If you’re looking for a show-stopping dessert, this Boston Cream Poke Cake is always a good choice! Everyone will be raving over the delicious combination of yellow cake, vanilla pudding custard, and chocolate glaze.
Plan to take this one-pan dessert to your next gathering! It’ll certainly be a crowd favorite, just like the ever delicious Chocolate Lasagna.
Why This is One of Our Favorite Desserts
When I was a young child I was enamored with any and all desserts containing custard. I was particularly captivated by Boston Cream Pie because it wasn’t a pie at all, it was a custard filled cake. And that layer of glorious, shiny chocolate—yum!
Related: My all-time favorite chocolate cake!
I learned to bake at a young age, but mastering egg-based sweets like custard and Creamy Flan wouldn’t come until I was older. If only I had known about this Boston Cream Poke Cake, I could have eaten it anytime the fancy struck! It’s seriously that simple to cook with boxed cake mix and instant pudding.
While I am now an avid baker, I’m not above using boxed mixes and hacks. If they make life easier and taste just as yummy, I’m all for it. My cute Lemon Sandwich Cookies start with a cake mix and they fly off the plate every time.
If you have one component that’s completely from scratch, it gives the whole thing a homemade flavor (the cookies have cream cheese frosting).
With that in mind, I decided to make the chocolate glaze from scratch since I’m a bit of a chocoholic. You could certainly use canned chocolate frosting, chocolate buttercream frosting or chocolate fudge frosting if you want, but the chocolate ganache is simple enough that it doesn’t take much more than melting a few ingredients together.
Ingredients you’ll need for this cake
- You’ll use a box of yellow cake mix, but you also need the ingredients on the back of the box.
- Be sure you use instant vanilla pudding mix, not the cook and serve kind!
- You will need milk and vanilla extract to mix up the pudding.
- To make the ganache, you will need semi sweet chocolate chips, heavy cream, and a small amount of corn syrup. It’s a very small amount of corn syrup, but if it bothers you, use an equal amount of butter.
ONE-PAN DESSERTS COOKBOOK!
The one-pan dessert is ideal for all occasions including potlucks, holidays, barbecues and birthdays. Several of these desserts do not require baking making them perfect for summer. See ALL my cookbooks here!
20 delicious one-pan dessert recipes plus tips for dessert success! ONLY $9.97!!
Helpful Kitchen Items:
How to Make this Amazing Cake
The rest of the Boston cream poke cake is equally quick and easy. Bake a cake according to the package instructions, then poke holes in it.
Mix up some pudding and pour it over the cake before it starts to thicken.
If you do this before the pudding has completely set, the custard can drip all the way down into the pockets.
After chilling, it all gets topped with that chocolate glaze and then sets up in the fridge. Don’t forget to let your glaze cool for 10 minutes before pouring it over the cake!
This Boston cream poke cake definitely tastes better if you let it sit overnight. I’m an impatient person, so I usually can’t wait to dig in before something is done but trust me, the flavors come together in an amazing way. Cake, pudding, and chocolate glaze magically transform into Boston Cream Pie!
More One Pan Desserts
Don’t you LOVE one-pan desserts? Always perfect for BBQ’s, potlucks, or any gathering in general. Find more favorites below!
- Strawberry Jello Pretzel Salad
- Eclair Cake
- Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake
- Pineapple Dream Dessert
- Strawberry Icebox Cake
- No Bake Chocolate Eclair Cake
- Lemon Lush
- Cookie Skillet
- Pistachio Cake
- Pineapple Poke Cake
And of course, you wouldn’t want to miss my Boston Cream Cupcakes!
Boston Cream Poke Cake
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Pin It Rate ItIngredients
- 16.25 ounce yellow cake mix plus ingredients to prepare
- 6.8 ounces instant vanilla pudding mix 2 (3.4oz) boxes
- 4 cups milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 1/4 cups
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup or butter if you prefer
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Things You’ll Need
Before You Begin
- You’ll use a box of yellow cake mix, but you also need the ingredients on the back of the box.
- Be sure you use instant vanilla pudding mix, not the cook and serve kind!
- The ganache calls for a small amount of corn syrup. It’s a very small amount, but if it bothers you, use an equal amount of butter.
Instructions
- Prepare and bake the cake in a 13×9 pan according to the package instructions. Let cool completely before poking holes across the cake with the bottom of a wooden spoon. Be sure to poke all the way to the bottom of the pan.16.25 ounce yellow cake mix
- In a large bowl, whisk together pudding, milk, and vanilla, but don't let it thicken. Pour the thin pudding over cake in an even layer, poking down into the holes if necessary.Â6.8 ounces instant vanilla pudding mix, 4 cups milk, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- Refrigerate the cake for one hour.
Chocolate Glaze
- Place the chocolate chips and corn syrup in a heat-proof bowl.Â8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1 tablespoon corn syrup
- In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the cream until it simmers, stirring occasionally. Alternatively, you can microwave the cream until hot.1 cup heavy whipping cream
- Pour hot cream over chocolate chips and let sit for 2 minutes to melt.Â
- Stir until smooth. Let the glaze cool for 10 minutes. Letting the glaze cool is an important step, don't skip this part!
- Pour glaze over cake and smooth with a spatula. Chill cake for 4 hours or overnight before serving.
Nutrition
The recipes on this blog are tested with a conventional gas oven and gas stovetop. It’s important to note that some ovens, especially as they age, can cook and bake inconsistently. Using an inexpensive oven thermometer can assure you that your oven is truly heating to the proper temperature. If you use a toaster oven or countertop oven, please keep in mind that they may not distribute heat the same as a conventional full sized oven and you may need to adjust your cooking/baking times. In the case of recipes made with a pressure cooker, air fryer, slow cooker, or other appliance, a link to the appliances we use is listed within each respective recipe. For baking recipes where measurements are given by weight, please note that results may not be the same if cups are used instead, and we can’t guarantee success with that method.
This recipe was originally published on May 12, 2017 but has since been updated to include helpful tips and new photos.
Amanda Davis
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Linda says
Could I substitute half and half for the heavy cream in the frosting?
Amanda Davis says
Yes that should work, it might be a little thinner than with heavy cream but it should be fine
Linda says
I’ve been making your brown sugar peach cake all summer and I subbed half and half for the heavy cream in the frosting. Would that substitution work for this frosting?
Betty says
Can I use a chocolate cake mix instead of yellow ?
Amanda Davis says
Yes of course!
Tori says
I am making this tonight but didn’t realize I needed to let it chill for 4 hours before I serve it 😱 is there anything else I can do to be able to serve it tonight?
Amanda Davis says
It will be fine. It may be a little difficult to cut. You can wet the knife to make cleaner cuts.
K says
Made this for a Sunday school party. It turned out so much better than I thought it could be! Will be making this often! Thank you for sharing this easy recipe!
Amanda Davis says
So glad to hear that!
Lisa A Wieland says
Why does this recipe specify NOT to use cook & serve pudding? I like it better than instant.
Amanda Davis says
You CAN use it, but using hot pudding might compromise the structure of the cake. Yu need to be able to pour the pudding on before it thicken so that it goes down into the holes.
Jamie Landon says
Boston cream is my husband’s favorite, so naturally he wants to try this. For a sweet treat I offered so many things I could make him and this was the only yes.
Sandy says
I made a sugar free version of this cake today for Meals on Wheels and not only is it a beautiful looking cake, it tastes amazing! The zero sugar chocolate chips were a little tricky to melt so I put my oven on the lowest setting and put the mix in for 2 minutes. Perfect! I also used a sifter to sift the pudding into the milk and vanilla to get the lumps out. Thank you for sharing this recipe! The clients love it!
Amanda Davis says
Great idea using sugar free, looks great!
Becky says
This is absolutely delicious and the instruction are clear and it actually turns out fabulous!!!
Tonya says
This is my husbands favorite new cake. Its delicious! I have already made it 2 times in less than a month!
Joe says
I added crushed lemon cookies over the pudding. This recipe is a keeper.
Amanda Davis says
Sounds great!