Description
This festive Easter Poke Cake features a light and fluffy white cake with colorful pastel swirls. After baking, the cake is poked with holes and filled with creamy vanilla pudding, then topped with a layer of fluffy Cool Whip and decorated with Easter-themed sprinkles. It’s a delightful and visually appealing dessert perfect for celebrating the season.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- 1 box white cake mix (including required ingredients: eggs, oil, and water as per package instructions)
- Gel food coloring (variety of pastel colors)
Pudding Filling
- 2 boxes instant vanilla pudding mix
- 4 cups milk
Topping
- 1 container Cool Whip, thawed (about 8 oz)
- Easter-themed sprinkles (optional, for decoration)
Instructions
- Prepare Cake Batter: Follow the white cake mix package instructions carefully to prepare the batter, including adding eggs, oil, and water as indicated.
- Add Colors: Divide the cake batter evenly into separate bowls and tint each with different pastel gel food coloring hues to achieve a soft marbled look.
- Swirl Batter: Pour the colored batters alternately into a greased or prepared cake pan and gently swirl with a knife or skewer to create a marbled pattern.
- Bake the Cake: Bake the cake as directed on the cake mix box (typically at 350°F for 25-35 minutes). Once done, allow the cake to cool slightly but still warm enough to poke.
- Poke Holes: Use the rounded end of a wooden spoon to poke multiple holes all over the surface of the cake, ensuring the holes penetrate fully but not through the bottom.
- Mix Pudding: Whisk together the 2 boxes of instant vanilla pudding mix with 4 cups of milk until it thickens slightly, about 2 minutes.
- Fill Holes: Pour the prepared pudding mixture evenly over the warm cake, allowing it to seep into all the holes, then smooth the surface with a spatula.
- Chill Cake: Refrigerate the pudding-filled cake for at least 2 hours to let the pudding set and flavors meld.
- Add Topping: Spread the thawed Cool Whip gently over the chilled cake in an even layer.
- Decorate: Sprinkle Easter-themed sprinkles over the Cool Whip for a festive touch, if desired.
- Store: Keep the finished cake refrigerated until ready to serve to maintain freshness and texture.
Notes
- Ensure the cake is slightly warm but not hot before poking holes to help pudding absorb better.
- Use pastel gel food coloring to prevent thinning the batter.
- Other pudding flavors (like chocolate or banana) can be used for variation.
- For best results, consume within 2-3 days as the Cool Whip topping is perishable.
- This cake is best kept refrigerated and served chilled.
