Carrot Poke Cake
This Carrot Poke Cake is the easiest and most impressive dessert using 7 ingredients for a spring party or Easter gathering. Perfect for beginner bakers, I use a cake mix as the base to keep it easy and foolproof. There will be no leftovers, I guarantee it’s going to be a crowdpleaser!
Last Easter I made this Carrot Poke Cake and I don’t think I’ll ever be making carrot cake in the same way again! It was so easy and even more delicious than the classic recipe. Plus, since I use a box cake mix as the base, no special equipment is needed either.
What I love about this Carrot Poke Cake is that it’s a great dessert to make in advance. The whole cake needs to be refrigerated for 4 hours for maximum flavor. If you’ve never had a poke cake before, it usually uses a box cake mix as the base. You actually poke holes into the warm cake (which my kids love to do), and then drizzle the cake with a rich sweetened condensed milk.
Topped with a cheesecake whipped cream frosting and crushed graham cracker, there are never any leftovers at our house! Be sure to also try our Easter Dirt Cake or Lemon Blueberry Trifle too!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- 7 ingredient gourmet cake. This is one of those desserts that everyone will want seconds of. Be ready to share all of your secrets too, everyone always asks me for the recipe.
- No-fuss cake that anyone can make. Truly, this recipe is so simple to prepare, my kids love to help me bake it!
- Customize the cake to your liking. Add grated or shredded carrots, nuts, more spices, even golden raisins to put your twist on it.
Ingredients
- Carrot cake mix – Use the box mix, it makes this a quick and easy dessert!
- Crushed pineapple – Be sure to drain the excess liquid to make sure the cake isn’t too thin in texture.
- Shredded coconut – Sweet and delicious to compliment the pineapple.
- Sweetened condensed milk – Creamy and sweet to add moisture to the cake.
- Frozen whipped topping – Be sure to thaw this in advance, it’s the frosting for the cake.
- Boxes instant cheesecake pudding – The key to a great poke cake, it fills in the holes to make it nice and moist.
- Cinnamon graham crackers – Finely crushed to spread on top of the cake for nice crunchy texture and great flavor.
How to Make Carrot Poke Cake
1. Prepare the cake mix according to the package directions.
2. Stir in drained pineapple and coconut.
3. Bake cake according to package directions.
4. Leave the cake in the baking dish and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
5. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke about 20-25 holes in the cake, making sure to evenly distribute them. Be careful not to go all the way through to the bottom of the cake.
6. Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the top of the cake; allow cake to cool completely before the next step.
7. Add the cheesecake pudding mix to a large bowl; fold in Cool Whip until thoroughly combined.
8. Spread frosting over top of the cake.
9. Sprinkle chopped graham crackers over the top of the cake.
10. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Expert Tips
- Allow the cake to cool slightly before poking the holes. You’ll still want the cake to be warm so it evenly soaks in all of the delicious pudding mixture for a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Use the handle of a wooden spoon or a wide-mouthed straw to poke the holes. This makes the perfect size of opening before allowing the cake to soak.
- Make sure you thaw your whipped topping in advance. I like to put it into the fridge right when I get home from the store to make sure it’s the perfect texture every time.
- Let the cake chill for at least 4 hours for the best results. This lets the cake really absorb all of the delicious pudding mixture to infuse every bite with maximum flavor.
- If you want to add some raw shredded carrots to the cake batter, go ahead! This is totally optional, but if you want a little more of the classic carrot cake flavor, it’s delicious.
- Add some nuts for crunch. Chopped walnuts or pecans stirred into the cake batter or used to garnish on top are also a delicious addition.
Watch the Tutorial
Storage
If you have any leftovers, cover tightly with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated. This should stay fresh and tasty for 3 to 5 days, although it will probably be all eaten before then! We don’t recommend freezing the cake as it can change texture once it thaws.
You can easily make this dessert in advance, in fact it’s better! It will need to chill for at least 4 hours, so you can even make this Carrot Poke Cake 1 to 2 days before serving. Just cover with plastic wrap and keep it in the refrigerator so it stays fresh.
FAQs
You can if you want! Make sure you bake it as a sheet cake in a baking dish so that it can easily convert into a poke cake.
It’s best to poke holes with the handle of a wooden spoon or a wide straw.
Cool for 10 minutes until it’s just warm, then you can poke the holes and pour over the filling so it soaks in and sets inside the cake.
More Easy Dessert Recipes
Carrot Poke Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box carrot cake mix
- 8 ounces crushed pineapple drained
- 1/4 cup shredded coconut
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 8 ounces frozen whipped topping thawed
- 1 3.4 ounce instant cheesecake pudding
- 3-4 cinnamon graham crackers crushed
Instructions
- Prepare the cake mix according to the package directions.
- Stir in drained pineapple and coconut.
- Bake cake according to package directions.
- Leave the cake in the baking dish and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke about 20-25 holes in the cake, making sure to evenly distribute them. Be careful not to go all the way through to the bottom of the cake.
- Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the top of the cake; allow cake to cool completely before the next step.
- Add the cheesecake pudding mix to a large bowl; fold in Cool Whip until thoroughly combined.
- Spread frosting over top of the cake.
- Sprinkle chopped graham crackers over the top of the cake.
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
