Red Velvet Poke Cake starts with a box of red velvet cake mix and has cheesecake pudding poured into the holes and is topped off with a fluffy whipped frosting.
I have been on a poke cake kick lately.ย ย I got a great deal on boxed cake mixes and I’ve been trying to elevate them and one of my favorite ways to do this is by making poke cakes.
What is a poke cake?
A poke cake is a type of cake that is made by poking holes in a baked cake and then filling those holes with a sweet filling.ย This technique allows the filling to seep into the cake which adds both moisture and flavor throughout the cake. Common fillings for poke cakes include sweetened condensed milk, pudding, fruit purees, flavored gelatin, and caramel sauce.ย Once the filling is added, the cake is typically topped with whipped cream or a light frosting.
One of my favorite poke cakes is my Turtle Poke Cake with caramel sweetened condensed milk filling.ย My Lime Poke Cake is a bright and flavorful cake perfect for spring or summer.ย When you want cake for breakfast you can’t beat my Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake.
This time I wanted to make a Red Velvet Poke Cake. I found a few online but I didn’t like what they were filled with.ย I scoured my cabinets and came up with a box of cheesecake pudding mix.
Since cream cheese frosting is a classic with red velvet cake I thought it would make a great pairing.ย I’ve never actually filled a poke cake with pudding before but I figured since it gets firm when it’s chilled it would work.
I started with a red velvet boxed cake mix.ย I find that using a boxed cake mix is totally fine with poke cakes because the actual cake doesn’t matter as much as the filling does.ย ย Plus, I’ve learned how to doctor a cake mix well enough that no one ever knows it’s from a mix!
Can I Make a red velvet cake from scratch?
You can certainly make your favorite red velvet cake as long as it’s one that bakes in a 9 x 13 baking dish.ย ย You should also make sure it isn’t one that is either super crumbly or super light as it won’t hold up to having holes poked in it and then having it be filled.ย ย A classic red velvet cake recipe would work well though.
On the top of the cake most people just spread Cool Whip or another nondairy whipped topping.ย You don’t have to add anything to it.
On the other hand you can feel free to make your own whipped cream from scratch and put it on top of this cake.ย Either one will taste delicious.
I personally start with a contained of Cool Whip but then I add vanilla and powdered sugar to it to make it thicker and richer which is my personal favorite poke cake topping.
Ingredients:
Red Velvet Cake Mix
eggs
milk (whole milk is preferred but plant based milk will work)
butter (I used salted but you can use unsalted)
cheesecake pudding mix
Cool Whip (or other nondairy whipped topping)
powdered sugar
vanilla extract
To make the cake preheat the oven to 350 degrees.ย ย Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, and vegetable oil in a large bowl until well combined.ย ย Add in the red velvet cake mix and mix for 2 minutes or until smooth.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan.ย Bake for 27-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.ย ย Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.
After ten minutes use the back side of a wooden spoon or a chopstick and poke holes all over the cake.ย ย Set aside.
In a medium bowl whisk together the cheesecake pudding mix and milk.ย ย Quickly pour into a measuring cup with a handle and spout.ย ย Pour the pudding over top of the holes in the cake.ย Use a spatula and smooth to make sure the holes get filled.ย
I don’t have a measuring cup with a spout, what can I use?
You can pour the batter into a cup and try pouring from there.ย You can also just use a spoon and spoon the pudding over top of the cake.ย Another thing to do is pour the pudding out of the bowl you made it in but this can get messy pretty quickly.ย
To make the frosting put the Cool Whip in a large mixing bowl.ย Add in the vanilla and powdered sugar.ย ย Mix until just combined.ย Spoon the frosting over top of the cake.ย Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours before serving.ย
How do I store the cake?
Cover the cake with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.ย Remove from the refrigerate and serve cold.
This cake tastes amazing!ย ย The red velvet is rich and chocolatey and the cheesecake pudding is the perfect pairing for the cake.ย The sweet and fluffy whipped frosting brings it all together.ย
The cake serves a lot of people so it’s great for a party or a holiday dessert.ย ย Dress it up with sprinkles, sanding sugar, or pipe frosting details on top.ย Leave it plain and let the flavors do the talking.
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