Banana Pudding Poke Cake

Banana Pudding Poke Cake

Vanilla cake, banana pudding, fresh banana, and crisp wafer crumbs form distinct layers in this chilled dessert. Applesauce replaces the oil normally added to boxed cake mix, and the pudding is poured into holes while still fluid so it reaches beneath the surface.

Recipe details

• Yield: one 9-by-13-inch cake; 12 servings
• Prep: 25 minutes
• Bake: 28–34 minutes
• Cooling and chilling: at least 3 hours
• Equipment: 9-by-13-inch metal baking pan, mixing bowls, whisk or electric mixer, wooden spoon handle, offset spatula, wire rack

Ingredients

• 1 box vanilla cake mix, about 15.25 ounces (432 grams)
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup (120 grams) unsweetened applesauce
• 1 cup (240 milliliters) water
• 1 package instant banana-cream pudding mix, about 1 ounce (28 grams), sugar-free or regular
• 2 cups (480 milliliters) cold milk
• 2 medium bananas
• 40 mini vanilla wafers, divided
• Nonstick cooking spray

Method

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly coat the pan with nonstick spray.
2. Put the cake mix, eggs, applesauce, and water in a large bowl. Mix on low until moistened, then on medium for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl once. Spread the batter evenly in the pan.
3. Bake 28–34 minutes, until the center springs back and a toothpick comes out without wet batter. If using a thermometer, the center should be about 200–205°F (93–96°C). Cool on a rack for 45 minutes.
4. Use the rounded handle of a wooden spoon to make holes about 1 inch apart, stopping before reaching the pan bottom. Whisk the pudding mix with the cold milk for 2 minutes. Immediately spread the fluid pudding over the cake, pressing it gently into the holes.
5. Crush 28 wafers into coarse crumbs and scatter them over the pudding. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, until cold and set.
6. Just before serving, slice the bananas. Cut the cake into 12 pieces and garnish each with banana slices and one of the remaining whole wafers. Adding this final fruit and wafer layer at serving time prevents browning and sogginess.

Assembly cues and troubleshooting

Use instant pudding rather than cook-and-serve pudding. Once mixed, it thickens quickly, so pour it before it becomes firm. Holes wider than a drinking straw let the pudding enter the cake, but holes that reach the bottom can make pieces difficult to lift.

A dense or gummy cake often comes from excess applesauce or underbaking. Measure the applesauce in a level cup and confirm the center has no wet batter. If the pudding sits only on top, the cake may have been completely cold or the pudding stood too long before spreading.

Storage and substitutions

Keep the cake covered and refrigerated at 40°F (4°C) or below. Eat within 3 days and discard portions left at room temperature longer than 2 hours. Vanilla instant pudding can replace banana cream; add the fresh banana only at serving. A different cake-mix package size may require liquid and bake-time adjustments, so use the stated weight for consistent results.