Easter Poke Cake + Video

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Easter Poke Cake is so colorful and makes a perfect Easter dessert! Made with white cake mix, layered with vanilla pudding, whipped cream and topped with adorable bunny Peeps and festive sprinkles. It’s quick, easy, and can be made ahead of time!

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easter poke cake

Colorful Easter Poke Cake makes the perfect addition to the Easter dessert table and is a fun recipe to make! This show-stopping dessert is so pretty to look at with all the pastel colors and cute marshmallow bunny Peeps on top.

Poke cakes are always extra delicious because we poke holes all around the cake and they get filled with a sweet and creamy pudding mixture, creating a super moist texture. The fluffy whipped cream topping pairs perfectly with the cake and pudding layers so this is always going to be a hit anytime you make it!

More festive dessert recipes made with Peeps are my Peeps Pudding Cups, Peeps Rice Krispie Treats, Peeps Easter Cake, and Peeps S’mores!

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key ingredients

• Box of white cake mix: Use your favorite brand. You’ll also need all of the ingredients listed on the box to make the cake such as oil, water and eggs. Vanilla cake mix or yellow cake mix could also be used instead.
• Instant vanilla pudding mix: Could be found at just about all grocery stores in the baking section. We love the vanilla or white chocolate flavor. You’ll also need 3 cups of whole milk or reduced fat milk to make the pudding.
• Heavy whipping cream: This is to make the whipped cream but you could also use a store-bought whipped topping such as Cool Whip.
• Pastel colored food coloring gel: Use any of your favorite Easter colors!
• Peeps: Bunny or chick marshmallow Peeps make the cutest addition to the cake!
• Sprinkles: Use your favorite Easter sprinkles for fun and color! I love using the Easter sprinkle mix but you can also use just green sprinkles to look like grass.

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how to make a poke cake

Prepare cake pan: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9×13 inches baking pan or dish with baking spray and set aside.

Bake bake according to box instructions: Prepare cake mix according to box directions.

Color the cake batter: Divide the cake batter into 5 equal portions. Add a few drops of food coloring gel to each bowl, and leave one plain. Stir well until combined. 

Add colored cake batter to pan: Use a spoon to drop spoonfuls of each cake batter color onto the bottom of the baking dish. Drop one color at a time, leaving a few inches apart between the colors, then repeat with remaining batters until the pan is covered. Make another layer until you’ve used all the cake batter. 

Bake cake: Gently tap the baking dish a few times to even out the batter. Bake according to box instructions. 

Cool cake and poke holes: Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes, then poke holes over the top of the baked cake with the end of a wooden spoon, about 1 inch apart. Let the cake cool completely. 

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Add pudding layer: When the cake is cooled, make the pudding by adding pudding mixture and milk in a large bowl. Whisk together until combined. Pour the pudding all over the cake and into the holes as much as you can. Place the cake in the refrigerator to set completely for 30 minutes- 1 hour or until pudding has set.

Make whipped cream: In the meantime, make the whipped cream with an electric mixer by combining the heavy cream and vanilla extract in a bowl. Beat together until soft peaks form, then add powdered sugar and beat until stiff peaks form and have thickened, this will take several minutes. 

Assemble cake and enjoy: Spread whipped cream over the entire cake to cover the surface. Top with Easter sprinkles, Peeps, and then slice and enjoy!

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recipe variations

• Other topping ideas: Chocolate Easter bunnies, Cadbury eggs, Easter themed M&M’s, chocolate chips, chopped nuts, fresh fruit, or mini marshmallows.
• Cake mix: Other cake mixes that could be used instead of white are vanilla cake mix, lemon cake mix, funfetti cake mix, strawberry cake mix, and chocolate cake mix. Please note that if you use a colored cake mix, the pastel coloring will look different.
• Pudding mix: White chocolate pudding mix, lemon pudding mix, banana pudding mix, chocolate pudding mix, pistachio pudding mix, and just about any of your favorite pudding flavor could be used instead.

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pro tips

• Make ahead: Save some time and make the cake a day or two ahead of time. You can either bake the cake and poke the holes, bake the cake and add the pudding layer, or bake the cake from start to finish. I recommend waiting to add the decorations until ready to serve.
• Customize with your favorite flavors: Use your favorite cake flavor, pudding flavor, colors, and Easter decorations. This cake can truly be customized any way you want!
• Let cake chill: For best results, I always recommend chilling the cake 1-6 hours before serving to let the pudding filling really sit inside the moist cake layer.
• Make grass: Use green food gel coloring to color shredded coconut and add it on top of the whipped cream to make edible grass. Coconut lovers will love this idea.

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leftovers & storage

Leftovers: Store cake in an airtight container or cover baking sheet with foil or plastic wrap in the refrigerator for 3-4 days (since theres milk in the pudding).

Freeze: You can freeze unfrosted or undecorated cake by wrapping the cake with plastic wrap and aluminum foil, including the baking pan. Freeze for up to 3 months. You could freeze decorated cake but it will be difficult to store with the marshmallow bunnies on top.

Defrost: To defrost the cake, place cake in the refrigerator to sit overnight or sit out in the counter for at least 3 hours. Add sprinkles and marshmallow bunnies when thawed. *I always recommend adding the whipped cream layer the day of serving.

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