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Banan Pudding Poke Cake is one of my favorite summertime desserts! It’s a super easy recipe that utilizes both store-bought cake and pudding mix to make one undeniably delicious poke cake. Make it for your next celebration in the sunshine!
This banana pudding poke cake recipe will… dare I say… make you go bananas! Every single bite tastes like summertime and sunshine. The cake itself is made with box cake mix, but don’t worry.
With ingredients like sour cream and vanilla extract in the mix as well, no one who tries a bite will ever know it’s a cake mix cake! It’ll just be our little secret that Mr. Hines helped you out with this one.
Even more than the cake itself, I love the toppings! I mean, this is a poke cake after all, so the star of the show here is really the little pockets of pudding hidden under all that delicious fluffy whipped cream.
However, the dulce de leche (or caramel) drizzle on top is also drool-worthy, as is the crushed Nilla Wafers. This recipe really has all your favorite elements of banana pudding, in a poke cake!
No matter what event you make this banana pudding poke cake for, it’s bound to be a big hit!
Backyard barbecues, baby showers, birthday parties, and everything in between are made more delicious by serving this easy cake. And yes, it’s very easy! It takes about 2 hours from start to finish, but 1 hour of that time is just waiting for it to chill to perfection.
Ingredients
The banana pudding poke cake portion itself calls for:
- White cake mix – I recommend either Duncan Hines or Pillsbury! However, any brand should so the trick.
- Eggs – They can be cold or room temperature.
- Sour cream – It may seem weird, but adding sour cream to cake mix is the easiest way to dress it up. The sour cream gives a little bit of tanginess to the flavor of the cake, as well as making it denser.
- Milk – Really and milk will do! I use whole milk, but skim or even oat will get the job done.
- Vegetable oil – This is what really helps keep the cake moist.
- Vanilla extract – While this ingredient adds sweetness, it also gives a bit of depth to the cake.
For the toppings, you’ll need:
- Banana cream pudding mix – Just one 3.5 ounce package is all you need to get! Name brand or generic will both do just fine.
- Milk
- Dulce de leche – If you can’t find any dulce de leche, that’s okay! Caramel sauce works too.
- Whipped topping – Best part of a summery recipe like this one? Having an excuse to buy a container of whipped topping, of course!
- Banana – I only slice up one for my topping, but you can add more if desired.
- Nilla Wafers – I know I sometimes say generic is fine, but nothing compares to real Nilla Wafers.
How can I add even more banana flavor?
If the sliced bananas on top and the banana pudding throughout the banana pudding poke cake aren’t enough to satisfy that banana craving, don’t worry!
There’s an easy step you can take to elevate the flavor even more – just stir in 1 tbsp of banana extract to the cake mix. Just be careful, as this will really make the cake taste VERY much like bananas!
Do I have to use white cake mix?
White cake mix is my favorite to use, since it has such a gentle flavor, the banana pudding and toppings really stand out.
However, yellow cake mix also works for the same reason! It’s a little richer than white cake, but it’ll still be tasty with the rest of this recipe.
Can I make this with another fruit? I’m not a huge fan of banana.
Hate to say it but this banana pudding poke cake just might not be for you! Never fear, I have a bunch of dessert recipes to choose from!
Sweeten things up this summer with more dessert recipes!
Peach and Toasted Almond Ice Cream
Banana Pudding Poke Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 box white cake mix of choice, I recommend Duncan Hines or Pillsbury
- 3 eggs
- ⅔ cup (153 g) sour cream
- ¾ cup (177 ml) milk
- ⅓ cup (79 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Toppings:
- 3.5 ounce (99 g) package banana cream pudding mix
- 1 ½ cups (355 ml) milk
- 1 small can Dulce de leche, or caramel sauce
- 1 container whipped topping, thawed
- 1 sliced banana
- 5 Nilla Wafers, crushed
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 °F (177 °C) and prepare a 9×13-inch cake pan by spraying generously with non-stick spray and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs, sour cream, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla and whisk to combine.
- Add in the cake mix and whisk until there are no dry spots remaining.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and tap on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles.
- Bake according to package instructions, approximately 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool for about 10 minutes on a wire rack then use the end of a wooden spoon (or whatever else you have readily available) to poke holes all over the cake.
- Combine the pudding mix and 1 ½ cups of milk into a small bowl and whisk until slightly thickened. Pour over the cake and make sure to get as much as possible in each of the holes. Spread the remaining evenly over the cake.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Once the pudding has set. Top with dulce de leche (you may need to warm it slightly in the microwave until it is a spreadable consistency) or caramel sauce. Spread evenly over the cake and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes.
- Top with whipped cream, sliced bananas, and crushed Nilla Wafers.
- Cut and serve.
- Place any leftovers in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator for up to three days.
