Pineapple Poke Cake

This pineapple poke cake is a soft yellow cake baked over pineapple slices, poked full of holes, filled with creamy vanilla pudding and finished with fluffy whipped topping and juicy pineapple chunks. It starts with a box of cake mix, so it's one of the easiest make-ahead desserts you can bring to a potluck, cookout or birthday.

If you haven't made one before, the "poke" is exactly what it sounds like. You bake the cake, poke holes all over the top, then pour on a filling that sinks down into every hole, so each bite is moist and full of flavor. This pineapple poke cake with vanilla pudding is the classic version, and once you've tried it you'll want to work through all of our easy poke cake recipes.

Key Ingredients & Substitutions

• Yellow cake mix. A standard box of Betty Crocker Super Moist yellow cake mix (or any brand you like) plus the eggs, oil and water listed on the box. Its mild, buttery flavor lets the pineapple shine. White cake mix works too and gives a lighter crumb, and butter recipe yellow mix makes it a little richer.
• Canned pineapple. Slices go in the bottom of the pan, and chunks dot the top. Use pineapple packed in juice, like Dole pineapple slices, and drain it well. Crushed pineapple is an easy swap for the slices: drain a 20-ounce can of Dole crushed pineapple, press out the extra juice, and spread it evenly over the bottom of the pan before adding the batter.
• Instant vanilla pudding. One small (3.4-ounce) box of Jell-O instant vanilla pudding makes the creamy filling. It must be instant, since cook-and-serve pudding won't set without heating. French vanilla, banana cream or coconut cream pudding are all good substitutes.
• Cold milk. The recipe uses 1 ½ cups instead of the 2 cups on the pudding box, so the filling is thick enough to stay in the holes and still pourable. Whole or 2% milk sets best; skim milk gives a softer pudding.
• Whipped topping. An 8-ounce tub of thawed whipped topping keeps its shape in the fridge for days. You can use 2 cups of sweetened whipped cream instead, but plan to serve the cake within a day.

Helpful Tips

Drain the pineapple really well. Extra juice in the bottom of the pan makes the bottom of the cake gummy. Let the slices sit on paper towels for a few minutes and pat the tops dry before you lay them in the pan.

Use a 9x13 pan and spray it well. A 9x13 glass baking dish or a metal cake pan both work. Glass and dark metal pans bake a little faster, so start checking the cake at the low end of the baking time.

Poke while the cake is still warm. Let it cool for about 15 minutes, then poke holes about an inch apart with the round handle of a wooden spoon. Push it most of the way down but stop before you hit the pineapple, and give the handle a little wiggle so the holes stay open.

Pour the pudding right away. Instant pudding starts to set within a couple of minutes, so whisk it just until it begins to thicken and pour it over the cake immediately. An offset spatula makes it easy to nudge the pudding into the holes and smooth the top.

Chill before you top it. Give the cake at least 2 hours in the fridge so the pudding sets and the cake is completely cold. Whipped topping spread on a warm cake melts and slides, so it's worth the wait.

Variations

• Cream cheese frosting. For a pineapple poke cake with cream cheese frosting, beat 8 ounces of softened cream cheese with ½ cup powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth, then fold in the tub of whipped topping. Spread it over the chilled cake in place of the plain whipped topping. It's tangy, rich and tastes a lot like pineapple cheesecake.
• Coconut. Use coconut cream instant pudding, then sprinkle the top with 1 cup of sweetened flaked coconut, toasted if you like. For the full tropical drink treatment, try our Boozy Piña Colada Poke Cake.
• Crushed pineapple filling. Fold 1 cup of well-drained crushed pineapple into the pudding before you pour it, for pineapple in every hole.
• Pineapple upside-down style. Sprinkle ⅓ cup brown sugar over the pineapple slices and add a maraschino cherry in the center of each before pouring in the batter.
• More fruit. Add sliced bananas or mandarin oranges on top with the pineapple chunks, or go all in with our Fruity Tropical Poke Cake.

Serving Ideas

Serve this cake cold, straight from the fridge, cut into squares with a knife you wipe clean between cuts so the layers stay neat. A 9x13 pan gives you 10 generous pieces or 15 smaller ones, which makes it an easy pick for summer cookouts, Easter dinner, baby showers and church potlucks. It travels well in the pan with a lid, as long as you keep it cool.

A few fresh pineapple wedges, a sprig of mint or a handful of berries on the plate make it look a little fancier. For a party, pair it with a pitcher of our Pina Colada Mocktail, or a pot of hot coffee for a cozy family dessert.

Storing & Freezing

Because of the pudding and whipped topping, pineapple poke cake has to be kept in the refrigerator. Cover the pan tightly with a lid or plastic wrap and it will keep for up to 4 days. It's a great make-ahead dessert: bake and fill it the day before, then add the whipped topping and pineapple chunks a few hours before serving so the top looks its best.

You can freeze it, though the texture changes a little. Freeze individual squares on a tray until firm, wrap them well and keep them for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. The cake and pudding hold up fine, but the pineapple chunks get softer and the topping can weep a bit, so for the best results freeze the cake before topping it and add fresh whipped topping and pineapple after thawing.

More Poke Cake Recipes

If you loved this pineapple poke cake, here are a few more you might enjoy:

• Orange Creamsicle Poke Cake
• Lemon Lime Poke Cake
• Summer Peach Pie Poke Cake
• Strawberry Poke Cake

Recipe

Pineapple Poke Cake

An easy pineapple poke cake made with yellow cake mix, baked over pineapple slices, filled with vanilla pudding and topped with whipped topping and pineapple chunks.

4.8 from 11 votes

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 38 minutes mins

Chill Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 53 minutes mins

Course Cakes, Dessert, Desserts

Cuisine American

Servings 10 servings

Calories 389 kcal

Equipment

• 9x13 baking pan
• Offset Spatula

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 1 box yellow cake mix (13.25 to 15.25 oz)
• 3 large eggs or the amount listed on your cake mix box
• ½ cup vegetable oil or the amount listed on your cake mix box
• 1 cup water or the amount listed on your cake mix box
• 2 8 ounce cans pineapple slices drained and patted dry
• 3.4 ounce vanilla pudding mix 1 small box, instant
• 1 ½ cups milk cold
• 8 ounce tub whipped topping thawed
• 1 8 ounce can pineapple chunks drained

Instructions

• Heat the oven to 350°F (or the temperature on your cake mix box). Spray a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray. Pat the pineapple slices dry and arrange them in a single layer over the bottom of the pan.
• Whisk the cake mix, eggs, oil and water together according to the package directions. Pour the batter gently over the pineapple slices and spread it into an even layer.
• Bake for 34 to 38 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool for about 15 minutes, then poke holes all over the top about 1 inch apart with the handle of a wooden spoon, stopping before you reach the pineapple.
• Whisk the instant pudding mix with the cold milk for about 2 minutes, just until it starts to thicken. Pour it over the cake right away and spread it with an offset spatula so it fills the holes.
• Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours, until the pudding is set and the cake is completely cold.
• Spread the whipped topping over the cake and dot it with the pineapple chunks. Cut into squares and serve cold.

Notes

Crushed pineapple: instead of the slices, spread a well-drained 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple over the bottom of the pan.

Cream cheese frosting: beat 8 oz softened cream cheese with ½ cup powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla, then fold in the whipped topping and spread over the chilled cake.

Make ahead: bake and fill the cake up to a day ahead; add the whipped topping and pineapple chunks a few hours before serving.

Storage: keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freeze untopped squares, well wrapped, for up to 2 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 389kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 5gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 383mgPotassium: 171mgFiber: 1gSugar: 37gVitamin A: 170IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 155mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition details are an estimate, per serving.

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