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Banana Pudding Poke Cake

Name: Banana Pudding Poke Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 box yellow cake mix (15.25 oz); 3 overripe bananas (mashed); 3/4 cup water; 1/4 cup vegetable oil; 3 large eggs; 2 packages instant banana pudding (3.4 oz each); 4 cups milk (whole, %1 or skim); 1 cup heavy whipping cream; 2-3 bananas (sliced); 8 ounce cool whip (thawed); 25 vanilla wafers

By Beth

4.30 from 30 ratings

on Feb 12, 2023, Updated Sep 08, 2023

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This banana pudding poke cake recipe is the ultimate easy banana pudding cake! Our yellow cake mix is baked with mashed bananas. Then fill the cake with banana pudding and top with sliced bananas, whipped topping, and of course, crushed vanilla wafers.

a slice of banana pudding poke cake being lifted out of a baking dish with a spatula

No pun intended, but I am bananas over this delicious dessert! Think of a combination of banana pudding with the flavors of banana cream pie.

Poke cake is the perfect dessert for family gatherings because it’s so versatile and easy to make. You can make a poke cake for every occasion, like my Sangria Poke Cake, Beach Poke Cake, and Strawberry Poke Cake.

This delicious banana pudding poke cake is one of my favorite desserts. It combines a basic boxed cake mix with a delicious banana pudding mixture to make the ultimate banana cake.

If you’re not familiar with poke cake, it’s simply a sheet cake, or 9×13 inch cake, that is baked and then poked with holes, so the goodness of its toppings can seep in and create a perfectly moist dessert.

If you’re looking for another 9×13 inch dessert, try ding dong cake!

partially eaten banana poke cake in a baking dish sitting on a white and yellow striped towel on a counter with glasses of milk, slices of cake on plates, and vanilla wafers arranged around it

Why You’ll Love This Banana Poke Cake

Easy dessert to make with box cake mix or homemade cake
Packed with banana flavor
Deliciously moist cake recipe

ingredients for banana pudding poke cake arranged on a counter including bananas, 3 eggs, vegetable oil, mashed bananas, cool whip, banana pudding mix and yellow cake mix

What You’ll Need

This banana poke cake recipe uses simple ingredients that you can whip together easily to make a delicious treat for family and friends. See the detailed ingredients and instructions in the recipe card below.

Yellow cake mix – you can also use white cake mix or use a homemade yellow cake recipe
Bananas: you will need some very ripe bananas to add to the cake and some nice yellow bananas to slice for the cake layer.
Water
Vegetable oil
Eggs
Instant banana pudding – make sure the box is 3.4 oz
Milk – whole, %1, or skim
Heavy whipping cream
Whipped topping
Vanilla wafers – to top the cake

banana poke cake in a baking dish sitting on a white and yellow striped towel with yellow plates and forks arranged around it

How to Make Pudding Poke Cake

Follow these easy steps to make a delicious poke cake at home. Get the full detailed directions in the recipe card.

Prep oven and pan. Preheat the oven to 350° and spray a 9×13 inch pan with cooking spray.

Make cake mixture. Pour the cake mix into a large bowl and add the mashed bananas, water, vegetable oil and eggs, beat for 2 minutes.

Bake cake. Spread the cake in the prepared pan and place in the oven. Bake for 25 minutes, then stick a toothpick into 3 different spots. If it comes out clean the cake is done. If it is not clean, bake for another 5 minutes and check again. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes.

Make pudding mixture. Pour the pudding mix, milk and heavy whipping cream in a bowl and beat on high for 1 minute.

Poke holes in the cake. Use the handle of a wooden spoon or a knife and poke holes over the cake.

banana cake in a clear baking dish on a counter with a wooden spoon and bowl of banana pudding beside it

banana cake in a clear baking dish on a counter with a bowl of banana pudding beside it and a wooden spoon being used to poke holes in it

Add pudding mixture. Pour some of the pudding over the holes and gently push the pudding into the holes. Alternatively, transfer the pudding into a piping bag and pipe the holes full of pudding. Spread the remaining pudding over the cake.

Refrigerate. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and press over the pudding. Cool completely for 2 hours in the fridge.

banana cake in a clear baking dish on a counter with two bananas and a bowl of vanilla wafers beside it

banana cake in a clear baking dish on a counter topped with sliced bananas with a tub of cool whip and a bowl of vanilla wafers beside it

Add sliced bananas and top with the best whipped cream recipe. Slice the bananas over the pudding, then spread the whipped topping over the bananas.

Top with vanilla wafers and enjoy! Crush 4 or 5 vanilla wafers over the cake. Cut the cake into 20 slices and top each slice with 1 to 2 banana slices and a vanilla wafer.

banana poke cake in a baking dish sitting on a counter with bananas and a bowl of vanilla wafers beside it

banana poke cake in a baking dish sitting on a white and yellow striped towel on a counter with bananas, a wooden spoon, a bowl of vanilla wafers, yellow plates and forks arranged around it

Tips for Banana Pudding Poke Cake

Pipe the pudding. The pudding will thicken and may not go into the holes very easily. The easiest way to do the pudding layer is by using an icing bag with an icing tip and piping the pudding into the holes. Or, you can use a baggie and snip the end, then pipe the pudding into the holes.

If you don’t wish to do this method, then just spoon some of the pudding over the holes while the cake is still hot and gently press over the holes.
Use very ripe bananas. This cake is super moist and delicious and the best way to get this is by using very ripe bananas with brown spots, but if you only have ripe yellow bananas, then put them through the blender so they are super mashed and more of the sugar is released.
Adjust baking time as needed. This cake may need extra baking time with the bananas. Check for doneness after 25 minutes, then continue baking and check every 5 minutes.

slice of banana pudding poke cake on a yellow plate with vanilla wafers and sliced bananas

FAQ

How do you store banana pudding poke cake?

Store this cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Do poke cakes need to be refrigerated?

This banana pudding poke cake recipe should be refrigerated because it’s topped with pudding and whipped cream.

Is poke cake good the next day?

Absolutely! Poke cake can actually be even better on day 2, making it the perfect make-ahead dessert option for parties, family gatherings and holidays.