Boston Cream Pie Poke Cake

This is a fun and easy recipe to make for your family and friends. Boston cream pie poke cake and vanilla pudding make a pretty dynamic pair. Ready to try your hand at a Boston cream pie poke cake? It truly is an elegant dessert made easy!

Ingredients

1 (18.25 ounce) box yellow cake mix*
Eggs, oil and water as called for on cake mix box
2 (3.4 ounce) boxes instant Vanilla or French vanilla pudding
4 cups milk
1 container chocolate frosting (or your favorite homemade chocolate frosting)

Instructions

Make cake mix according to directions and bake in a well-greased 9 x 13-inch pan.
When cake is finished baking and is still warm, poke holes all over cake using a wooden spoon handle or other similar size object (you want those holes fairly big so the pudding has room to get in there and you need to poke straight through to the bottom of the cake).
In a medium bowl, add milk to pudding mixture and continue to whisk until most of the lumps are removed. Pour pudding on top of warm cake, making sure to pour straight into the holes in the cake.
With a spoon and spread pudding mixture evenly across the top of the cake (very gently press down pudding to ensure that pudding goes into the holes and spread it all the way to the sides).
Refrigerate cake and allow to cool completely before adding the frosting (about 2 hours).
Remove the lid and foil covering from the tub of chocolate frosting and microwave for about 10-15 seconds. Stir frosting with a spoon- it should still be thick, but pourable. Pour chocolate frosting on top of pudding.
Spread frosting to evenly cover cake. Start in the middle and gently spread to the sides.
Allow to cool on the counter for a few minutes, then put into the refrigerator to fully cool and set up.

Notes

* 18.25 ounce boxes of cake mix have been replaced by 16.5 ounce and 15.25 ounce boxes. To compensate for the volume loss in a 16 ounce box, whisk 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour into the dry cake mix before proceeding with the recipe. To compensate for the volume loss in a 15.25 ounce box, add 1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour and 1/4 teaspoon baking powder.

When mixing the pudding, don’t let it get too thick. You want the pudding to be able to sink into the holes, so don’t beat it too long.

To help the pudding get into the holes better: pour about half the pudding and spread with a spatula. Pour the second half and smooth out the pudding over the top of the cake.

For a fun additional flavor, instead of regular milk, mix the pudding with almond flavored soy milk.