Name: Boston Cream Poke Cake Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 3 h
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 box yellow cake mix (plus eggs, oil, and water as directed); 2 (3.4 oz) boxes instant vanilla pudding mix; 4 cups cold milk; 1½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips; 1 cup heavy cream; 2 tablespoons corn syrup (optional, for glossy ganache)

Description

This Boston Cream Poke Cake is a delightful twist on the classic dessert, featuring a moist yellow cake base with rich vanilla pudding filling and a glossy chocolate ganache topping. Perfect for any occasion, it combines the ease of a boxed cake mix with the indulgence of homemade-style pudding and ganache for a crowd-pleasing treat.

Ingredients

Scale

Cake

1 box yellow cake mix (plus eggs, oil, and water as directed)

Pudding Filling

2 (3.4 oz) boxes instant vanilla pudding mix
4 cups cold milk

Chocolate Ganache

1½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons corn syrup (optional, for glossy ganache)

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Instructions

Prepare and Bake the Cake: Preheat your oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Prepare the yellow cake mix according to package directions and bake as instructed. Once baked, allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes.
Poké the Cake: Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes evenly spaced about 1 inch apart all over the warm cake’s surface. These holes will hold the pudding filling for maximum flavor infusion.
Make and Add Pudding: In a large bowl, whisk together the vanilla pudding mix and cold milk for about 2 minutes until thickened. Pour the pudding immediately over the warm cake, spreading it evenly with a spatula and gently pressing the pudding into the holes. Refrigerate the cake for at least one hour to set.
Prepare Ganache: Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to simmer. Remove from heat and pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips in a bowl. Let the mixture sit for 2 minutes, then stir until the ganache is smooth and glossy. Optionally, stir in corn syrup to enhance the shine.
Top with Ganache: Pour the ganache over the chilled pudding layer and spread it evenly. Place the cake back in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to allow the ganache to fully set before serving.

Notes

For best flavor and texture, prepare the cake a day in advance to allow full melding of the layers.
You can substitute homemade cake and pudding if preferred for an entirely scratch-made dessert.
Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days to maintain freshness.