Boston Cream Poke Cake Recipe
A Boston cream poke cake combines everything you love about classic Boston cream pie in an easy dessert recipe everyone can make.
Soft yellow cake gets filled with creamy vanilla pudding and topped with rich chocolate frosting for a crowd-pleasing treat perfect for birthdays, potlucks, family gatherings, or anytime you need a dessert that feeds a crowd.
If you love easy cakes made with simple ingredients, this recipe delivers bakery-style flavor with very little effort.
Every bite has rich chocolate, creamy filling, and soft cake layered together for a dessert that tastes impressive without requiring complicated steps. It’s the kind of make-ahead treat everyone asks for after the first slice.
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Why You’ll Love This Boston Cream Poke Cake
- Tastes like classic Boston cream pie without the extra work
- Uses simple pantry ingredients
- Poke Cake Recipes are the perfect make-ahead dessert for parties
- Extra moist thanks to the pudding filling
- Easy to customize with homemade ganache or frosting
- Feeds a crowd in one pan
What Is Boston Cream Poke Cake?
This easy cake recipe takes the flavors of traditional Boston cream pie and turns them into an easy sheet cake dessert. Instead of cake layers filled with pastry cream, a baked yellow cake is poked with holes and filled with creamy vanilla pudding before being topped with chocolate frosting or ganache.
How to Make a Boston Cream Pie Poke Cake
- Bake a yellow sheet cake according to package directions in a 9×13 pan.
- Cool cake completely.
- Use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes across the surface. Don’t poke holes too close together.
- Whisk pudding mixture together.
- Pour pudding evenly over the cake so it fills the holes.
- Refrigerate until chilled.
- Spread chocolate topping over the cake and chill before serving.
Don’t Forget To…
- Scroll down to print the full recipe with step-by-step instructions and exact measurements.
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There isn’t an exact number, but aim for evenly spaced holes about 1 inch apart across the cake. Larger holes allow more pudding filling to soak into the cake without making it overly saturated.
Yes. Let the cake cool completely before poking holes and adding pudding. Adding pudding to a hot cake can make it overly soft and prevent the filling from setting properly. Chilling afterward helps the pudding soak into the cake while keeping clean layers.
Yes. In fact, many people prefer making it a day ahead because chilling gives the pudding time to soak into the cake for better flavor and texture.
More Cake Mix Desserts to Try
- If you have extra cake mix in the pantry, don’t miss these creative Uses for Yellow Cake Mix ideas packed with easy desserts, breakfast treats, and family-friendly recipes that help you turn a simple box mix into something fun and unexpected.
- These Dump Cake Recipes with Yellow Cake Mix are perfect when you need a quick dessert with minimal prep and big flavor. They’re great for potlucks, weeknight treats, and those last-minute dessert cravings.
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Boston Cream Poke Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- Ingredients listed on cake mix eggs, oil, water
- 2 boxes instant vanilla pudding mix
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan.
- Prepare cake mix according to package instructions and pour batter into prepared baking pan.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- While the cake is baking, prepare the vanilla pudding by whisking together the instant pudding mix and milk in a large bowl.
- Once combined, refrigerate until the cake is ready.
- Once the cake is done baking, remove it from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes.
- Use a skewer or the handle end of a wooden spoon to poke holes all over the cake.
- Poke the holes while the cake is still warm to help the cake absorb the pudding mixture more easily.
- Pour pudding over the cake, making sure to fill the holes.
- In a small saucepan, heat the chocolate chips and heavy cream over low heat, stirring constantly, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Pour the chocolate mixture over the top of the pudding layer, spreading it evenly with a spatula.
- Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour, or until the pudding and chocolate are set.
I just made this as a test run for a friend’s birthday. It is delicious and not hard to make at all. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, Reesa!
Yay! So glad to hear!