Boston Cream Poke Cake
on Jul 06, 2015, Updated Oct 21, 2020
When I am in hurry and need to make a quick dessert for our summer bbqs, this Easy Boston Cream Poke Cake is perfect. The recipe is so super simple and uses a boxed cake mix, pudding, and store bought frosting. SUPER simple.
Boston Cream Poke Cake
My hubby is a huge fan of cream filled baked goods. He loves our Homemade Eclairs recipe best. Before we made the homemade eclairs, this super simple Boston Cream Poke Cake was his favorite dessert that I have made.
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The recipe is so super simple but tastes out of this world amazing. The flavor combinations taste just like a high end Boston Cream cake.
Poke cakes are always a hit at our summer bbqs. I make our Oreo Poke Cake often but this is another one of my “go to” cake recipes when I am pressed for time.
This cake is so simple because it uses a store bought cake mix, boxed pudding and store bought frosting. It’s so simple I can have my teens make it for me when needed.
INGREDIENTS
1 box Yellow Cake Mix (plus box ingredients)
2 small boxes (3.4 oz) Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
4 cup Milk
1 container Chocolate Frosting
DIRECTIONS
Prepare cake in 13×9″ pan according to box directions.
Allow to cool until just slightly warm.
Use spoon handle to poke holes evenly across cake.
Combine milk and pudding mix and whisk until well blended.
Pour pudding over cake making sure it gets down into holes.
Refrigerate cake for several hours to allow pudding to settle and set up.
Open frosting container and remove foil seal.
Microwave for 15 seconds and stir. Repeat this until frosting is pourable.
Pour over pudding layer and spread with spatula to cover completely.
Refrigerate for at least several more hours.
Do you have a favorite summer bbq dessert recipe that you like to make?
This cake is always one of the first desserts that everyone at our bbqs finishes off. Most everyone is always amazed at how simple the recipe is. I like to keep it refrigerated up until I serve it so the layers are perfect. If I am transporting, I will freeze it ahead of time so it stays chilled.
Boston Cream Poke Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box Yellow Cake Mix, plus box ingredients
- 2 small boxes, 3.4 oz Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
- 4 cup Milk
- 1 container Chocolate Frosting
Instructions
- Prepare cake in 13x9" pan according to box directions.
- Allow to cool until just slightly warm.
- Use spoon handle to poke holes evenly across cake.
- Combine milk and pudding mix and whisk until well blended.
- Pour pudding over cake making sure it gets down into holes.
- Refrigerate cake for several hours to allow pudding to settle and set up.
- Open frosting container and remove foil seal.
- Microwave for 15 seconds and stir. Repeat this until frosting is pourable.
- Pour over pudding layer and spread with spatula to cover completely.
- Refrigerate for at least several more hours.
Looking for other great dessert recipes? Be sure to see some of these other ideas that I have shared…
OMGosh…that Boston Creme Cake looks sooooooo Delish! I live by myself and don’t generally make things like this….but I’m gonna make this cake and eat the whole thing by myself!! And gain 20 pounds! I will try freezing some of it in serving size portions, just to see how it holds up. YUM….I can’t wait!!!
You can get personal tins at $tree pack of three that way just make 3 cakes eat 1 freeze 2. Just watch the baking time they also might have round cake pans there to that are 4 per pack that are personal size.
Do you let the cake cool before pouring the pudding on top
The recipe says you are supposed to wait till it’s warm so let it cool a little bit but not completely.
I just finished baking the cake and pouRed the pudding on top. The pudding was VERY liquidy anD went straight to the bottom of the cake. Any suggestion so? I’m afraid the pudding won’t set.
I let the pudding get slightly thicker before I put it in on the cake and it worked out just fine.
The same thing happened to me… it’s in the fridge now. Not sure how this will turn out!
Do you let the cake cool completely before adding the pudding?
Do you wait until the cake cools afterbaking before you poke holes and spread the pudding? Or do you poke holes while cake is still hot and then cool before spreading pudding? Not clear from the recipe.
recipe tells you to wait til semi cool.
I’m going to make this with gluten free cake mix for my sister. My grandmother always made it for her and I think it would be nice to make it for her in my grandmother’s memory. Thank you for sharing this super easy recipe.
How long does it take for the Boston Cream cake to unthaw? Will definitely make it for our next church dinner. Thank you for the recipe!
How long does the Boston Cream cake take to unthaw?
Sure looks good and I plan to make it for our next church dinner!
Thanks for making something so delicious so easy!
It looks like 3.4 oz pkg on the pictures…
Thank you for sharing this..I will defenitely try it out :)
What size boxes of pudding did you use, the recipe didn’t say.
I zoomed in on the picture and it appears to be the 4 serving size/small boxes.
The recipe says 2 boxes of 3.4 instant vanilla pudding
I agree. Make two smaller pans. It says you can freeze these so you should be ok. I always devide my large batches of food and save one for another time
How long will this cake keep? Thinking of splitting into 2 8×8 pans but need one 5 days before the other. Would it keep for that long?
Nikki – She mentions she freezes it if she’s going to take it somewhere so that it will stay chilled, so I wold imagine you could make both at the same time (8×8) and freeze one until you need it. I wouldn’t see why not. Let us know how that turns out if you decide to do it.
thank you for the flashback! I haven’t seen/thought of this cake since I used to make them when I was a little girl! Now I can make it with my little girl! Thank you!! From This Is How We Roll
Kristine :)
this looks yummy! Silly question but do you heat the frosting so it will pour on the cake like in the photo?
yes
She said to microwave it in 15 second incriments until it’s pourable.
Yes, it is heated in the Microwave. She shows in the instructions/directions just how long to heat it so it will pour!
YES. In the microwave, take the top paper off the frosting first and then microwave for fifteen seconds!
This looks so good, can’t wait to try making it!
This cake looks amazingly delicious. I’m going to make this today for my guy’s dessert after dinner. Wish me luck it turns out like the picture.
Ok wow – that looks so good! I love a good Boston Cream type dessert. And the recipe looks so easy! I will definitely have to try it out for our next BBQ
Thanks for sharing with us at the #HomeMattersParty Can’t wait to see what you share next!
How is this Boston Cream??? You used vanilla puidding. Vanilla pudding and Boston Cream have to different tastes. this recipe needs to be corrected. I love a Boston Cream, and there is definately a difference in taste.
It’s a mock boston creme that’s easy to make in a pinch, and I’ve made this numerous times, and the taste is NOT that different. Stop being such a negative person. If you don’t like it, then don’t make it. Save your negative comments to yourself
Gosh. If you don’t like the recipe, then don’t make it…I personally don’t think that gives anyone the right to forget manners or be rude…just move on to the next recipe.
if you are going to be so pedantic about it, don’t make it
Carla- Why be so nasty ? No one says you have to make this cake…..turn that frown upside down.
Well make it your way.i think this taste very much like Boston cream donuts.
Oh my goodness! I need to make this cake TODAY. This sounds SO good! ;)
Oh, my heavens! That Boston Cream Poke Cake is calling my name. With such easy ingredients and steps, this one will be going to the next pot luck or party I go to! Thanks for sharing!
*Found you on the Flamingo Toes Linky Party!