These 15 Irresistible Poke Cakes are everything I love about poke cake recipes: filled with decadence, super moist, and fun to bake! There’s an easy cake recipe for every occasion.
Unbelievably Moist, Decadent Poke Cakes for Every Occasion!
If you’ve been around this blog long enough, by now you know that I have a wee bit of an obsession with poke cakes. What can I say? These fun and festive cakes hide creamy, dreamy fillings beneath a layer of frosting, are made with simple ingredients, and require minimal effort. If that’s not a perfect combo, I don’t know what is.
I recently poured over my poke cake recipes to round up the best of the best. It was hard to narrow it down, but today I’m sharing a collection of 15 easy dessert ideas that truly take the cake!
Why Are These Cakes So Popular?
Poke cakes aren’t anything new, in fact, they’re super retro! Poke cakes’ popularity started in the 1970s when boxed cake mixes, Cool Whip, and Jell-O were all the rage. Some would say they never went out of style!
Here’s why these cakes are some of the most popular recipes on this blog:
- Blissfully simple to make. These are easy cake recipes made with common ingredients.
- Customizable. Poke cakes combine different flavors to create something truly amazing. You can add just about any delicious filling to your cake flavor of choice! Fruit, sweetened condensed milk, pudding, chocolate, you name it.
- Great for any occasion. This style of cake is great for everyday baking and also for special occasions and holidays. Make a red, white, and blue poke cake for the 4th of July, or a red and green number for Christmas!
- Perfect to prep ahead. This is the perfect dessert to prepare ahead of time. It actually gets better as it sits! You can fully assemble the cake and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days before serving.
Common Questions
The best time to poke a cake is when it’s warm, to avoid crumbling. After removing the cake from the oven, allow it to cool for 10 minutes before poking holes for the filling.
Poke cakes get incredibly soft and moist from their fillings (it’s part of the charm). Be sure the holes you poke aren’t too close together, as that could make the cake soggy. Make the holes about an inch apart.
Most poke cakes can be kept airtight in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
Yes. Since they’re usually filled with ingredients like Jell-O, whipped cream, or custard, most poke cakes need to be refrigerated.
Poke cakes can be kept frozen for up to 3 months. Be sure to wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap, plus a layer of foil.
15 Irresistible Poke Cake Recipes
Any way you slice it, a fluffy and moist poke cake is one of the best homemade desserts. Check out this collection of my most obsession-worthy recipes!
Fruity Pebble Poke Cake
My Fruity Pebbles poke cake recipe takes a classic vanilla cake and fills it with colorful Fruity Pebbles cereal and sweetened condensed milk. Topped with rainbow-flecked whipped cream for a creamy, nostalgic dessert.
Sinful Triple Chocolate Poke Cake
I don’t call this cake sinful for no reason! It’s made with layer upon layer of chocolate indulgence: chocolate cake soaked in fudge sauce and silky chocolate pudding, then topped with chocolate whipped cream.
Oreo Dirt Poke Cake
I love this recipe that turns everyone’s favorite chocolate sandwich cookie into a decadent homemade poke cake! My Oreo Dirt Poke Cake is an easy dessert that chocolate lovers go gaga over.
Ultimate Oreo Poke Cake
I mean, just look at those cookies and cream layers! This Ultimate Oreo poke cake is made-from-scratch and so chocolatey. Filled with rich chocolate pudding and made extra moist with a dash of milk – and we can’t forget the whipped Oreo cream topping!
Homemade Funfetti Poke Cake
This Funfetti poke cake recipe is so easy, you’ll want to celebrate every day of the week! Festive and filled with rainbow sprinkles and vanilla pudding, plus a generous layer of cake batter-flavored whipped cream.
Slutty Brookie Poke Cake
If you’ve ever made slutty brownies before, wait until you try this poke cake, brookie version! So many deliciously decadent desserts, all in one. Made with fluffy chocolate cake and chocolate pudding, then topped with Oreos, brownies AND chocolate chip cookies!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Poke Cake
Fill a chocolate chip cookie crust with chocolate cake, then fill the cake with chocolate pudding for a bonafide chocolate overload! And if that wasn’t enough, this chocolate poke cake recipe is topped with a creamy chocolate chip cookie mouse.
Brownie Batter Poke Cake
This brownie batter poke cake always has the chocolate lovers swooning! You can see why. Made with chocolate cake soaked with dark chocolate pudding, topped with brownie batter mousse and chocolate glaze.
Blueberry Cheesecake Poke Cake
This easy dessert fills a moist vanilla cake with blueberry-swirled cheesecake pudding! Topped with cream cheese whipped cream for a summery cake you’ll love to whip up when blueberries come into season!
Strawberry Cheesecake Poke Cake
Strawberry sauce and sweetened condensed milk bring all the strawberry cheesecake vibes to this easy poke cake recipe! Finished off with a mouthwatering layer of cream cheese whipped cream frosting.
Lemon Raspberry Poke Cake
Talk about summer in a forkful! My lemon raspberry poke cake is one of my best cake recipes to make in the summertime. Drenched in sweetened condensed milk and sweet-tart raspberry sauce, then smothered in whipped cream!
Better Than Sex Cake
It honestly doesn’t get better than this rich and moist chocolate poke cake filled with ooey-gooey caramel. Topped with whipped cream frosting and decked out in toffee and even more caramel, this Better Than Sex cake recipe is the ultimate slice of bliss.
Double Pumpkin Poke Cake
When pumpkin season rolls around, there’s only one thing on my mind and it’s this pumpkin poke cake! Tender, spiced pumpkin cake is soaked with pumpkin spice pudding, then frosted with maple whipped cream. It’s seriously the best fall dessert there is!
Lemon Blueberry Poke Cake
Layers of sunshine get wrapped up in a moist, rich lemon buttermilk poke cake! This summer dessert is filled with creamy lemon pudding, topped with a sweet layer of homemade blueberry sauce before it’s finished off with fluffy mascarpone.
Cookies and Cream Pudding Poke Cake
This easy poke cake is a cookies n’ cream dream! One of my favorite Oreo desserts, this Cookies and Cream poke cake is made from tender vanilla cake bursting with Oreos and velvety white chocolate pudding.
You have a typo. Above the triple coconut poke cake it says triple chocolate poke cake. I was confused for a second.
I’m just loving all of these recipes so thank you for the round up. Do you think these recipes would be suitable to bake in a bundt cake tin?
thank you xoxo
Hi Beverley- awesome and thank you! You could make it in a bundt pan and leave it in the pan and add the sweetened condensed milk, let it soak in for maybe 15-20 minutes and then turn it out onto a plate. I am not sure you could add the whipped cream on top, but you could definitely add it as a side after you slice the cake!