Banana Pudding Poke Cake

Love the rich, sweet, comforting taste of banana pudding? This banana pudding poke cake recipe turns the retro dessert into a delicious mashup treat. You still get that creamy texture and deep banana pudding flavor, but with an extra cake layer. Even better: Shortcut ingredients like a boxed cake mix, instant pudding and whipped topping layer in a snap without skimping on taste.

Poke cakes are a fun twist on dessert. They start with cake—in this case, a dense yellow cake—that you poke holes into while warm. When you pour the cold, creamy pudding on top, it fills the holes, creating stripes throughout the cake (and the opportunity to get extra pudding in every bite). To make this a poke banana pudding cake, we layer whipped topping, sliced bananas and crunchy vanilla wafers on top. Serve it chilled at a summer potluck, backyard party or any time you want comfort food on a plate.

Ingredients for Banana Pudding Poke Cake

• Yellow cake mix: A box of cake mix makes a quick and easy base for this cake. Our favorite brands of yellow cake are as flavorful as homemade.
• Eggs: Always bring eggs to room temperature before baking so they mix thoroughly. If you’re short on time, place fridge-cold eggs in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes.
• Canola oil: A neutral cooking oil, like canola, is essential for a cake like this.
• Milk: We use 2% milk for the pudding, but you can use whole, skim or even unsweetened nondairy milk if you prefer.
• Instant banana cream pudding mix: We love baking with a boxed pudding mix because it’s foolproof for a creamy, thick dessert every time.
• Frozen whipped topping: Thawed whipped topping is as airy and light as whipped cream, but it is sturdier, so it remains fluffy even after mixing and chilling.
• Vanilla wafers: Crushed wafer cookies add crunch to the soft, moist cake.
• Banana: For a tantalizing garnish, scatter slices of ripe, sweet banana over the top of the cake. Ripen bananas quickly using a bag or other easy methods.

Directions

Step 1: Make the batter

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, water, eggs and oil. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Increase the speed to medium and beat for another two minutes.

Step 2: Bake

Pour the batter into a greased 13×9-inch baking dish. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes.

Step 3: Poke the cake

Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes. Pierce the cake with the end of a wooden spoon in 1/2-inch intervals.

Editor’s Tip: You want the holes big enough for the pudding to seep into. Make sure they’re wide, but don’t put too many in the cake or it will become mushy.

Step 4: Add the pudding

In a small bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix. Whisk for two minutes. Immediately spread the pudding over the top of the cake and into the holes.

Editor’s Tip: When spreading the pudding over the cake, gently push it into the holes so they are filled. The whole point of a poke cake is to have pudding inside the holes. Even out the layer with an offset spatula

Step 5: Chill

Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes.

Editor’s Tip: Don’t skip this step! The pudding mix must chill to thicken and set properly.

Step 6: Frost and garnish

Remove the cake from the fridge. Slather the defrosted whipped topping across the cake. Sprinkle the sliced bananas and crushed wafer cookies over the top.

Step 7: Chill again

Cover the pan with storage wrap or foil. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

Editor’s Tip: Keep the cake in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve it.

Banana Pudding Poke Cake Variations

• Add nuts: Use chopped nuts, such as pecans or walnuts, instead of water cookies. Toasted coconut flakes would be tasty too.
• Use real whipped cream: Prefer homemade? You can use sweetened whipped cream in place of the frozen topping. Just don’t expect it to be quite so sturdy.
• Go fruity: While plain banana pudding is a classic dessert, brighten it up with extra fruit. Scatter sliced strawberries, blueberries or raspberries over the top, along with the crumbled cookies.

How to Store Banana Pudding Poke Cake

Keep the banana poke cake with pudding in the refrigerator, tightly covered with storage wrap or foil, for three to four days. Note that the fruit topping will discolor and begin to soften as the cake sits. Setting storage wrap directly over the top will protect it, but if you know that it may take you a few days to eat the cake, you might want to leave leftovers ungarnished.

Can you freeze banana pudding poke cake?

Yes, you can freeze banana poke cake with pudding, but leave the whipped topping, bananas and cookies off. The texture of the whip and bananas doesn’t hold up to defrosting, and the cookies will soften.

Bake the cake, top it with pudding and chill it. Then, cover the pan tightly with two layers, such as storage wrap and foil. Freeze it for up to two months. Defrost it in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to serve, add the whipped topping, sliced bananas and crumbled cookies.

Can you make banana pudding poke cake in advance?

This cool, creamy cake has a naturally dense, moist texture, which makes it a good make-ahead dessert. You can prepare the cake through Step 6—only adding the whipped topping—up to one day in advance. Then cover and refrigerate it. Add the sliced bananas and crumbled cookies the day you’d like to serve the cake.

Banana Pudding Poke Cake Tips

What’s the best way to poke holes for a banana pudding poke cake?

We like to use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke the holes in this poke cake with banana pudding. The smooth, wide spoon handle gently dimples the cake, making holes just the right size to soak in the pudding mix without being so wide that they create gaps in the cake.

How do you keep banana pudding poke cake from getting soggy?

Banana pudding poke cake with bananas should be moist, but you definitely don’t want it to be soggy! Keep the holes no less than 1/2-inch apart to prevent the cake from getting overly damp. With too many holes too closely spaced together, the pudding can oversaturate the cake.