Easy Pudding Poke Cake Recipe | All Things Mamma (2024)

I love a good poke cake and this wonderful banana pudding-soaked Pudding Poke Cake doesn’t disappoint! Layers of yellow cake, pudding, and creamy Cool Whip will make this cake an easy favorite.

Poke cakes are so fun to make and infuse with whatever flavor you choose. In this easy pudding poke cake recipe, I used sweet and creamy banana pudding to give a yellow cake a rich, super banana-y flavor that’s topped with piles of whipped topping.

Each bite is soft, fluffy, poke cake perfection!

(Love banana pudding? You’ll love these Chocolate Banana Pudding Bars too!)

Pudding Poke Cake Recipe

This is a pantry-friendly recipe, and you may already have a lot of the ingredients on hand to make this cake. Choose your favorite brand of yellow cake mix, grab a couple of boxes of banana pudding, and stash a carton of Cool Whip in the freezer so you can make this one on the spur of the moment.

I’ve included some variation ideas below if you want to throw in some additions. If you want to keep things simple, crushed vanilla wafers are really all you need for a crunchy finish to the top of the cake. It also makes enough for a crowd, so definitely plan on sharing this one.

For more poke cake inspiration, try my Easy Chocolate Poke Cake, Strawberry Jello Poke Cake, Snickers Poke Cake, Oreo Poke Cake, or Pumpkin Caramel Poke Cake recipes!

Ingredients for Pudding Poke Cake

See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

• Yellow cake mix – You’ll need one box of your favorite yellow cake mix for this recipe.
• Water
• Butter – You can use salted or unsalted butter.
• Eggs
• Instant pudding – Banana pudding is used in this cake.
• Milk
• Cool Whip
• Vanilla wafer cookies – You can use Nilla wafers or other wafer cookies.
• Bananas

Variations

This cake is so great as is, but you may want to try a few of these ideas as well:

• Garnish with chocolate – Sprinkle mini chocolate chips or shaved chocolate on top of the cake when you add the banana slices. You could also drizzle it with chocolate sauce!
• Add more fruit – You can definitely add more fruit to the banana slices for color and fresh flavor.
• Try some toasted nuts – Chopped, toasted nuts like walnuts would be amazing scattered across the top of this cake!

How to Make Pudding Poke Cake

1. Heat the oven and prepare the pan: Preheat your oven to 350℉ and lightly grease a 9×13 cake pan.
2. Make the batter: Add the cake mix, eggs, water, and melted butter to a large mixing bowl and whisk together into a smooth batter.
3. Bake the cake: Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for 25 minutes. The cake will be golden brown and spring back when touched.
4. Cool the cake: Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes across the whole surface of the cake, making holes that go to the bottom of the pan, spaced about 1 ½ inches apart.
5. Make the banana pudding: Pour the banana pudding mix into a large bowl and add the milk. Whisk for about 2 minutes, making sure the pudding is nice and smooth. It will start to set and get thick almost immediately.
6. Pour on the pudding: Pour the pudding over the cake. Try to get the pudding into the holes by using the back of a spoon or an offset spatula to spread the pudding and also push it down.
7. Cool the cake: Put the cake in the fridge to cool and set for about 2 hours.
8. Finish the cake: Remove the cake from the fridge when you are ready to serve it. Spread the Cool Whip topping over the cake then sprinkle the crushed vanilla wafers and banana pieces over the top of the Cool Whip. Slice and enjoy!

How to Store

Store the pudding cake, tightly covered, in the fridge for up to 3 days. Serve cold.

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