Boston Cream Poke Cake
on Jul 06, 2015, Updated Oct 21, 2020
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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.
subscribe for all the latest deliciousness
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…
Great Recip . . Thanks, I used Pillsbury Sugar Free Yellow Cake mix, sugar free pudding and sugar free frosting and it was relish ! Thanks
Can you use cooked jello pudding mix iinstead of instant? I really lIke the cooked flavor better.
Ijust finished making this cake after reading the reviews. The instructions were clear but I want to send a special thank you out to Wendy. Her idea of using a large syringe to insert the pudding into the holes was genius. And also to mix the pudding for 2 min. So after our done filling the holes the pudding has set up enough to easily spread on cake. Make sure cake has cooled completely.i also followed her advise to only zap frosting till it was just pour able not runny. For my micro this was only 2 sets of 15 seconds, stirring completely in between. It came out beautifully and was a huge success with my family. Thank you so much for this great,easy but delicious recipie! It is just my kind ofbaking!
I was really excited to make this! And then I messed it up. Apparently you should let the pudding settle a little before pouring over the cake. I am sure it will still turn out somewhat though, just a little disappointed that I didn’t think about that and that it wasn’t mentioned to do so in the instructions! Oh well, you live and you learn! Great idea though, always another day!
I decided to give this Boston poke cake a try but I put a slight twist on it. I used chocolate morsels and melted them and put those on top instead. Use the semi-sweet morsels and use any type of condensed milk or regular milk to melt your morsels. You can even try using Reeses morsels to add a bit of flare.
One possible problem with the pudding frosting may be the amount of milk used. I used the large 6 oz size. You DONT DOUBLE the amount of milk as in the small box. Use 3 cups of milk for the large box.
I put a little twist on my version. First, I toasted 2 big handfuls of chopped walnuts. I didn’t have frosting on hand, so I melted some mini chocolate chips in the micro and thinned it with a bit of water. Estimate I used 1/3 bag of mini chips. I whisked the pudding for the full 2 mins and it partially thickened. Spread it over warm, not hot, cake (unlike gelatin poke cake), sprinkled the walnuts over top, and finished with chocolate drizzle. I was thinking that I could have stopped after spreading the pudding and completely cooled it in the fridge, then topped with whipped cream, walnuts, and chocolate drizzle. This, obviously, is a deviation from the Boston Creme style. I’m taking this to potluck tomorrow. It looks pretty!
Thanks, Jen, for a great idea and a useful blog!
I love this recipe and would have no problem with making it! Some people get impatient with cooking but it’s an art! Thanks for linking up with delicious dishes recipe party!
Can’t wait to try this ! Yummmmmmmm!
This is the most awesome cake ever!!
This is so delicious.. But even better if you add a tablespoon of vanilla extract in the vanilla pudding!!