King Cake Poke Cake Recipe

Course: Cake, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 15

Chill Time: 30

Total Time: 1 5

Servings: slices

Calories: 362kcal

Celebrate Mardi Gras with this easy poke cake! Start with a box of yellow cake mix, and decorate for a colorful dessert.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with a nonstick spray.
Mix and bake the cake mix according to the directions on the box and allow it to cool.
15.25 ounces yellow cake mix, 1 cup water, 3 large eggs, ⅓ cup vegetable oil
Using the top of a wooden spoon, poke holes into the cake, so the whole cake is covered in holes.
Combine the pudding mix, milk, and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl just until it's combined. Pour the pudding all over the cake.
3.4 ounces vanilla pudding mix, 2½ cups milk, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Cover the cake and place it into the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Hide a plastic baby in the cooled cake, if desired.
Whisk together the sugar and half of the milk in a large mixing bowl until it's smooth; if it's too thick, you can add in a little bit of the milk at a time. You want it to be thin enough to pour the glaze but not too thin that it just runs right off the cake.
4 cups powdered sugar, ½ cup milk
Pour the glaze over the cake in an even layer.
Sprinkle the decorating sugars over the top of the glaze.
Decorating sugar

You can use white or chocolate cake mix instead, if you prefer!
You can swap the pudding mix for a different flavor, such as chocolate, cheesecake, or pistachio.
If you can't find decorating sugar, you can use colored sprinkles instead.
The ingredients listed for the cake are specific to Duncan Hines brand; if using a different brand, use the ingredients and quantities specified on the box.
It's a king cake tradition to bake a plastic baby figurine into the cake; feel free to do this if you like!
Do not poke the holes all the way through or the filling will seep out when the cake is cut.

Storage: Store king cake poke cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.