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 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 $4.97!!
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.
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
- Chocolate Texas Sheet Cake
- Pineapple Dream Dessert
- Strawberry Icebox Cake
- No Bake Chocolate Eclair Cake
- Lemon Lush
- Cookie Skillet
And of course, you wouldn’t want to miss my Boston Cream Cupcakes!
This recipe was originally published on May 12, 2017 but has since been updated to include helpful tips and new photos.
Boston Cream Poke Cake
Ingredients
- 16.25 ounce yellow cake mix plus ingredients to prepare
- 6.8 ounces instant vanilla pudding mix 2 (3.4oz) boxes
- 4 cups milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 1/3 cups
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup or butter if you prefer
- 1 cup heavy cream
Things You'll Need
Instructions
- Prepare and bake the cake in a 13x9 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.
- 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.Â
- Refrigerate the cake for one hour.
Chocolate Glaze
- Place the chocolate chips and corn syrup in a heat-proof bowl.
- In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the cream until it simmers, stirring occasionally. Alternatively, you can microwave the cream until hot.
- Pour hot cream over chocolate chips and let sit for 2 minutes to melt.
- Stir until smooth. Let the glaze cool for 10 minutes.
- Pour glaze over cake and smooth with a spatula. Chill cake for 4 hours or overnight before serving.
Video
Expert Tips & FAQs
- 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.
Nutrition
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 $4.97!!
Rebekah Garcia
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Stacey says
It looks so yummy! I’ll have a small party this weekend, I’ll add this recipe to our party menu. Thanks for your instruction.
Janna says
So delicious and turned out perfect, I followed the recipe, without any changes. Will be making this again😊
Al says
Unfortunately no one enjoyed this dessert and it ended up in the trash !
Amanda Formaro says
I wonder what might have gone wrong? It’s been a favorite of so many, sorry you had trouble!
Rebecca says
I don’t have heavy shipping cream?
Amanda Formaro says
If you have canned chocolate frosting, you can warm it up in the microwave to make it pourable instead of making the ganache
JoAnn says
The picture shows the cake cooked in a glass dish, but the recipe says to use a pan. Which should I use? If a glass dish is used, is there more or less cooking time?
Amanda Formaro says
Sorry for the confusion! Where it says pan, it’s referring to a 13×9 glass baking dish. If you are going to use a metal pan I suggest checking your cake 5 minutes earlier. Glass heats up slower than metal does, therefore takes a little longer to bake.
meredith L hartman says
So i jist realized i only have cook and serve pudding..do I think this will work if i wait for the pudding to chill?
Amanda Formaro says
If it’s a little warm it should be ok. You just don’t want it to be hot as the cake may not hold up :)
Paula says
Absolutely love this recipe.
My husband does not ask for much food or dessert wise. He found this recipe and sent it to me. So I had to rush out and get what I needed as I was excited to bake a special treat for him.
Our 2 youngest loved it as well as my husband. Thank you for sharing your recipe!!
Amanda Formaro says
Yay that’s awesome Paula, so glad you guys loved it! Thank you!
Eileen says
What if don’t have corn syrup but the chips etc?
Amanda Formaro says
The corn syrup will just help it be glossy and smooth. You can add a small amount of butter with the chips too :)
Denise says
I made this recipe twice already. My co workers loved it I’ll be making this again. Thank you
Amanda Formaro says
Thanks Denise, we love it too!!
Debbie Kelley says
Could I use a 14.5 cake mix use I box of pudding and maybe cut the ganauche in half?
Amanda Formaro says
I haven’t tried that! If you try, I would love ot hear the results.
Hanna says
This recipe looks awesome! How would you use canned frosting to make the ganache? I am in the middle of making this and realized I don’t have chocolate chips but I do have chocolate frosting.
Amanda Formaro says
I haven’t tried it, but others have said that they heated the canned frosting in the microwave to soften it up.
Lisa says
Most recipes around here don’t make the cut for my picky eaters, but this one was requested for a birthday dessert. That means it was a resounding success. I don’t like cake or frosting, myself, but I love custard pies, so the pudding layer and the ganache made this a winner for me, too!
Amanda Formaro says
Hooray! So glad you guys loved it as much as we do!
Karla says
This week is a very hot week in London Ontario and after reading this recipe I couldn’t get the idea of nice chilled custardy vanilla cake and chocolate out of my head. Now if only my patience will hold out till it is completely set, chilled, and the flavors have really had a chance to come together….hmmmm!?! Great tip from a poster about making sure to keep your saran wrap covering up off the ganache so it wont pull up the chocolate! Appreciated that head’s up in advance! Great easy recipe! Love “homemade but not from scratch” recipes they are my life’s reality. Thanks for the recipe!
Amanda Formaro says
Hope you enjoy it Karla, wish I had a slice right now!