This pineapple poke cake is a buttery pineapple cake filled with a creamy vanilla pineapple pudding. Top this moist pineapple pudding cake with a sweet and creamy pineapple whipped cream for even more tropical flavor.
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Why Should You Make This Recipe
I have a few poke cake recipes on the blog that are always great when I want a delicious dessert everyone loves. My Coconut Poke Cake, Chocolate Poke Cake, Butterfinger Poke Cake and Lemon Poke Cake are quick, easy and delicious poke cake recipes that are perfect for feeding a crowd. I am so excited to add this pineapple poke cake recipe to the blog and I know you’ll love it too.
- It has the perfect contrast of tropical taste and texture. This easy pineapple poke has layers of textures filled with sweet and tropical pineapple flavor. The pineapple cake is fluffy and moist, while vanilla pineapple pudding is creamy which pairs perfectly with the refreshing pineapple whip topping.
- Easy to make with simple ingredients. This pineapple pudding cake is made with pantry basics such as cake mix, eggs, oil, vanilla pudding mix, milk, crushed pineapple and heavy cream. What I love most about this poke cake recipe is that the entire cake can be made using two bowls and a whisk.
Ingredients
This pineapple poke cake with pineapple and vanilla pudding requires only a handful of ingredients to make. Here’s what you will need.
- Pineapple Cake Ingredients: Gather all cake mix, crushed pineapple, eggs and oil.
- Vanilla and Pineapple Pudding Ingredients: Gather vanilla pudding mix, milk and crushed pineapple.
- Pineapple Whipped Cream: Heavy cream, powdered sugar and crushed pineapple.
Substitutions
This chocolate buttermilk cake is meant to be quick, easy and so delicious. Here are my recommended substitutions for this recipe if you need them:
- Pineapple Cake Mix: I prefer using pineapple cake mix for the extra pineapple flavor, but feel free to use any box cake mix such as vanilla yellow or white cake mix.
- Oil: Any neutral baking oil such as vegetable, canola or grapeseed oil will work well in this poke pineapple cake recipe. Other possible substitutes would be an equal amount of yogurt, coconut oil or applesauce. Use the suggested substitutes for oil listed on the back of the cake mix box.
- Eggs: This recipe hasn’t been tested without eggs.
- Pineapple Juice: Use 1 cup of water in place of the pineapple juice.
- Crushed Pineapple: This recipe uses (1) 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple and (1) 8 oz. can of crushed pineapple. Feel free to use fresh pineapple, but make sure to process the pineapple so it is the consistency of crushed pineapple.
- Vanilla Pudding Mix: For this pineapple poke cake, I used jello vanilla pudding mix . You could also try other flavors that pair with pineapple such as strawberry or coconut cream.
- Milk: Use any type of milk you like.
- Heavy Cream: Feel free to use 8oz. cool whip in place of the heavy cream.
- Powdered Sugar: I prefer using powdered sugar to sweeten the whipped cream for this layered pineapple pudding cake because powdered sugar contains cornstarch which acts as a stabilizer for the whipped cream.
Variations
- Cream Cheese Frosting Layer: Rather than topping the pineapple poke cake with pineapple whipped cream, top this pineapple cake with cream cheese frosting. Prepare the lemon cake and lemon pudding layers as written in the recipe. Chill until the pudding layer is well set. This takes about 1-2 hours. Make the cream cheese frosting by creaming 8 oz. room temperature cream cheese with ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, 3 cups powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon. Top the pudding layer with the cream cheese frosting, chopped pecans and more pineapple. This version is similar to Hawiian pineapple cake.
- Pineapple Glaze: Replace the entire pineapple pudding layer with pineapple glaze. Mix 2 cups powdered sugar with 3 -4 tablespoons (45 - 60 ml) pineapple juice until smooth and well combined.
- Pineapple Preserves: For even more pineapple flavor, spread a jar of pineapple preserves on top of the pudding layer. Follow the rest of the recipe as written.
How To Make
Learn how to make pineapple poke cake in a few easy steps.
Make the Pineapple Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Lightly grease and line the bottom and long sides of a 9 x 13 inch cake pan with parchment paper. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the oil, eggs, entire 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple and cake mix until well combined. Pour the pineapple cake into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool the cake in the cake pan for 30 minutes. Using the parchment paper, gently lift the cake out of the pan, remove the parchment paper and return the cake to the pan.
- After returning the cake to the pan, use the end of a wooden spoon or a large skewer to poke holes into the cake. Set the cake aside for now. Open the smaller, 8 oz. can of crushed pineapple. Strain the pineapple juice from the crushed pineapple into a 2 cup measuring cup. Reserve the pineapple for mixing into the whipped cream. Add enough milk to the measuring cup to reach 1 ½ cups (360 ml) total liquid. Make the vanilla pineapple pudding by whisking the box of vanilla pudding mix with the milk and pineapple juice until thicken, smooth and well combined. Spread the pineapple vanilla pudding into the holes of the cake. Once the holes are filled, spread the rest of the pudding evenly across the pineapple cake.
Assemble the Pineapple Poke Cake
3. Make the pineapple whipped cream layer by whisking the heavy cream with powdered sugar on low for 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium for another 3 - 4 minutes or until the whipped cream has reached stiff peaks. Fold in the reserved pineapple from the smaller can of crushed pineapple. Evenly spread the whipped pineapple cream on top of the vanilla pineapple pudding. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 2 - 4 hours and up to overnight. After the chill time slice, serve the cake and enjoy.
How To Freeze and Store and Serve
- Store: Place leftover pieces of pineapple pudding cake in an airtight container to store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: Prepare the cake entirely according to the recipe directions. Wrap the entire cake, while still in the pan, in 2 layers of plastic wrap and then a foil layer. Store the pineapple cake in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Thaw: Transfer the pineapple cake to thaw at room temperature for a few hours or in the fridge overnight. Once the cake is thawed follow the recipe starting at the pudding step.
M’s Expert Tips
- Prepare the cake according to the box directions. I’ve listed the ingredients and instructions for the box cake mix in my recipe, but feel free to refer to the box for instructions on high altitude baking or baking in different sized pans.
- Decide how big you want the holes to be. Use the end of a large wooden spoon for big holes or a thick wooden skewer for medium sized holes. To ensure the pudding soaks into the holes, take the time to pipe the pudding into them.
- Chill the cake. Just like making a tres leches or other soaked cake, this pineapple poke cake needs time to chill and for the pudding to soak into the cake.
FAQs
Why is it called poke cake?
This name comes from the holes that are intentionally poked into the cake. This is done to absorb a sweet glaze or filling.
What do you use to poke holes in a cake?
A wooden spoon is the perfect tool to use to poke holes in the cake. Make sure to space the holes out by 1-inch (2.5 cm) to ensure the cake isn’t too dry or too soggy.
Can this pineapple poke cake be made gluten free?
Yes, simply use a gluten free cake mix or make your own gluten free cake. Double check that the vanilla pudding mix is gluten free.
Can I use pineapple juice instead of water in a cake mix?
Yes, feel free to swap pineapple juice for the water in the cake mix to add more pineapple flavor.
Other Pineapple Recipes To Try
If you try this Pineapple Poke Cake recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking!
Pineapple Poke Cake Recipe
This pineapple poke cake is a buttery pineapple cake filled with a creamy vanilla pineapple pudding. Top this moist pineapple pudding cake with a sweet and creamy pineapple whipped cream for even more tropical flavor.
Equipment
- 1 9 x 13 cake pan
- 1 sheet parchment paper
- 12 large mixing bowls
- 1 whisk
- 1 wooden spoon for poking holes
- 1 stand mixer with paddle attachment or electric hand mixer with beaters to make whipped cream
Ingredients
Pineapple Cake
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup (120 ml) oil or melted butter
- 15.25 oz. boxed pineapple, yellow or white cake mix
- 20 oz. canned crushed pineapple
Pineapple Vanilla Pudding
- 3.4 oz. instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 cup (240 ml) cold milk
- ½ cup (120 ml) pineapple juice from 8 oz. can crushed pineapple
Pineapple Whipped Cream
- 1½ cups (360 ml) cold heavy cream
- ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
- crushed pineapple from 8 oz. can crushed pineapple
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (177 C). Lightly grease and line the bottom and long sides of a 9 x 13 inch cake pan with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the oil, eggs, entire 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple and cake mix until well combined. Pour the pineapple cake into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.3 large eggs, room temperature, ½ cup (120 ml) oil or melted butter, 15.25 oz. boxed pineapple, yellow or white cake mix , 20 oz. canned crushed pineapple
- Cool the cake in the cake pan for 30 minutes. Using the parchment paper, gently lift the cake out of the pan, remove the parchment paper and return the cake to the pan.After returning the cake to the pan, use the end of a wooden spoon or a large skewer to poke holes into the cake. Set the cake aside for now.
- Open the smaller, 8 oz. can of crushed pineapple. Strain the pineapple juice from the crushed pineapple into a 2 cup measuring cup. Reserve the crushed pineapple for mixing into the whipped cream. Add enough milk to the measuring cup to reach 1 ½ cups (360 ml) total liquid. Make the vanilla pineapple pudding by whisking the box of vanilla pudding mix with the milk and pineapple juice until thicken, smooth and well combined. Spread the pineapple vanilla pudding into the holes of the cake. Once the holes are filled, spread the rest of the pudding evenly across the pineapple cake.3.4 oz. instant vanilla pudding mix, 1 cup (240 ml) cold milk, ½ cup (120 ml) pineapple juice
- Make the pineapple whipped cream layer by whisking the heavy cream with powdered sugar on low for 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium for another 3 - 4 minutes or until the whipped cream has reached stiff peaks. Fold in the reserved pineapple from the smaller can of crushed pineapple.1½ cups (360 ml) cold heavy cream, ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar, crushed pineapple
- Evenly spread the whipped pineapple cream on top of the vanilla pineapple pudding. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 2 - 4 hours and up to overnight. After the chill time slice, serve the cake and enjoy.
Notes
Store: Place leftover pieces of pineapple pudding cake in an airtight container to store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
This recipe uses (1) 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple for the cake and (1) 8 oz. can of crushed pineapple for the pudding and whipped cream topping.
See the Variations section of the blog post to make this pineapple poke cake with cream cheese topping (like Hawaiian pineapple cake), with pineapple glaze instead of pudding or to add pineapple preserves.
did you make this recipe?tag @olivesnthyme on Instagram
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