Boston cream poke cake is a yellow sheet cake poked full of holes, flooded with cool vanilla pudding and finished with a smooth layer of chocolate frosting. It has all the flavors of a Boston cream pie, with none of the layering or pastry cream. The pudding soaks down into the cake and makes every bite creamy. It starts with a box of cake mix, and it is a favorite for potlucks, birthdays and cookouts because it is made ahead and served cold.
How to make Boston cream poke cake: Bake a yellow cake mix in a 9-by-13-inch pan. While the cake is warm, poke holes all over it with a wooden spoon handle. Whisk instant vanilla pudding mix with milk for about 1 minute and pour it over the cake, pressing it into the holes. Chill for about 2 hours, then pour warmed chocolate frosting over the top and chill again.
Why You’ll Love It
- Four store-bought shortcuts. Cake mix, pudding mix, milk and a tub of frosting.
- Creamy all the way through. The pudding fills the holes and soaks into the cake.
- No layering. One pan, start to finish.
- Made ahead. It has to chill, so it is ready when you are.
- It feeds twelve. A full 9-by-13-inch pan.
Ingredient Notes
Yellow cake mix. One 15.25-ounce box, plus the eggs, oil and water listed on that box.
Instant vanilla pudding mix. Two 3.4-ounce boxes. Instant French vanilla pudding mix also works. Be sure it is instant, not cook-and-serve.
Milk. Four cups, cold, for the pudding.
Chocolate frosting. One 16-ounce tub. It is warmed briefly so it pours.
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix (15.25 ounces)
- Eggs, as called for on the cake mix box
- Oil, as called for on the cake mix box
- Water, as called for on the cake mix box
- 2 boxes instant vanilla pudding mix (3.4 ounces each)
- 4 cups milk
- 1 tub chocolate frosting (16 ounces)
How to Make Boston Cream Poke Cake
1. Bake the cake. Prepare the yellow cake mix with the eggs, oil and water required by its box. Bake according to the box directions in a well-greased 9-by-13-inch pan.
2. Poke the warm cake. While the baked cake is still warm, use a wooden spoon handle to make holes all over it, about 1 inch apart. Poke down to the bottom of the cake and make the holes wide enough to hold pudding.
3. Add the pudding. Whisk both boxes of instant pudding mix with 4 cups milk for about 1 minute, until most lumps are gone. Pour it over the cake, aiming for the holes. Spread the pudding across the top and gently press it into the holes with the back of a spoon.
4. Chill the pudding layer. Refrigerate the cake for about 2 hours, until it has cooled and the pudding has set.
5. Add the chocolate topping. Remove the lid and foil seal from the frosting tub. Microwave the frosting for about 10 to 15 seconds, then stir. It should be a little thick but pourable, not bubbly hot. Pour it onto the cooled cake and spread it evenly from the center toward the sides.
6. Chill and serve. Let the topped cake cool on the counter for a few minutes, then refrigerate until the frosting has fully cooled and set.
How Do You Get the Pudding Into the Holes Before It Sets?
By moving fast and pouring the pudding while it is still thin. Instant pudding starts to thicken within minutes of meeting the milk. If you whisk it until it is thick, it will sit on top of the cake like frosting and never reach the holes.
| Step | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Poke first | Make the holes while the cake is still warm, before you mix the pudding | The cake is ready the moment the pudding is |
| Big holes | Use a wooden spoon handle, about 1 inch apart, down to the bottom | A fork makes holes too small for pudding |
| Short whisk | Whisk the pudding and milk for about 1 minute only | It stays pourable |
| Pour and aim | Pour right away, over the holes | Thin pudding runs down into them |
| Press | Push the pudding into the holes with the back of a spoon | Fills any that are still empty |
Then leave it alone. The pudding finishes setting in the refrigerator, inside the cake and on top of it. After about 2 hours it is firm enough to hold the chocolate layer.
Tips for Success
How warm should the frosting be?
Just warm enough to pour. Ten to 15 seconds in the microwave and a good stir is all it takes. If it is bubbling, it is too hot and will melt into the pudding.
Why spread the frosting from the center?
Pour it in the middle and ease it toward the edges. That way you push frosting over pudding, not pudding into frosting.
Can I use cook-and-serve pudding?
No. Use instant pudding mix. It sets cold, with only milk.
How do I get neat pieces?
Cut the cake cold, with a sharp knife, and wipe the blade between cuts.
Should the pan be greased?
Yes, well. The cake is served straight from the pan, and a greased pan lets the pieces lift out cleanly.
How Long Does It Take?
About 165 minutes at the least: 20 minutes of prep, 25 minutes of baking and about 2 hours of chilling for the pudding. The frosted cake then needs more time in the refrigerator to set. You may see this cake listed at 45 minutes, but that leaves out all the chilling. Make it in the morning for the evening, or the day before.
Can You Make Boston Cream Pie Poke Cake With Cake Mix?
Yes. That is how this one is made. A box of yellow cake mix stands in for the sponge, instant vanilla pudding stands in for the pastry cream, and a tub of chocolate frosting stands in for the glaze.
What Makes a Poke Cake So Moist?
The filling. Pudding poured over a warm, poked cake runs down into the holes and soaks into the crumb around them, so the moisture is inside the cake and not only on top.
Storage
Keep the cake covered in the refrigerator and eat it within 3 to 4 days. Because of the pudding, do not leave it out for more than 2 hours, or more than 1 hour when it is above 90°F.
What to Serve With It
This cake is a full dessert without anything else. For another poke cake, try the lemon poke cake with soaking syrup. For more cold, creamy desserts, there is the strawberry cream cheese icebox cake, and a spoonful of cream cheese whipped cream is good on almost any slice. For other easy cakes that start with a mix, make the lemon cream cheese dump cake, the pecan pie dump cake or the slow cooker lemon lush.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get the pudding into the holes before it sets, and how long must the cake chill?
Whisk the pudding for about 1 minute and pour it at once over the warm, poked cake. Chill for about 2 hours before adding the frosting, then chill again until the frosting sets.
Can I make Boston Cream Pie poke cake using cake mix?
Yes. This one uses a 15.25-ounce box of yellow cake mix.
What makes a poke cake so moist?
The pudding that fills the holes and soaks into the cake.
What do I poke the holes with?
The handle of a wooden spoon. It makes holes wide enough for the pudding.
Final Notes
I measure the milk and open the pudding boxes while the cake bakes, so the pudding is mixed and poured within a couple of minutes of the cake coming out. If you make it, leave a comment to tell me how it turned out or ask a question.
Boston Cream Poke Cake
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Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix 15.25 ounces
- eggs the amount required by the cake mix box
- oil the amount required by the cake mix box
- water the amount required by the cake mix box
- 2 boxes instant vanilla pudding mix 3.4 ounces each; instant French vanilla also works
- 4 cups milk
- 1 tub chocolate frosting 16 ounces
Instructions
- Prepare the yellow cake mix with the eggs, oil and water required by its box. Bake according to the box directions in a well-greased 9-by-13-inch pan.
- While the baked cake is still warm, use a wooden spoon handle to make holes all over it, about 1 inch apart. Poke down to the bottom of the cake and make the holes wide enough to hold pudding.
- Whisk both boxes of instant pudding mix with 4 cups milk for about 1 minute, until most lumps are gone. Pour it over the cake, aiming for the holes. Spread the pudding across the top and gently press it into the holes with the back of a spoon.
- Refrigerate the cake for about 2 hours, until it has cooled and the pudding has set.
- Remove the lid and foil seal from the frosting tub. Microwave the frosting for about 10 to 15 seconds, then stir. It should be a little thick but pourable, not bubbly hot. Pour it onto the cooled cake and spread it evenly from the center toward the sides.
- Let the topped cake cool on the counter for a few minutes, then refrigerate until the frosting has fully cooled and set.
