Southern Banana Pudding Poke Cake

_{Looking for a cake version of your favorite pudding? The flavors of banana cream pudding come together in this easy and delicious Southern Banana Pudding poke cake!}

Old Fashioned Banana Pudding Poke Cake

Prep Time: 45 Minutes Cook Time: 35 Minutes Total Time: 1 Hour, 20 Minutes Servings: 1 Cake

One of my favorite puddings, contains bananas, whipped topping, and crushed wafers. So when I thought, let’s make a cake. How could I not include my favorite things?

Although, I am one for making any dessert semi-homemade, and that is what I did by using our favorite yellow box cake mix (from Aldi).

I always think of Sandra Lee when I say semi-homemade. Expect this cake to taste super moist and delicious. It is one of the prettiest poke cakes I have seen. And to serve this cake you just keep it in its glass 9×13 baking pan.

You will also be creating it all in your favorite 9×13 pan. Going from batter to baking to layering all in the same pan. You may also want to try out our recipe for No-Bake Chocolate Eclair Cake Recipe, or this amazing Cookies and Cream Poke cake, both made in a casserole dish.

Ingredients Needed

• 1 box of yellow cake mix
• 1/2 cup of oil
• 1 cup of water
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups of banana pudding – already prepared from your favorite brand or store-bought ready-made
• 8 oz of cool whipping cream
• 3 bananas – Sliced into 1/4 in cuts
• 2 cups of vanilla wafer crumbs –Place in a zipper bag and crush using a rolling pin. Leave some of the pieces big. 

What is a Poke Cake?

A poke cake is exactly what it sounds like. After baking your cake, you poke holes in it and then pour on some kind of topping or filling that adds flavor and moisture.

Traditionally, poke cakes are topped with whipped cream instead of traditional cake frosting, so they’re usually refrigerated until right before serving. This makes them the perfect dessert for warm summer days.

How to Make This Southern Pudding Banana Poke Cake

STEP ONE: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Next, prepare your cake by mixing the yellow cake mix, eggs, water, and oil.

STEP TWO: Next, add batter to your glass 9 x 13 pan. Spread the batter evenly across. Bake the cake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees. When done, let sit for 15 minutes on the counter and then another 15 minutes in the refrigerator until cool.

Quick tip, make sure the cake is cool before poking holes, otherwise, you will make a mess of your cake.

STEP THREE: Using a wooden spoon handle, poke holes in the cake. Be sure to poke right down to the bottom of the cake.

STEP FOUR: Spread banana pudding across all the holes to fill. Take care to get it into the holes as much as possible. I like to use the back of my wooden spoon to push as much of the pudding into the holes.

Let your cake sit for at least 10 minutes in the fridge. Allow the pudding to settle.

STEP FIVE: Next, spread the cool whipping across the cake, fully coating it. Layout banana slices across the top.

STEP SIX: Spread 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 them. Or add after you make them and stick the cake in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to solidify. Cut into 12 slices.

Additional Tips for Creating Your Poke Cake

• Make sure the holes aren’t too close together or too far apart—if they’re too close together, your cake could be too moist; if they’re too far apart, there may not be enough filling throughout the cake.
• Don’t let the pudding set before pouring it onto the cake. Whisk the pudding well for a minute or two then start pouring straight into the holes of the cake.
• Please don’t consider creating this cake as a layered cake. Because of the bananas and pudding, your cake layers will just slide apart creating a big mess.
• This cake will stay fresh for 7 days in your fridge. You can even consider freezing it for up to 3 months.

Southern Banana Pudding Poke Cake Printable Recipe

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