for at least 1 hour to allow the pudding to set up.
- Finally, spread 8 ounce tub whipped topping. And top with sliced fresh strawberries. Slice and enjoy! Keep refrigerated.
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.
- NOTE: You must use instant pudding mix *not cook and serve* and you must use the larger box of pudding mix. If you accidentally purchase the cook and serve, you will end up with a sloppy mess on the bottom of your cake and it won’t set up.
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 made this for my best friends birthday but used instant cheesecake pudding mix instead! It was amazing
I made this earlier today. It turned out beautifully and the hubs says it’s a “do over”. Thanks Brandie!
Yay! Love hearing that thank you!!