Banana Poke Cake

Easy banana poke cake recipe with pudding and vanilla wafers. Perfect for spring picnics and potlucks. A cool refreshing dessert for summer!

pudding cake with vanilla wafers in a baking pan

Banana Poke Cake

My husband grew up eating pudding cakes. To this day, he is crazy for anything with pudding. Move over drip cakes and layer cakes…my guy wants a simple cake with pudding and whipped topping! Since this banana poke cake is easier than ever, I’m happy to give him what he wants.

Easy Pudding Cake

This pudding cake starts with a box cake mix. You’ll prepare the cake mix according to the package directions with the ingredients listed on the back of the box. Every now and then I substitute butter for the oil listed or replace the water with milk to add richness, but for the most part, you just can’t go wrong with a box cake mix. Easy, delicious and moist.

If you’d like the base of this cake to be from scratch you can use our homemade yellow cake mix and bake it in a 9×13 pan. Find that recipe here.

How to Make Banana Pudding Cake

Once the cake is baked and cooled, you’ll use a wooden spoon to poke holes in the top of the cake. This allows the pudding that you’ll spread on top to soak down into each piece of cake.

Mix together two small boxes of instant vanilla pudding and 3 cups of milk. This is a little less milk than you would usually use but will help keep the cake from getting soggy. Allow the pudding to set for a few minutes, then use a spatula to spread the pudding on top of the cake. Press down lightly but firmly to try to force the pudding into the holes that you’ve poked into the cake.

Slice three bananas into thin slices and layer them over the vanilla pudding. Then spread whipped topping overtop.

To decorate the cake, crush half of the vanilla wafers and sprinkle the crumbs. Use the whole wafers to decorate the top of the cake also by sticking them in to stand up halfway.

Right before serving, slice the last banana and decorate the top of the cake with freshly sliced bananas.

A piece of cake on a plate, with bananas and pudding

Other Banana Cake Recipes

Tools to Make This Cake

Must Have Cake Mix Recipes! Sometimes you need a shortcut. Just because time is in limited supply, it doesn’t mean that flavor and fun have to be! Our cookbook has 20 cakes and cupcakes that all start with a cake mix but end up as a beautiful dessert no one will be able to resist. Click here to read about it! 

banana pudding cake on a plate
banana pudding cake on a plate

Banana Poke Cake

4.67 from 3 votes
Easy banana poke cake recipe with pudding and vanilla wafers. Perfect for spring picnics and potlucks. A cool refreshing dessert for summer!
Servings 15
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients
 

Instructions
 

  • Prepare a 9x13 baking pan by greasing it and preheat oven to degrees as stated on the cake mix.
  • Prepare the cake mix as directed on the box, bake and allow cooling when done.
  • In a large bowl, whisk the pudding mix and the milk until well combined. Set aside and allow it to thicken for a few minutes.
  • Using the bottom of a wooden spoon, poke holes all of the cooled cake. 
  • Pour the pudding mixture all over the top and spread until well covered. Slice 3 of your bananas and spread all over the top. 
  • Then, spread the whipped topping on top and garnish with some crushed vanilla wafers, whole vanilla wafers and bananas.

Nutrition

Calories: 336kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 415mg | Potassium: 228mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 115IU | Vitamin C: 2.7mg | Calcium: 146mg | Iron: 0.8mg
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Calories 336

About Julie Clark

We are Julie, Maddie, and Kinslee – a mother and daughter team sharing with you the best cakes to satisfy any need or sweet craving that you may have. Welcome to our family’s kitchen!

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when you click on banana cream cake it takes you to banana poke cake