Baking a cake doesn’t have to take all evening. Try one of these delicious poke cake recipes for an easy after dinner dessert!
These easy dessert recipes take boxed cake mix to a whole new level. There are so many variations of poke cake the whole family will enjoy mixing and matching different flavors.
I love concocting easy poke cake recipes because something fantastic always comes out of it. Try one of the recipes below, and let me know if you customize it all!
For more amazing cake recipes, check out this Italian Lemon Pound Cake and this Sugar-Free Pound cake with Berries.
Why We Love Poke Cake
Poke cakes are an old-school baking hack from the homemakers of America; we’ve just jazzed them up a little bit!
Bake any box cake mix of your choice, poke holes in the top of the cake, fill and top with whatever you like. It’s that easy!
Poke cakes are a great way to use up ingredients you probably have on hand while making a delicious cake recipe.
Poke cakes are notoriously moist and decadent, perfect for a special occasion or just a Sunday dinner. They’re easy enough to make that you can let the kids in on the fun, too!
27 Poke Cake Varieties
Easy Snickers Poke Cake
This is one of the best poke cake recipes made with Snickers and rich chocolate cake drizzled in gooey caramel, covered in chocolate frosting, and sprinkled with peanuts and chopped Snickers. This is one of my favorite poke cake recipes!
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Lemon Poke Cake with Blueberries
Delicious lemon poke cake with fresh blueberries is what dessert dreams are made of! This cake is so easy to make that even if you’re a first timer, you’ll make a wonderful dessert!
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Oreo Poke Cake Recipe
This Oreo Poke Cake will make chocolate lovers think they’ve died and gone to heaven! It’s a rich, indulgent dessert that everyone will love and makes an easy dessert recipe perfect for any occasion!
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Rainbow Poke Cake
This pretty Rainbow Poke Cake is the perfect way to add a pop of color to any party table. Making a rainbow recipe from scratch is so quick and easy using simple kitchen staples and food coloring (giving it a tie-dye cake look) to create an ultra-moist cake that’s poked and filled with pudding and covered in a fluffy frosting.
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Baileys Irish Cream Poke Cake
This Baileys poke cake packed with Irish Cream flavor is easy to make with a box mix of chocolate cake, instant vanilla pudding, Baileys Original Irish Cream, and Cool Whip.
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Cream Cheese Lemonade Poke Cake
This cream cheese lemon poke cake is super refreshing, tastes fantastic, and is perfect on a hot summer day. Make this recipe using frozen lemonade, lemon pudding mixture, and Cool Whip!
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Mixed Berry Jello Poke Cake
This Mixed Berry Jello Poke Cake is the perfect treat for your next get-together! Strawberry gelatin and frozen berries give this poke cake its delicious berry flavor! An easy jello cake to make that looks fancy and impressive!
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Reese’s Poke Cake
Chocolate peanut butter poke cake is the ultimate easy cake recipe for serious peanut butter cups lovers. Chocolate cake is slathered with peanut butter pudding, chocolate frosting, and peanut butter whipped topping, then sprinkled with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Perfect for chocolate lovers!
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Twix Poke Cake
Twix Poke Cake combines boxed yellow cake mix, caramel topping, chocolate pudding, whipped topping, and Twix candy bars to make an easy and yummy dessert!
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Heath Bar Poke Cake
The easiest cake recipe you’ll ever get your hands on & probably one of the most delicious. Check out the Chocolate & Caramel Heath Bar Poke Cake Recipe
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Banana Pudding Cake
If you love bananas, this banana pudding cake recipe is a fun way to satisfy your cravings in one dish! Takes your obsession to new levels!
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Creamy Coconut Cake
This creamy Coconut Cake is a triple coconut treat! The buttery cake is infused with a luscious cream of coconut and condensed milk mixture, then covered in coconut whipped topping and toasted coconut.
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Chocolate Poke Cake
This chocolate poke cake recipe is super decadent, rich, and insanely delicious. Top it off with homemade whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and chocolate chips. So much chocolate!
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Sticky Toffee Pumpkin Pudding
Sticky Toffee Pumpkin Pudding is the Poke Cake you never anticipated. It’s where English Childhood Comfort Food meets America’s Favorite Fall Flavor, Pumpkin.
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Strawberry Shortcake Poke Cake
This strawberry Poke Cake recipe is a delicious make-ahead dessert. All your favorite flavors of Strawberry Shortcake in this heavenly made from scratch poke cake. Nothing is better than homemade cake and fresh whipped cream.
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Pineapple Poke Cake
This Pineapple Poke Cake is packed full of tangy-sweetness that will be a summertime hit. This super easy recipe uses very few ingredients but gives you a punch of tropical flavor!
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Boston Cream Poke Cake
One of my favorite doughnut shop treats is the Boston Cream doughnut. This Boston cream poke cake recipe is a delicious way to enjoy all that donut flavor!
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Rolo Poke Cake
This Rolo Poke Cake is a delicious chocolate and caramel taste explosion with caramel sauce and a chocolate drizzle. A poke cake for the record books!
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Strawberry Poke Cake
This Strawberry jello Poke Cake is moist, fluffy, and packed with fantastic strawberry flavor. This classic summertime dessert will have everyone going back for seconds!
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Lemon Meringue Poke Cake
Lemon Meringue Poke Cake is made with white cake mix, creamy lemon cream pie pudding, and topped with a homemade meringue. The best cake mix poke cake!
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Italian Cannoli Poke Cake
There’s no need to run to an Italian bakery when you can make this decadent Italian cannoli poke cake at home. Creamy sweetened condensed milk is the secret ingredient that keeps the cake deliciously moist. A mascarpone ricotta icing and chocolate chips finish this cannoli cake.
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Strawberry Cheesecake Poke Cake
The ultimate Strawberry Cheesecake Poke Cake from scratch. Very tasty and made without artificial colorants and additives. This colorful cake features fresh strawberries and cream cheese making it light and decadent.
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Oreo Cheesecake Poke Cake
Oreo poke cake is simple to put together but results in a creamy and delicious dessert. It is the perfect mix of chocolate cake, sandwich cookies, and pudding goodness.
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Lemon-Pineapple Poke Cake
Lemon-Pineapple Poke Cake is the perfect dessert for potlucks and family gatherings! This moist dessert features sweet pineapple and lots of whipped topping; you won’t be able to resist a slice or two!
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Dreamy Orange Creamsicle Poke Cake
A twist on a classic cake! Two yummy layers of delicious orange flavor are reminiscent of the classic orange creamsicle ice cream! You won’t be able to resist this orange creamsicle poke cake made with vanilla cake, whipped cream, and fresh Mandarin oranges.
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Do Nothing Cake
This Do Nothing Cake is an easy, delicious, crowd-pleasing dessert. Try out this cake with crushed pineapples, walnuts, and shredded coconut! It’s an easy no-mixer cake, just my kind of cake.
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Pumpkin Poke Cake
This easy homemade Pumpkin Poke Cake is made from scratch without cake mix and served straight from the cake pan. This cake gets extra flavor from the pureed pumpkin and pumpkin spice syrup. Yum!
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Tips For Making Poke Cake
The best way to poke holes in the cake is to use the handle of a wooden spoon or a large straw. Poke it to the bottom of the pan to incorporate the flavors.
Cakes turn out the best when you bring cold ingredients such as eggs and butter to room temperature. This method ensures a smooth crumb finish.
If you don’t have Cool Whip on hand, make your own! All you need is heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract. The key is to use an electric mixer and beat the heavy cream in a medium bowl until you form soft peaks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do poke cakes need to be refrigerated? I recommend refrigerating poke cakes because many have dairy products such as whipped cream. You can expect your cake to last for 3 to 4 days in the fridge.
Can you freeze a poke cake? Yes! Make sure the cooled cake is fully set first, and don’t add your toppings! Wrap the cake in a layer of plastic wrap, then a layer of foil. When you’re ready to serve the cake, simply thaw it out, then add all your toppings like candy, cookies, and fruit.
Do I have to use box cake mix for poke cake? Of course you can make a poke cake with homemade cake! Once you finish baking your homemade cake, simply follow the directions from there.
More Delicious Dessert Recipes
Choose your favorite poke cake recipe.
Gather up the ingredients needed to make it.
Bake, serve and enjoy your delicious poke cake.
