Boston Cream Pie Poke Cake
Boston Cream Pie Poke Cake combines the rich, creamy filling and chocolate frosting of a Boston cream pie with tender, yellow cake mix, creating a delicious, easy recipe that’s perfect for any occasion.
If you’ve read our blog for any length of time, you know that we love making cakes. From fancy, layered cakes to icebox cakes and everything in between, we are big fans of the classic dessert. One of our favorite poke cakes to make is this Boston Cream pie poke cake. It’s so delicious and so easy, which makes it the perfect cake for practically any time. We’ve brought it to potlucks and holiday gatherings, and we’ve also made it on a random weekday afternoon just because we wanted some!
This Boston Cream Pie Poke Cake is so good, and it’s so easy to make. You can make this ahead, keep it in the refrigerator, and it’s ready to serve when you need it. This is sure to please even picky eaters. It’s cool and creamy, and the chocolate frosting just makes all the flavors come together in a delicious way. Everyone is sure to love this, so make sure you keep it in your favorites!
Boston Cream Pie Poke Cake
This cake is absolutely delicious. Truly. It’s amazing. It tastes just like Boston Cream pie! The tender yellow cake is filled with delicious vanilla pudding, then it’s all topped with a rich, chocolate cream cheese frosting. Every bite is pure, sweet deliciousness that everyone always loves. In fact, when we bring this cake to parties, we never have leftovers.
This is the perfect cake for everything from afternoon snacking to an easy dessert. It only takes a few minutes to make, and it comes together so easily. It’s the perfect combination of ease and flavor!
Boston Cream Pie Poke Cake Ingredients
It only takes a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. If you do any amount of baking at all, you probably have most or all of them in your kitchen right now. If you don’t, you can easily find all the ingredients at your local grocery store.
For the Cake
- Yellow cake mix
- Oil
- Vanilla pudding
- Milk
- Vanilla extract
- Sweetened condensed milk
For the Frosting
- Butter – softened
- Cream cheese – softened
- Heavy cream
- Vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar
- Cocoa
**See the recipe card at the end of the post for quantities.
Equipment
You don’t need much equipment to make this recipe. It only takes a few kitchen basics.
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowl
- Hand or stand mixer
- Spoon
- Baking dish
- Spatula
Boston Cream Pie Poke Cake Instructions
A few simple steps are all it takes to make this delicious poke cake. It’s a simple recipe that even beginners can make.
Step 1: Make the Cake
Prepare the cake mix according to the package directions. Bake the cake in a 9×13 dish. Then, remove the cake from the oven and cool it completely on a wire rack.
Step 2: Make the Pudding
While the cake is cooling, add the vanilla pudding, milk, and vanilla extract to a bowl and mix according to the package directions. Then, add the sweetened condensed milk and stir well.
Step 3: Poke the Cake
After the cake has cooled completely, poke holes across it using the handle of a wooden spoon.
Then, pour the pudding mixture over the cake, allowing it to seep into the holes. Set in the refrigerator for about 2 hours until completely chilled.
Step 4: Make the Frosting
Using a stand or hand mixer, cream the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Then scrape down the sides of the bowl and add 1 tablespoon of heavy cream and blend again until smooth.
Add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, blending between each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed. When all the powdered sugar has been added, add the remaining heavy cream, then, add the cocoa a little at a time. Mix until smooth and creamy.
Step 5: Frost the Cake
Remove the chilled cake from the refrigerator and frost the cake with chocolate frosting. Then, chill the cake again until ready to serve.
Hint: Be sure to fully soften your butter and cream cheese to get the absolute best texture for your frosting.
Storage
You can store this cake in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Freezing this cake is not recommended.
PIN IT!!
Tips
This is an incredibly straightforward recipe, as most poke cakes are. There are only a few simple tips you need to remember to ensure your cake is the best it can possibly be.
Fully Softened Cream Cheese and Butter – Be sure your butter and cream cheese are fully softened so that they cream well and create that light, fluffy texture you want in your frosting.
Don’t Poke Aggressively – You want the holes you poke into your cake to go about 3/4 of the way down. Don’t poke holes all the way through it, or it will fall apart when you try to slice it.
Chill, Chill, Chill – Don’t rush the chilling process. This cake is best when it’s nice and cold.
More Poke Cake Recipes
If you love poke cakes, then we have some recipes here that we think you’ll enjoy.
Strawberry Cheesecake Poke Cake
Boston Cream Pie Poke Cake FAQ
If you have questions about this Boston cream pie poke cake, then read on. The following FAQ answers the most commonly asked questions about this cake.
What is Boston cream?
Boston cream is a vanilla-flavored custard. This version uses vanilla pudding to achieve the same flavor with less work.
Why is it called Boston cream?
Boston cream pie is believed to have been created at Boston’s Omni Parker House. Consequently, any kind of recipe using vanilla custard and chocolate frosting is usually called Boston Cream something or other.
How long is this cake good?
It will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Freezing is not recommended.
Why is my frosting lumpy?
Butter and cream cheese that wasn’t fully softened are probably the culprits. If you don’t fully soften them, your frosting will be lumpy.
Try This Boston Cream Pie Poke Cake for Yourself
This Boston cream pie poke cake is rich and delicious and loaded with all the flavors we love in a Boston cream dessert. Give this one a try, and we know you’ll love it as much as we do. It’s so easy to make, you can whip it up whenever you feel like it!
MORE RECIPES YOU WILL LOVE:
Copycat Magnolia Bakery Cupcakes
Easy Orange Poppy Seed Bundt Cake
Cappuccino Chocolate Chip Bread
Bourbon Buttercream Sugar Cookies
Triple Chocolate Cookies
Boston Cream Pie Poke Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 package Yellow Cake Mix
- Oil -amount on cake package
- Eggs- amount on cake package
Pudding:
- 1 6 oz. box Vanilla Pudding
- 2 cups Milk
- 1 14 oz. can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Frosting:
- 4 Tablespoons Butter – softened
- 4 ounces Cream Cheese – softened
- 2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
- 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 4 cups Powdered Sugar
- 4 Tablespoons Cocoa
Instructions
- In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, add the cake mix, and prepare according to package directions. Mix for two minutes, and bake as directed in a 9 X 13 dish. Remove the cake from the oven, and cool on a wire rack.
- While the Cake is cooling, place the Vanilla Pudding. 2 cups of milk and Vanilla in the mixing bowl, and mix according to package directions. Add the Sweetened Condensed Milk and stir well.
- When cake is completely cool, take a wooden spoon, and poke holes across the cake. Pour the Pudding mixture over the cake, letting it seep into the holes. Refrigerate the Cake until completely chilled, about 2 hours.
- When the cake has chilled, make the Frosting:
- In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, add the Butter, Cream Cheese, and Vanilla, and blend with the whisk attachment until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add 1 Tablespoon of the Heavy Cream, and blend until smooth.
- Add the Powdered Sugar 1 cup at a time, blending between additions, and scraping the bowl down as needed. When all the Powdered Sugar has been added, add the remaining Tablespoon of Heavy Cream, and add the Cocoa a little at a time, until all the Cocoa is added, and the Frosting is blended smooth.
- Scrape down the bowl, and blend one more time, making sure the Frosting is smooth and creamy.
- Remove the Chilled Cake from the Refrigerator, and Frost the Cake with the Chocolate Frosting. Place the Cake back in the refrigerator until time to serve. Cut in 3 inch pieces, serve, and Enjoy!
How much condensed milk do you need? It doesn’t say in the recipe.
it’s listed in the pudding section. It’s 1 14 oz. can 🙂