If you love Fruity Pebbles, this poke cake recipe is for you! This Fruity Pebble Poke Cake is a delicious vanilla cake, soaked in sweetened condensed milk and topped with a homemade Fruity Pebble Whipped Cream!
Fruity Pebble Cereal Milk Poke Cake
I am on a never-ending quest to find the best cake combinations and sometimes that involves two worlds colliding. Take for instance, your favorite childhood cereal and cake.
I decided to take my favorite vanilla cake recipe and add fruity pebbles. And this is not the first time I’ve done that. I also made a Fruity Pebble Ice Cream Cake with this same recipe. For the poke cake, I soaked it in sweetened condensed milk and topped it with the most amazing Fruity Pebble Whipped Cream.
If you love cereal milk desserts, then this is a recipe you’ll have to try! I don’t know what it is, but I can’t seem to get enough Fruity Pebbles. They are colorful, sweet and loads of fun in a bowl. I’ve stuffed them in cookies and even cheesecake.
Updated Recipe Notes
- This new recipe is from scratch. While I love to use cake mix in a pinch, nothing beats the taste of a homemade cake. If you want to use the cake mix option, it’s included in the recipe notes.
- There’s even more cereal. The original version had whole pieces of cereal, which tend to be a little chewy. For the new recipe, I ground up the cereal into a finer crumb, which also means more flavor throughout but with an improved texture.
- An easier topping. I ditched the gelatin, so the Fruity Pebble Whipped Ceam is even easier to make.
How To Make The Best Fruity Pebbles Cake
Putting together this cake just takes a few easy steps.
- Prep the cereal. Pulse the cereal in a food processor to break into a finer crumb.
- Make the batter. Beat together the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla until well incorporated. Add the sour cream and mix to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients: Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add half the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, then half of the milk. Beat until the flour incorporates then repeat. Stir in the Fruity Pebble cereal with a spatula.
- Bake. Pour the batter into a 9×13-inch pan and bake in an oven preheated to 350°F for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely.
How To Make Homemade Fruity Pebbles Whipped Cream
This cereal milk-inspired topping is the perfect ending to an already cereal-packed poke cake. Now if you have some time, I would highly recommend checking out my Cereal Milk Whipped Cream. It’s an overnight option for a true cereal milk flavor topping. However, this is a quick and easy option.
- Chill the bowl. In the refrigerator or freezer, chill the mixing bowl and beaters for 5-10 minutes. This will keep the cream nice and cold while it’s being whipped.
- Prep the cereal. Pulse the cereal in a food processor to break into a finer crumb.
- Beat until soft peaks: The key to a successful whipped cream is beating it properly. Beat the cream at a high speed until it reaches soft peaks. This means you can run a knife through it and it won’t collapse on itself.
- Add the dry ingredients. Next, add the powdered sugar and cereal and then beat on high until stiff peaks form. The cream should be thickened and hold a shape when you run a knife through it.
How to Assemble a Poke Cake
This is the last step. All you need is a can of sweetened condensed milk. It gives this cake a tres-leches-like texture, keeping the cake super soft and moist.
- Poke & Fill: Take the cooled cake and poke holes all over it. I like to use a wooden spoon but any thin round object will work or even a fork. Pour the sweetened condensed milk over the cake.
- Add the topping: Top with the whipped cream.
- Chill: I recommend chilling for 1-2 hours or longer so all the flavors can soak and absorb into the cake and topping.
Storage Instructions
The cake can be prepared and stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days in advance.
Once the whipped topping is added, this needs to be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It will last for 3-5 days.
More of my Favorite Poke Cake Recipes You Might Like:
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Fruity Pebble Poke Cake
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Chill Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
- Yield: 15 slices
- Category: Cake
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
If you love Fruity Pebbles, this poke cake is for you! This is a Fruity Pebble filled vanilla cake, soaked in sweetened condensed milk and topped with a Fruity Pebble Whipped Cream.
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 heaping cup (36g) Fruity Pebble Cereal
- 1 ½ cups (285g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (118 ml) vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon (14.8 ml) pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup(118 ml) sour cream
- 2 ½ cups (350 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons (11.2 g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) salt
- 1 ¼ cups (296 ml) milk
For Filling
- 1 can (14oz/396g) Sweetened condensed milk
For Topping
- 1 ½ cups (354ml) heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup (18g) Fruity Pebble Cereal
- ½ cup (65g) powdered sugar
Instructions
Make the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Pulse the Fruity Pebble cereal in a food processor a couple of times to break into smaller pieces.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugar, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla extract until well incorporated. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Then add the sour cream and mix to combine.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add half the dry ingredients, and half the milk, beat on low speed just until the flour starts to incorporate. Repeat until all ingredients are added and combined. Stir the Fruity Pebble in using a spatula and scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir the batter from the bottom to the top to ensure it’s well mixed.
- Pour the batter into a 9×13 inch pan. Bake at 350° F for 28 to 32 minutes. Check the cakes for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done. Allow the cake to cool.
Make the Topping & Assemble
- Place the mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to chill. Grind the cereal into a fine crumb.
- Pour the heavy whipping cream into the chilled bowl and use an electric mixer to beat the heavy cream on medium-high speed until the cream thickens to soft peaks.
- Add the powdered sugar and Fruity Pebble crumbs and continue beating on high speed until stiff peaks start to form.
- Take the end of a wooden spoon or another round object and poke holes all over the top of your cake. Pour a can of sweetened condensed milk over top of the cake and spread gently with a spatula. Allow the sweetened condensed milk to absorb into the cake.
- Spread the whipped cream over top of the cake. Chill for at least 1-2 hours before serving.
Notes
Storing: The cake can be prepared and stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days in advance. Once the whipped topping is added, this needs to be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It will last for 3-5 days.
Preparing: The cake on its own can be made and store at room temperature for up to two days. Once you add the condensed milk and whipped topping, it needs to be refrigerated.
Make with cake mix: To make the original version of this cake, use 1 (15oz) box of vanilla cake mix, and the ingredients listed on the box: eggs, oil, water (or sub milk) and 1 ½ cups Fruity Pebble Cereal. Bake for 28-32 minutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 481
- Sugar: 46.5 g
- Sodium: 256.6 mg
- Fat: 21.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 65.7 g
- Fiber: 0.6 g
- Protein: 8.3 g
- Cholesterol: 79.3 mg
Ok, I want to give 5 stars with a big caveat to get more people to make this cake! I made it for a potluck last night and got a TON of compliments about it.
I took the feedback from the lone, 1-star review and did a traditional tres leches soak. I did a can of sweetened condensed milk, 1/4 cup of whole milk, and a can of evaporated milk, then let it soak for an hour in the fridge before finishing it with the whipped cream.
And then it was perfection. Thanks for the recipe!
That’s a wonderful take Susanna! Glad you enjoyed it
The photos for this recipe look great, and the ingredients are often stocked, so wish I could say I enjoyed it! Unfortunately, the texture was unpleasant, taste wasn’t great. I was hoping the poke would produce a spongey tres leches texture, but instead it was just a cake with less than great texture + stickiness. Didn’t really like anything about it and wouldn’t recommend,
What kind of stickiness?
Can you make this cake as directed with the whip cream frosting a day ahead and ref?
Yep!
Thank You!
Also, my grocery store didn’t have the plain gelatin, will the frosting be ok without it?
I have not made it without, but as it is a whipped cream recipe, it should be okay. I would increase the powered sugar to 3/4 cups for stability. If you aren’t using gelatin, then I would recommend making the topping the same day that you’re serving for the best results.
Wow this looks amazing! Have you tried making without the condensed milk? Worried it might be too sweet. Thank you!
Hi Juliette- No I have not- but you could start with half a can if you’d like.
Where is gelatin listed in the ingredients or the directions
The updated recipe does not have gelatin
I had been saving this recipe for a long time and finally got around to making it. Absurdly delicious!
Yaaaaas! That’s amazing!
Can I prepare aheah of time and keep in frig for two days?
Hi Pat, yes you can. I still prefer to add the whipped cream 1 ahead ahead of time that most.
Congrats on engagement !! You guys are adorable. I am going to give this cake a go for my 34-year-old niece’s birthday dinner; she’s unicorn crazy, so it looks perfect. Am not a baker…..wish me luck 😉
Amy
Thank you so much Amy! Enjoy!!! You got this.
Zippidy Doo. Haven’t stopped smiling either. Shredder Wedder. Cake looks as great as your future.
<3 Thanks Debbie!
Congrats on your engagement! This cake looks like a great way to celebrate! Love the fruity pebble whipped cream!
Thank you so much Jessica!!
This is seriously the most fun poke cake that I have EVER seen! I want a few slices…for dinner 😉
LOL! You and me both!
My son and I were drooling over this!! Pinning for later!! oxox
Aww that’s awesome Kim! Thank you!
your proportion of cake-to-frosting is perfect. 🙂
High fives Grace!