Easter Poke Cake

This Easter Poke Cake is a fun and delicious dessert that is perfect for your Easter celebration. With layers of fluffy white cake, pastel colored pudding, and whipped cream, this cake is not only easy to make but also a showstopper on your dessert table.

Poke cakes are popular and for good reason – they are easy to make and can be customized with different flavors and colors for any occasion.

For this Easter poke cake, we used white cake mix as the base and added pudding in fun spring colors. The result is a vibrant and festive dessert.

I have made many poke cakes from 4th of July and more but never an Easter Poke Cake. I was so excited to make this cake for my family and friends.

The kids loved the fun colors and the adults enjoyed the light and fluffy texture of the cake. It was a hit all around.

Easter Poke Cake Ingredients

See recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and amounts.

• Cake mix: I used a white cake mix for this recipe. To get a true white cake use egg whites. Also, add the ingredients listed on the box; eggs, oil, water, etc.
• Pudding mix: I used instant white chocolate pudding mix but you can use cheesecake pudding mix as a substitute.
• Milk: any variety of milk will work.
• Heavy cream: This is needed to make the whipped cream frosting for the cake. If you don’t have heavy cream, you can use Cool Whip instead.
• Powdered sugar: I use ¼ cup but you can add a little bit more to the whipped cream to make it taste more sweet.
• Vanilla extract: This adds a depth of flavor to the whipped cream frosting.
• Food coloring: I used pink, blue, green and yellow food coloring but you can use any color you’d like.

Recipe Variations

• Make it gluten free by using a gluten free cake mix and other necessary gluten free swaps.
• Switch it up for the occasion by using different food coloring such as red and green for Christmas, etc.
• Decorate the poke cake however you’d like using different sprinkles, etc.

How to Make Easter Poke Cake

Preheat your oven to the temperature specified on the boxed cake mix. Grease a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set it aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, follow the instructions on the back of the cake mix to prepare the batter. Divide the batter into four bowls and add a few drops of food coloring to each bowl without mixing the colors.

Stir the batter and food coloring in each bowl until you achieve the desired color. Using a spoon, quickly drop small dollops of each colored batter into the prepared baking dish. Due to the greased dish, the drops will spread, so work efficiently.

After adding all the batter, lightly tap the bottom of the dish on the counter. Use a toothpick to gently swirl the colors without overmixing. Bake according to the cake mix instructions.

Once baked, allow the cake to sit for about 10 minutes. Then, poke the top of the cake all over with the end of a wooden spoon or a large straw, approximately an inch apart. Let the cake cool completely.

In a large bowl, whisk together white chocolate pudding mix and milk until fully dissolved. Pour the pudding mixture over the cooled cake, spreading it with a spatula to ensure it fills the holes. Refrigerate for 30-40 minutes until the pudding sets.

In another large bowl, combine heavy cream and vanilla extract. Use a hand mixer to beat until soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar and continue mixing until stiff peaks form, taking about 5-6 minutes. Once the pudding layer is set, spread the whipped cream over the top of the cake.

Optionally, decorate with sprinkles on top of the whipped cream. Slice and serve your delicious cake!

Tips for the Best Easter Poke Cake

• Don’t poke holes all the way through, only ¾ of the way.
• Use separate spoons to mix the colors in each bowl to prevent from cross contaminating. I like to use plastic spoons for easy disposal.
• Don’t skip the chilling! This is important for the pudding to set and not be soupy when serving.
• Don’t overmix the batter otherwise you will have a dense and tough cake. Mix until combined and no streaks of flour left.

How to Store

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

FAQs

Can I make this cake in advance?

Yes! This poke cake can be made a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Just make sure to keep it covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container.

Can I use Cool Whip topping instead of homemade whipped cream?

Definitely! Just make sure to thaw the Cool Whip in the fridge overnight before applying to the cake.

More Poke Cake Recipes

• Strawberry Crunch Poke Cake
• Lemon Poke Cake
• Chocolate Poke Cake
• Poke Cupcakes

Recipe

Easter Poke Cake

Alison McFadden

This Easter Poke Cake is a fun and delicious dessert that is perfect for your Easter celebration. With layers of fluffy white cake, colorful pudding, and whipped cream, this cake is not only easy to make but also a showstopper on your dessert table.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Chill Time 30 minutes mins

Course Desserts, Holiday

Cuisine American

Servings 10 servings

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 box of white cake mix, PLUS ingredients listed on box (eggs, oil, water, etc.)
• ▢ 2 (3.3oz) boxes of instant white chocolate pudding
• ▢ 3 ½ cups milk
• ▢ 2 cups heavy cream
• ▢ ¼ cup powdered sugar
• ▢ 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ▢ Food coloring; pink, blue, green and yellow

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to the temperature specified on the boxed cake mix. Grease a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set it aside.
• In a medium-sized bowl, follow the instructions on the back of the cake mix to prepare the batter. Divide the batter into four bowls and add a few drops of food coloring to each bowl without mixing the colors.
• Stir the batter and food coloring in each bowl until you achieve the desired color. Using a spoon, quickly drop small dollops of each colored batter into the prepared baking dish. Due to the greased dish, the drops will spread, so work efficiently.
• After adding all the batter, lightly tap the bottom of the dish on the counter. Use a toothpick to gently swirl the colors without overmixing. Bake according to the cake mix instructions.
• Once baked, allow the cake to sit for about 10 minutes. Then, poke the top of the cake all over with the end of a wooden spoon or a large straw, approximately an inch apart. Let the cake cool completely.
• In a large bowl, whisk together white chocolate pudding mix and milk until fully dissolved. Pour the pudding mixture over the cooled cake, spreading it with a spatula to ensure it fills the holes. Refrigerate for 30-40 minutes until the pudding sets.
• In another large bowl, combine heavy cream and vanilla extract. Use a hand mixer to beat until soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar and continue mixing until stiff peaks form, taking about 5-6 minutes. Once the pudding layer is set, spread the whipped cream over the top of the cake.
• Optionally, decorate with sprinkles on top of the whipped cream. Slice and serve your delicious cake!

Notes

Store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days.

Nutrition Disclosure

Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.

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