Eggnog Poke Cake
Eggnog Poke Cake is a vanilla cake poked with an eggnog pudding that really shines through and spices on top give that give it that nice holiday touch!
A FESTIVE HOLIDAY POKE CAKE
Nothing screams the holidays quite like eggnog, and there’s no better way to enjoy this festive beverage than in a delicious Eggnog Poke Cake! This moist and creamy cake is rich and flavorful, the perfect addition to any holiday celebration. From the creamy, vanilla eggnog pudding filling to the moist vanilla cake, this joyful poke cake will brighten up your holiday dessert table. Such a lovely cake for the holiday!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Sure, instead of vanilla pudding mix, try cheesecake pudding or white chocolate pudding instead. Either would be a delicious flavor combination.
You bet. Make this an adults-only cake by adding ¼ cup of rum in place of ¼ cup of the eggnog for an alcoholic version.
Of course! Feel free to use a cream cheese frosting or eggnog frosting on top of this poke cake instead.
This Eggnog Cake needs to be kept in the refrigerator when not actively eating it. You can store leftover cake, covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Or you could freeze it for up to 3 months.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- vanilla cake mix – you could use a yellow cake mix as well. Any cake mix you think will go well with an eggnog pudding would work just fine.
- eggs, oil and water – these are the ingredients used to make the cake itself. You’ll use the amounts called for on the back of the box. Some cake mixes call for different amounts so
- instant vanilla pudding mix – be sure you don’t grab the cook and serve type of pudding, that one requires heat to set up and if you accidentally use it, the pudding will never set up. The wording can sometimes be hard to see on the boxes so you need to pay close attention as they are often right next to each other on the grocery shelf.
- eggnog – you can use store bought or make your own Homemade Eggnog.
- whipped topping – (the brand name is Cool Whip) just remember when you buy whipped topping that it comes frozen so you will need to stick it into the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight to thaw. You can also make a homemade whipped cream if you like.
- ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg – these are for sprinkling on top. You can just use cinnamon if you like. I wouldn’t skip it altogether though because this really tops it off nicely and gives it that additional holiday flavor.
HOW TO MAKE EGGNOG POKE CAKE
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Prepare the cake mix and bake per the directions on the back of the box. When the cake comes out of the oven, take a wooden utensil handle or something similar and poke holes all over the cake, about 1 inch apart.
In a large bowl, whisk together the pudding mix and eggnog until smooth. Pour pudding over the cake. Take care to pour it right into the holes as much as possible. Spread it all out, and using the back of the spoon, gently push the pudding down into the holes. Place in the refrigerator for 2 hours to set.
Spread the whipped topping on top of the cake and place it in the refrigerator again for 2 hours or longer to set. When ready to serve, add the ground cinnamon and nutmeg for garnish.
Slice and serve.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Eggnog Poke Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box vanilla cake mix
- ingredients needed to make: eggs, oil and water (use the amounts called for on the back of the box)
- 1 (3.4 ounce) box instant vanilla pudding mix
- 2 cups eggnog
- 8 ounce tub whipped topping
- ground cinnamon, for topping
- ground nutmeg, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Prepare the cake mix and bake per the directions on the back of the box.
- When the cake comes out of the oven, take a wooden utensil handle or something similar and poke holes all over the cake, about 1 inch apart.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the pudding mix and eggnog until smooth.
- Pour pudding over the cake. Take care to pour it right into the holes as much as possible. Spread it all out, and using the back of the spoon, gently push the pudding down into the holes.
- Place in the refrigerator for 2 hours to set.
- Spread the whipped topping on top of the cake and place it in the refrigerator again for 2 hours or longer to set.
- When ready to serve, sprinkle the ground cinnamon and nutmeg on top.
- Slice and serve. Keep cake covered and refrigerated.
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Could you substitute egg nog for the water when baking the cake?
You can. I will say sometimes substituting with a heavier liquid may cause a dip in the middle of the cake when it bakes.
When I click on the larger option for this recipe it still says to use the same size pan as the normal option. Is this correct?
Hi Nanette, how much more do you need exactly? You’re better off just at making a second pan. That way everything bakes as evenly as possible.
Can’t wait to make