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Banana Pudding Poke Cake (+Video)
Banana Pudding Poke Cake is an easy dessert recipe made with cake mix poked with banana pudding‚ topped with Cool Whip and crushed Nilla Wafers!
AN EASY BANANA PUDDING INSPIRED CAKE
The inspiration for this Banana Pudding Poke Cake actually started out at work. My co-worker‚ Heather‚ loves Banana Pudding. But my other co-worker‚ Amanda does not like bananas – at all. She likes the flavor of bananas but not the texture. But everyone loves cake! So the idea of the banana poke cake was born. All the banana pudding flavors you love – in cake form. This cake is on a different level of delicious! It is so good and will not disappoint!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ’S)
Can you add sliced bananas to this cake? Yes but they will turn brown as soon as you slice into the cake; so if you plan on serving this over the course of a couple of days‚ just keep in mind those bananas will turn brown and this cake won’t be as pretty. If you are serving it all the on the same day then you can do that. It all depends on your preference. Can you use other flavors of cake mix and pudding? Yes! The sky is the limit with poke cakes! Since creating this specific banana poke cake recipe in 2012‚ I have added about thirty five poke cake combinations. Some of the most popular ones are: Boston Cream Poke Cake‚ Red Velvet Poke Cake‚ Oreo Pudding Poke Cake and Lemon Blueberry Poke Cake. I have list of all my poke cake recipes here. Can this cake be frozen? Yes. As long as it is covered well to protect against freezer burn. You can freeze it for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator and not on the counter. Will this work with the new size of cake mixes? Yes. When I first shared this recipe in 2012‚ cake mix sizes were 18.5 ounces‚ then went down to 15.25 ounces and some are now down to 13.25 ounces. I have tried it with every size and it all still works. Duncan Hines (as of writing this post) is still at 15.25 ounces. Betty Crock and others have gone down to the 13.25 ounces. Duncan Hines is my personal favorite brand but they all work. How to store leftover banana poke cake? Leftovers should be stored covered‚ in the refrigerator‚ for up to 3 days.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
yellow cake mix – you could use any flavor of cake you think would go well with the banana pudding. Since sharing this recipe‚ Dolly Parton has come out with a line of cake mixes and one is a banana flavor (paid affiliate link) so you could really go all out with all banana by using that cake mix. Or you can make a homemade yellow cake.
ingredients needed to make cake – you are going to use the amounts of eggs‚ oil and water that are on the back of the cake mix box.
instant banana pudding – DO NOT GET COOK &; SERVE PUDDING OR IT WON’T SET UP. Cook and serve requires heat before it will set up. I’ve had this recipe on my site for over 12 years and this issue still comes up so I am trying to make it as obvious as possible. You have to be very careful when looking at the packaging because the word “Instant” can be small on the box. If it is not instant‚ it will not set up and you’ll end up with a wet mess. Or‚ you can make my homemade vanilla pudding recipe and instead of adding the vanilla extract‚ use banana extract.
milk – I prefer to use a while milk. I definitely would not use a skim milk. I have never made pudding with milk alternatives so I am not familiar with how those set up.
whipped topping (Cool Whip) – if you want to make your own homemade whipped cream‚ you can. Just remember that homemade whipped cream is not as stable as whipped topping so if you aren’t planning to eat it the same day you make it‚ the homemade whipped cream will start to break down and lose it’s stability.
Nilla wafers – normally I am totally fine with the store brand of things but not with the wafers. I have never found a store brand or other brand of wafers that taste as good as the name brand (and I try a lot pretty often) so I think this should be name brand if you can afford it.
HOW TO MAKE BANANA PUDDING POKE CAKE
Prepare cake mix according to package directions for a 9×13-inch cake. Once cake comes out of the oven‚ allow it to cool for just a couple of minutes. Then‚ with a wooden spoon handle or some other similarly-sized object‚ begin poking holes in the cake. You want the holes to be fairly big so that the pudding has plenty of room to get down in there. Be sure to poke right down to the bottom of the cake.
In a bowl‚ whisk together instant pudding with 4 cups milk. Stir until all the lumps are gone. Let pudding sit for about 1-2 minutes so it has just slightly begun to thicken but not fully set‚ it should still be easily pourable.
Pour pudding over cake. Taking care to get it into the holes as much as possible. Spread it all out and using the back of the spoon gently push pudding down into the holes.
Put the pudding into the fridge to set and cool. Once your cake has completely cooled‚ spread on whipped topping. Sprinkle crushed wafers onto the top of the cake. You can do this part immediately before serving the cake if you like. This will ensure the wafers are crunchy when you serve it.
I think this cake gets more delicious over time. To me‚ it’s even better the next day so it’s a great dessert to make ahead of time. Serve with freshly sliced bananas. Keep refrigerated.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Carrot Poke Cake (+Video)Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake (+Video)Chocolate Poke Cake (+Video)Pineapple Pudding Poke CakeCherry Almond Poke CakeThe Best Poke Cake RecipesSouthern Banana Pudding
Originally published: June 2012Updated photos and republished: March 2024
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Banana Pudding Poke Cake (+Video)
Banana Pudding Poke Cake is an easy dessert recipe made with cake mix poked with banana pudding‚ topped with Cool Whip and crushed Nilla Wafers!Â
Course DessertCuisine American
Prep Time 25 minutes minutesCook Time 30 minutes minutesTotal Time 45 minutes minutes
Servings 12
Calories 270kcal
Author Brandie @ The Country Cook
Equipment9" x 13" baking dish
Ingredients1 box yellow cake mixingredients needed to make cake: eggs‚ oil and water (use the amounts given on the back of the box)2 (3.4 ounce) packages instant banana pudding4 cups cold milk (I prefer whole or 2% milk – do not use skim)8 ounce tub frozen whipped topping‚ thawed (Cool Whip)20 vanilla wafers‚ crushed
InstructionsPrepare 1 box yellow cake mix with ingredients needed to make cake: eggs‚ oil and water according to package directions for a 9×13-inch cake.Once cake comes out of the oven‚ allow it to cool for just a couple of minutes.Then‚ with a wooden spoon handle‚ begin poking holes in the cake. You want the holes to be big enough so that the pudding has plenty of room to get down in there. Be sure to poke right down to the bottom of the cake. In a bowl‚ whisk together 2 (3.4 ounce) packages instant banana pudding with 4 cups cold milk. Stir quickly until all the lumps are gone but before the mixture starts getting too thick to pour. Pour pudding over cake. Taking care to pour it right into the holes as much as possible. Spread it all out and using the back of the spoon‚ gently push pudding down into the holes. Put the cake into the refrigerator to set and cool (about 2 hours.)Once the cake has completely cooled‚ spread on 8 ounce tub frozen whipped topping‚ thawed. Sprinkle 20 vanilla wafers‚ crushed onto the top of the cake before serving. Keep refrigerated.
Video
Notes
Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
You can spread the crushed wafers immediately before serving each slice if you like. This will ensure the wafers are crunchy when you serve it.
A layer of freshly sliced bananas can be put on in between the pudding and the whipped topping layers. Note: when you slice the cake‚ the bananas will start turning brown so try to serve it all the same day it is made.Â
NutritionCalories: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 6g | Sodium: 405mg | Sugar: 26g
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