This Blueberry Poke Cake soaks a tender white cake with blended blueberry pie filling, then layers on cool whipped topping and a buttery graham cracker crumble, so every slice tastes like a blueberry buckle in easy sheet-cake form. It starts with a boxed mix and a can of filling, which makes it one of the simplest summer desserts you can bring to a cookout.
A blueberry poke cake with pie filling is about as low-effort as homemade desserts get: bake, poke, pour, top and chill. If you love this make-ahead style of cake, browse all of our easy poke cake recipes for more flavors to try.
What Is the Difference Between Buckle, Cobbler, and Crisp?
A buckle is a moist, fruit-studded cake with a crumbly streusel on top. As it bakes, the heavy topping and fruit make the surface sink and crack in spots, which is how it got the name: the top "buckles." A cobbler is baked fruit covered with a biscuit dough or batter, like this lighter Weight Watchers Peach Cobbler. A crisp (sometimes called a crumble) is baked fruit with a loose topping of flour, oats, butter, sugar and sometimes nuts, like our Apple Crisp with Canned Apple Pie Filling.
This cake borrows the best parts of a buckle (soft cake, juicy blueberries and a sweet, crunchy crumble) and builds them as a poke cake, so the fruit runs all the way through every bite instead of sitting on top.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- White cake mix. A white mix like Betty Crocker Super Moist White gives you a light crumb and a clean backdrop for the purple blueberry streaks. Any standard box made for a 9x13 pan works, including vanilla, French vanilla or lemon. Prepare it with the egg whites, oil and water listed on your box.
- Blueberry pie filling. One 21-ounce can, such as Duncan Hines Wilderness Blueberry Pie Filling, is the whole filling. Blending it turns the thick, jammy filling into a pourable sauce that sinks into the holes. Cherry, raspberry or strawberry filling can stand in.
- Whipped topping. An 8-ounce tub of thawed whipped topping spreads easily and holds up in the fridge for days. For real whipped cream, beat 1 cup of heavy cream with 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar to stiff peaks.
- Graham crackers, butter and brown sugar. These make the buckle-style crumble. Crush the graham crackers fine, then stir them with melted butter and brown sugar until the mixture looks like wet sand. Vanilla wafers or shortbread cookies work in a pinch.
- Fresh blueberries. Optional, but a handful scattered on top just before serving tells everyone what flavor to expect and adds a fresh, tart pop.
Helpful Tips
Poke while the cake is warm. Let the cake cool for 15 to 20 minutes, then poke it. A warm cake soaks up the filling better than a cold one, but a hot cake can tear. The round handle of a wooden spoon makes holes big enough for the thick blueberry sauce; a skewer or fork leaves holes too small for it.
Blend the filling smooth. Pie filling straight from the can is too thick to sink in. Thirty seconds in a blender turns it into a glossy purple sauce. If you'd like a few whole berries in the cake, pulse it just a few times instead of blending it smooth.
Work the filling into the holes. Pour the sauce slowly over the cake, then use the back of a spoon or an offset spatula to push it down into each hole and spread the rest in a thin, even layer across the top.
Cool completely before topping. Whipped topping melts and slides on a warm cake. Once the filling is on, let the cake cool to room temperature (or chill it for 30 minutes) before you spread on the whipped layer.
Give it the full chill. Four hours in the fridge lets the blueberry sauce set into the cake so it slices cleanly. A 9x13-inch baking dish with a lid makes this easy, since you can bake, chill and carry the cake in the same dish.
Variations
- Lemon blueberry. Use a lemon cake mix, or add the zest of one lemon to the white batter, for a bright, tangy cake.
- Cream cheese layer. Beat 4 ounces of softened cream cheese with ¼ cup of powdered sugar, then fold in the whipped topping for a cheesecake-style top.
- Oat streusel. Swap half the graham crumbs for old-fashioned oats and add a pinch of cinnamon for a topping closer to a fruit crisp.
- Other fruit fillings. The same method works with any canned pie filling. Try peaches like our Summer Peach Pie Poke Cake, cherries like the Cherry Almond Poke Cake, or berries like the Strawberry Poke Cake Recipe.
- Red, white and blue. Top the finished cake with fresh blueberries and sliced strawberries in a flag pattern for the Fourth of July.
Serving Ideas
Serve this cake cold, straight from the fridge, cut into squares with a sharp knife wiped clean between cuts. It's a natural fit for summer barbecues, potlucks, picnics and graduation parties, since it feeds a crowd and is made the day before.
For a patriotic dessert table, pair it with other red, white, and blue recipes. A scoop of vanilla ice cream, a few extra fresh berries or a cup of iced coffee alongside each slice turns it into a dessert worth lingering over.
Storing & Freezing
Keep the cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The graham cracker crumble softens a little each day, so if you're making it more than a day ahead, mix and sprinkle on the topping right before serving to keep it crunchy.
You can freeze the cake once the blueberry filling and whipped topping are on. Freeze it uncovered until firm, then wrap the pan tightly in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and add the crumble topping and fresh berries after thawing. Individual slices freeze well too, wrapped one by one.
More Blueberry Desserts
If you loved this cake, here are a few more berry treats you might enjoy:
- Blueberry Lemon Crumble Bars
- Easy Blueberry Galette Tart Recipe
- Blueberry Cruffins
- Lemon Lime Poke Cake
Recipe
Blueberry Poke Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 box white cake mix 13.25 to 15.25 ounces
- 1 cup water or the amount on your cake mix box
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil or the amount on your cake mix box
- 3 egg whites large, or as your cake mix box directs
Blueberry Filling and Topping
- 1 can blueberry pie filling 21 ounces (595 g)
- 8 ounces whipped topping such as Cool Whip, thawed
Graham Crumble
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 graham crackers full sheets, finely crushed (about ⅓ cup crumbs)
- ½ cup fresh blueberries for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Heat the oven and prepare the cake batter as directed on the cake mix box, using the water, oil and egg whites. Pour it into a greased 9x13-inch baking pan and bake for the time on the box (usually 25 to 30 minutes), until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Set the pan on a wire rack and let the cake cool for 15 to 20 minutes, until just warm.
- Using the round handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes all over the cake about 1 inch apart, going most of the way to the bottom.
- Blend the blueberry pie filling in a blender until smooth and pourable, about 30 seconds. Pour it evenly over the cake, then use the back of a spoon or an offset spatula to push it into the holes and spread the rest over the top.
- Let the cake cool completely to room temperature (or chill it for 30 minutes), then spread the whipped topping evenly over the blueberry layer.
- In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter, brown sugar and crushed graham crackers until crumbly. Sprinkle the crumble over the whipped topping.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight, until the filling is set. Scatter fresh blueberries over the top just before serving, if you like, and cut into squares.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition details are an estimate, per serving.
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