Ultimate Banana Pudding Poke Cake

Combine the tastes of banana cream pie and banana pudding into an easy-to-make Banana Pudding Poke Cake. It’s a dessert that’s soaked with deliciously rich and creamy banana flavor and topped with a whipped cream and ‘nilla wafer crumb topping. It’s banana bliss in each bite!

You’ll want to make this scrumptious poke cake for summer celebrations, potlucks, BBQs, and more. It’s always a hit because it’s kid-approved and adults can’t resist it, either! Easier than a pie, just as tasty as banana bread, and more interesting than plain banana pudding, this Ultimate Banana Pudding Poke Cake is guaranteed to satisfy!

This incredibly moist Banana Pudding Poke Cake is made with a boxed cake mix, baked, and then saturated with a sweet pudding, cream cheese, and sweetened condensed milk mixture that seeps through the poked holes. The top is frosted with fluffy whipped cream, freshly sliced bananas, and a sweet, buttery, and crunchy ‘nilla wafer crumble.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It’s a semi-homemade dessert that’s super easy to make
• It’s a make-ahead dessert that’s a timesaver for parties and potlucks
• It’s kid-friendly and they can even help with poking the holes and crushing the ‘nilla wafers

Ingredients Needed

For The Cake
Box of yellow cake mix – use your favorite brand
Water – to add to the cake batter
Vegetable oil – to add to the cake batter
Eggs – to add to the cake batter

For The Filling
Cream cheese – set it out ahead of time to soften so that it mixes easily without clumps
Sweetened condensed milk – to mix with the cream cheese

For The Pudding
Instant banana pudding – use a 5 oz box or two smaller boxes
Milk – to mix with the instant pudding
Whipped topping – to be mixed with the prepared instant pudding

For The Topping
Whipped topping – to be spread on the top of the cake

Garnishes
Vanilla wafers – crushed and/or crumbled for garnish
Bananas –  freshly sliced

How To Make Ultimate Banana Pudding Poke Cake

STEP 1: Prepare the cake mix according to the directions on the box and bake at 350 degrees F in a 9×13 baking dish. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
STEP 2: Once the cake is cooled, using the back of a wooden spoon, poke holes 3/4 of the way down the baked cake, evenly spacing out the holes.
STEP 3: Begin preparing the filling by whipping together the softened cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk. Set aside.
STEP 4: In another bowl, prepare the banana pudding by mixing it with the 2 cups of milk. Fold one container of whipped topping into the banana pudding mixture.
STEP 5: Next, combine the cream cheese mixture with the pudding mixture.
STEP 6: Carefully spoon the banana pudding mixture on top of the cake, making sure it gets down into the holes.
STEP 7: Cover the top of the cake with a layer of whipped topping and crushed vanilla wafers.
STEP 8: Cover and place in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
STEP 9: Garnish with fresh banana slices before serving.

Tips

• Set the cream cheese out so that it comes to room temperature, that way it will mix easily and you’ll avoid chilled clumps in the mixture.
• Be sure when you poke the holes in the cake that you space them out so that the pudding mixture is distributed evenly.
• To avoid browning of the banana slices, garnish the top with the fresh banana slices just before serving.

What Is A Poke Cake?

A poke cake is a cake that has been baked, cooled, and then pierced with holes. The holes are then filled with a creamy mixture, usually a liquid pudding, jello, or milky substance that saturates that baked cake making it flavorful, rich, and moist. Be sure and try my other poke cake recipes, like my Flag Poke Cake Recipe that’s perfect for Independence Day, my delicious Cannoli Poke Cake, my Red Velvet Poke Cake for Valentine’s Day or Christmas, or my fun and colorful St. Patrick’s Day Poke Cake.

Best Way To Poke Holes In The Cake

After the cake has been baked and cooled, use the handle of a wooden spoon or a thick and wide straw to poke holes over the top of the cake. Ideally, you should poke about 3/4 of the way through the cake, leaving a thin layer of the cake untouched at the bottom.

Variations

Cake Mix

You can swap out the yellow cake mix for a white cake mix. The flavor won’t be as intense, but you could add a drop or two of banana extract to the cake mix to amp up the flavor.

Pudding

If you can’t find banana pudding, use vanilla pudding. If you want a prominent banana flavor, consider adding a drop or two of banana extract to the prepared pudding.

Toppings

• Instead of adding fresh banana slices on top of the whipped cream, consider adding them in a layer underneath the whipped cream. This way, they’ll also avoid the dreaded browning look, since they’ll be hidden. Then just add the crushed and/or crumbled vanilla wafers on top of the whipped cream.
• If you love the combo of banana and chocolate, add a smattering of mini chocolate chips to the top along with the banana slices and crumbled wafers.
• If you love nuts, add a smattering of chopped walnuts to the top for a little extra crunch and flavor.

Storage

Keep this banana pudding poke cake tightly covered and refrigerated. It will keep for 2-4 days, but if you garnish the top with sliced bananas when you first prepare it, they will start to brown. To avoid this, add the banana slices right before serving a piece.

More Delicious Banana Recipes

No-Bake Banana Split Cake
Best Frosted Banana Walnut Cake
Carrot Banana Bundt Cake
Banana Bourbon Bread Pudding

Nettie is a wife and mother who is passionate about cooking and baking. With 5 children, Nettie insists that all meals, snacks, and desserts come together quickly! You will find a wide variety of easy yet scrumptious recipes on her viral website Moore or Less Cooking

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