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–+ servings
Purple, yellow, and green King Cake poke cake.

King Cake Poke Cake Recipe

Course: Cake, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Chill Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 362kcal
Author: Becky Hardin
This king cake poke cake is made with cinnamon pudding and yellow cake mix for convenience. Topped with purple, green, and gold sugar, it's the perfect dessert for celebrating Mardi Gras season!
Print Recipe
US Customary - Metric

Equipment

  • Kitchen Scale (optional)
  • 9x13 Baking Pan

Ingredients

For the Cake:

  • 15.25 ounces yellow cake mix 1 box*
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil

For the Pudding:

  • 3.4 ounces vanilla pudding mix 1 box**
  • 2½ cups milk
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

For the Glaze:

  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • ½ cup milk
  • Decorating sugar green, gold, and purple, for topping

Instructions

  • 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
    Cake batter in a 9x13 pan.
  • Using the top of a wooden spoon, poke holes into the cake, so the whole cake is covered in holes.
    Poking holes in a baked cake.
  • Combine the pudding mix, milk, and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl just until it's combined.
    3.4 ounces vanilla pudding mix, 2½ cups milk, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
    Pouring milk into a sugar mixture.
  • Pour the pudding all over the cake.
    Pouring milk mixture over a poke cake.
  • Cover the cake and place it into the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Then hide a plastic baby in the cooled cake, if desired.
    Placing a small plastic baby in the King cake.
  • 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
    Milk mixture in a bowl.
  • Pour the glaze over the cake in an even layer.
    Pouring icing on top of a poke cake.
  • Sprinkle the decorating sugars over the top of the glaze.
    Decorating sugar
    King poke cake topped with purple, green, and yellow sugar.

Notes

*I prefer Duncan Hines yellow cake mix, but any brand will do. You can use a white cake mix if you prefer. 
**Feel free to use a different pudding mix flavor, like cheesecake, butterscotch, or pistachio.
Tips:
  • Use the handle of a wooden spoon or a skewer to poke large, deep holes about ¾ of the way through the cake. Do not poke the holes all the way through or the filling will seep out when the cake is cut.
  • King cake poke cake is a great make-ahead dessert, as it needs time for the pudding to set in the refrigerator. Make the cake as directed and leave it in the refrigerator overnight the day before you plan to serve it!
  • To avoid the colors running, wait to decorate with colored sugar until ready to serve.
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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 362kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 225mg | Potassium: 122mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 56g | Vitamin A: 168IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 128mg | Iron: 1mg