Boston Cream Poke Cake

Shiny chocolate glaze, vanilla pudding, and moist yellow cake? How can you resist?

Jump to:

• 🧾 Ingredients
• 🥄 Equipment
• 🥫 Storage
• 📖 Variations
• 📚 Related recipes
• 📞 The last word
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

• Tastes like a classic Boston cream pie but SO easy!
• Make it up to 2 days ahead of time.
• Easy to transport to potlucks and picnics.
• That irresistible, shiny, chocolate ganache glaze!

Boston cream poke cake is a tender, buttery yellow cake that you "poke" holes in with a dowel, end of a wooden spoon, or big straw. You fill the holes with French vanilla pudding and pour the rest over the cake.

Once that sets you top the whole thing with a rich, shiny, ganache chocolate glaze and chill. It's a delicious one pan dessert!

It's one of my favorite poke cake recipes and the amazing combination of yellow cake, pastry cream, and chocolate topping makes it hard (impossible) to resist!

You can make this with a boxed cake mix or make it from scratch with the homemade cake and pudding recipes from the link in the recipe box below.

This easy recipe is perfect for holidays, parties, and potluck desserts! Next time try this Holy Cow Poke Cake.

🧾 Ingredients

• You can use this yellow cake recipe baked in a 13x9 inch pan if you'd like to make this cake from scratch or just use your favorite yellow cake mix.
• If you'd like you can substitute this vanilla pudding for the instant pudding - or make a traditional vanilla custard.

The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

I find that ordering my ingredients from Amazon saves me a ton of time. Here's what I used:

• instant pudding
• yellow cake mix
• chocolate chips
• corn syrup
• heavy cream
• butter

Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the green recipe card below.

1. Bake a yellow cake according to package instructions (boxed or from scratch) in a 13x9 inch rectangular pan.
2. Once the cake cools use a thin dowel or the round handle of a wooden spoon (anything about the diameter of a pencil) and poke holes evenly throughout the cake while it's still warm.
3. Mix the instant vanilla pudding mix and milk in a medium bowl. Pour pudding mixture over the cake, being careful to get it in the holes you poked in it. It's important to do this quickly with instant pudding - before it sets up and while the pudding pours easily.
4. Now you cover your pudding poke cake and  refrigerate it overnight to let the pudding set.

5. Next day heat the heavy cream to a simmer. Add chocolate chips and stir until melted.
6. Add the butter and corn syrup.
7. Stir to blend and smooth chocolate ganache gently over the vanilla pudding custard layer.
8. Chill it and let it set for 2 hours and it's ready to go!

To use canned frosting

If you'd prefer not to make this with the homemade glaze you can use canned chocolate frosting and pour over the cake.

Here's how:

1. Open a tub of chocolate frosting and microwave in 10 second intervals. Stir between each interval until the frosting is pourable.
2. . Don't overheat the frosting and watch it very carefully. If it get's too hot it will separate and be runny. You won't be able to use it.
3. Spread the frosting over the cake and refrigerate as directed in the recipe.

🥄 Equipment

The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

You'll need the following items to make this recipe successfully.

• medium bowl
• large bowl
• 13x9-inch baking pan
• electric mixer
• lipped measuring cup

🥫 Storage

Since the Boston cream pie poke cake has a filling made with dairy you're going to want to keep it covered and refrigerated.

You can freeze the cake prior to adding the pudding and glaze. Just thaw it and poke the holes in it and you're ready to proceed with the recipe. Don't freeze it after you add the pudding - it will be mushy and gross.

📖 Variations

Use a chocolate cake mix with either creamy vanilla pudding or chocolate pudding. Smooth the shiny chocolate glaze over the top as directed above.

Expert Tip: You'll get the best results if your cake is warm but not hot when you add the pudding.

• Save time by grabbing an unfrosted yellow cake from the bakery. You can usually ask them if they have any that haven't been frosted yet.
• I like yellow butter cake mix when using a mix.
• The end of a round wooden spoon handle works great to poke with!
• I like to add a little extra vanilla extract to a boxed mix for better flavor.
• Change it up with different flavors.
• Don't make giant big holes. The cake will be too mushy. Just push the handle of the wooden spoon straight down.
• Be sure to pour the filling into the holes in the cake before the pudding sets.
• If the pudding is too thick to pour add just a little cream to thin it out slightly.
• After the pudding is poured over the cake you can add a layer of raspberry glaze. Just heat raspberry jam in the microwave until it is runny then pour it over the pudding before you add the glaze. SO good!
• Boston cream poke cake will be better if you let it sit in the refrigerator overnight before serving.
• You can vary the filling flavors to create a number of flavors and combinations.
• Use half vanilla pudding and half chocolate pudding so that each side has its own flavor! How cool is that?

Here are the questions I am most frequently asked about this recipe.

This is one of my favorite recipes to take to church picnics and family get-togethers because it travels so well, too. It's a super easy potluck dessert recipe but it's also great for family game night, or just a great way to tell the people you love that they are special.

I've made Boston cream poke cake with boxed mix and boxed pudding AND I've made it from scratch - it just depends on how much time I have. I think I like the from scratch version a touch better but hey -- whatever works for you!

📚 Related recipes

We love our sweets around here! If you are looking for easy desserts that travel well here are some of my favorites! They are perfect for potlucks!

• Patriotic Jello Poke Cake is red, white, and blue made with Jello. Perfect for the 4th of July!
• Pig Pickin' Cake is moist and delicious with a whipped topping full of pineapple and mandarin orange.
• White Texas Sheet Cake is thin and rich like a regular chocolate variety but it has coconut flavor. SO good!
• Texas Sheet Cake is the traditional chocolate flavor with a pecan fudge icing that's almost like candy.
• Red Velvet Poke Cake is gorgeous for the holidays.

📞 The last word

This moist cake is SO much easier to make than the original Boston cream pie and it transports like a dream!

The hardest part is waiting for it to set so you can cut a big piece!

Next time be sure to try my easy fresh strawberry sheet cake recipe!

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!

If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe

First published October 18, 2018. Last updated April 2, 2021 for better images and user experience. Small update June 28 for more tips.