Lemon Pudding Poke Cake is delightfully light and refreshing! Made easy by starting with a box cake mix, adding creamy pudding, and topping with homemade whipped cream icing filled with lemon Oreo cookies. This is a lemon lover's dream!
It's the perfect cake for your special occasion, Mother's day gathering, a spring or summer BBQ, potluck, or just because you love cake!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Easy Recipe: By using a cake mix this recipe is semi-homemade and a cinch to make.
- Delicious: The cake is super moist and delicious! It has a creamy topping with bits a crunch that you will go crazy over!
- Crowd pleaser: I haven't served this to anyone that hasn't fallen in love with it! Lemon lovers go crazy over this one!
What is a Lemon Poke Cake?
Poke cakes are typically made in a 9 x 13 baking dish and most often made with a cake mix. While the cake is warm or in this case slightly cooled. You poke holes into the cake to allow one of these glorious "things" to make that cake moist and delicious!
- sweetened condensed milk
- a gelatin or jello mixture
- or in this case a pudding mixture
I almost get giddy when I think about this cake. I don't know about you, but I am one of those lemon lover's I speak of!
This dessert packs an ever so slight punch of pucker power, while it is light, fluffy with beautiful bits of crunch on top! Hear those ANGELS SINGING HEAVENLY TUNES? I DO!
Because of all these things - Lemon Poke Cakes are the perfect dessert for spring and summer! Something Cool and Refreshing is just what you need on a warm day!
Ingredients
- 1 box lemon cake and ingredients required on the box (eggs, water, oil)
- 1 small instant lemon pudding mix
- milk
- heavy cream
- powdered sugar
- vanilla extract
- lemon Oreo cookies or lemon sandwich cookies
Simple Steps to Making Lemon Pudding Poke Cake
Step 1. | Prepare and bake the lemon cake mix according to box instructions. I prefer buying a cake mix with pudding in the mix and it usually requires eggs, vegetable oil, and water. Any cake mix that will fit in a 9 x 13 dish will work. You can also use a white or yellow mix in a pinch.
Step 2. Remove from oven when done and poke holes with the handle of a wooden spoon or a straw. Let cake cool slightly or almost cooled.
Step 3. Beat together the pudding mix and milk with whisk attachment or electric hand mixer for 2 minutes.
Step 4. Pour lemon pudding over cooled cake, making sure the pudding gets into the holes.
TIP: At this point you can refrigerate like this and prepare topping later or you may make the topping and refrigerate completely prepared. If I am serving the next day, I will prepare the topping before serving so that the cookies still have a little crunch. It is delicious either way.
Step 5. With stand or hand mixer, beat heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until medium peaks form.
TIP: Medium Peaks are somewhere between soft and firm or stiff. They will hold up but slightly curl at the top. It really isn't a precise science when it comes to this one. If you beat them to the firm stage it will still be good. The middle of the road holds up well but is still silky and smooth.
Step 6. Crush lemon Oreo cookies in a blender, food processor, or place in a Ziplock bag and crush with a rolling pin or can food item (anything heavy with work). Keep a few crumbs out to top if you like. Then fold the rest into the whipped cream.
Step 7. Spread the whipped cream on top of cake.
Step 8. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until serving.
4 Delicious Poke Cake Recipes
Lemon Pudding Poke Cake
Lemon Pudding Poke Cake is delightfully light and refreshing! Made easy by starting with a box cake mix, adding creamy pudding, and topping with homemade whipped cream icing filled with lemon Oreo cookies. This is a lemon lover's dream!
Ingredients
- 1 box lemon cake mix & all ingredients listed on box to make cake, (eggs, oil, water)
- 3.4 ounce box instant lemon pudding mix, (1 small box)
- 2 cups milk
Whipped Cream Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 12 lemon Oreo cookies, finely crushed, (reserve some to garnish if desired)
Instructions
- Prepare and bake lemon cake according to directions on the box for a 9 x 13 cake (typically 28 to 35 minutes). Remove the cake oven and poke holes into the cake with the handle of a wooden spoon or straw. Let cake cool slightly or almost cooled.
- Beat together lemon pudding mix and two cups of milk with wire whisk for two minutes. Pour into the holes of the cake.
- Beat heavy cream, vanilla, and powdered sugar until soft to medium peaks form.
- Crush lemon Oreos in blender, food processor or with rolling pin. Fold crushed cookies into whipped cream.
- Refrigerate for 1 hour or until ready to serve.
- Garnish with crushed lemon cookies, lemon zest or sliced lemons.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
15Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 331Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 43mgSodium: 345mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 1gSugar: 23gProtein: 4g
Nutrition data provided here is only an estimate.
Kathy M Bradley says
Oh so good!!! Easy to make too!!!
Nikki - Soulfully Made says
Thank you so much Kathy!
Kathy says
Lemon is my absolute favorite so decided to make this. It was amazing! Thank you for another great recipe.
Nikki - Soulfully Made says
Thank you so much Kathy! I love anything lemon too! So glad you enjoyed it!
Jennifer A Stewart says
The lemon flavor is such brighter than I had imagined! Everyone scarfed them up and didn't leave a crumb for me to take home and eat later. Guess I will have to make another one!
Nikki - Soulfully Made says
This one goes fast with my bunch too! We are lemon fans! I am so glad your family enjoyed it!
Deb Clark says
Thank you for such a great recipe, I making it for the 4th - I know everyone will love it!
Lisa Hitzeman says
I love lemon cake of any kind, so this is right up my alley! I'll be making this for the 4th!
Julie Menghini says
We are lemon fanatics and I can't wait to give this recipe a try. It's perfect for our summer gatherings!
debi at Life Currents says
Lemon desserts are my favorite! This cake is delicious and so easy to make. Thanks
Healing Tomato says
Your lemon pudding poke cake was out-of-this-world good! Soft, moist and delicious. All the flavors worked perfectly together!
Michaela Kenkel says
I made this for dessert tonight, and everyone loved it!! It was so delicious! Thank you!!