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Close up looking at a slice of Orange Poke Cake.
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Orange Poke Cake

This Orange Poke Cake is flavored with mandarin oranges, soaked with an orange flavored sweetened condensed milk and topped with an orange pudding whipped topping!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 32 minutes
Chill Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 47 minutes
Servings 12 servings
Calories 389kcal
Author Brandie Skibinski

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 1 box white cake mix
  • ingredients to make the cake: egg whites, oil and water (use the amounts on the back of the box)
  • 3 ounce box orange Jell-O

For the soak:

  • 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
  • ¾ cup mandarin orange juice (from the 15 ounce can for the topping)

For the topping:

  • 3.4 ounce box French vanilla instant pudding mix
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 8 ounce tub whipped topping (Cool Whip)
  • 15 ounce can mandarin oranges drained and juice reserved (for the soak)

Instructions

  • Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray (I like the kind with flour in it).
  • Prepare the 1 box white cake mix cake per the directions on the back of the box using ingredients to make the cake: egg whites, oil and water along with the dry 3 ounce box orange Jell-O. Pour batter into prepared baking dish.
    Cake batter in a baking dish.
  • Bake the cake according to the directions on the back of the box.
    A baked orange cake.
  • While the cake is baking, make the soak. In a medium bowl, add 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk and the reserved 3/4 cup mandarin orange juice and whisk together until combined well..
    Sweetened condensed milk and mandarin orange juice in a measuring cup.
  • Allow the cake to cool for 5 minutes, then poke all over with a chop stick, a skewer or other similar size object.
    An orange cake with holes in it.
  • Pour the condensed milk mixture onto the cake, focusing on the holes, and make sure to use it all.
    The sweetened condensed milk mixture being poured over the cake.
  • Allow the cake to finish cooling completely at room temperature, the cake will absorb the soak.
  • Once the cake is cool, whisk together the 3.4 ounce box French vanilla instant pudding mix with 1 cup whole milk in a large bowl. Don’t allow it to set up before moving onto the next step.
    A mixing bowl with pudding.
  • Quickly, stir in 8 ounce tub whipped topping until there are no white streaks left.
    Cool whip in a pudding mixture in a bowl.
  • Add the drained 15 ounce can mandarin oranges and stir them in. I like to break them up a little bit but that is up to you on white size pieces you’d like to see in the topping.
    Oranges being added to a sweet creamy mixture in a mixing bowl.
  • Spread the topping all over the cake, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 2-4 hours to set, or up to overnight. Poke cakes always get better when they’ve had a longer time to set up.
    orange whipped topping spread on top of orange cake.
  • Slice and serve. Optional: Add slices of mandarin oranges or sliced oranges on each individual slice of cake.
    A slice of Orange Poke Cake on a small white dessert plate.

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

Calories: 389kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 12g | Sodium: 486mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 49g
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