Eggnog Poke Cake

What Is a Poke Cake?

A poke cake is a variation of a filled cake. Instead of layers of cake with a filling between them, a poke cake has pockets of gelatin, custard, or pudding spaced throughout the crumb of the cake. The cake is then often frosted with whipped topping or whipped cream.

Poke cakes first appeared in the 1970s and were recipes advertising Jell-O products to make a dessert featuring a boxed cake mix, Jell-O gelatin or pudding, and Cool Whip or Dream Whip Toppings. These desserts were a modern take on the traditional filled layer cake and were both easy to make and crowd-pleasing.

Ingredient Notes

Here's what you need to make this Eggnog Poke Cake recipe:

• Vanilla Cake Mix -  Using a cake mix will get the cake in the oven in a jiffy, so you can have more time with family and friends. Use any vanilla cake mix as long as it is a 13.25-ounce mix. You can use plain vanilla or French Vanilla.
• Large Eggs - This recipe requires large eggs. For the proper proportion of eggs to cake mix, do not substitute a different-sized egg.
• Eggnog - You can use either homemade or store-bought eggnog. You will need 1 quart.
• Vegetable Oil - Choose a neutral-flavored cooking oil to let the eggnog flavor shine.
• Freshly Ground Nutmeg - Freshly ground nutmeg has the best flavor and aroma. But you can use pre-ground nutmeg in this recipe.
• Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix - You will need 2 boxes or vanilla instant pudding, 3.4 ounces each. Both vanilla and French vanilla taste delicious in this recipe.
• Spiced Rum - This eggnog cake is extra delicious when made with spiced rum. My favorite is Captain Morgan Private Stock but you can use your favorite. You can also use Brandy if you prefer it over spiced rum.
• Whipped Topping - I use Cool Whip, but you can use your favorite whipped topping or stabilized homemade whipped cream. For this recipe, you will need an 8-ounce container, which is 3 cups.
• Cold Water - Just plain cold water is also needed to mix the cake. (not shown)

Please see the recipe card for the exact quantities.

Substitutions & Variations

• Substitute Yellow Cake Mix. You can substitute a yellow cake mix for the vanilla cake mix and add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
• Substitute Ground Mace. Mace is the outer covering of a nutmeg seed which has a very similar flavor to ground nutmeg and is less expensive.
• Substitute Ground Cinnamon. If you don't like nutmeg, you can substitute ground cinnamon.
• Substitute Pumpkin Pie Spice. You can also substitute pumpkin pie spice for the nutmeg.

How to Make this Eggnog Poke Cake

1. Preheat and Prepare. Preheat the oven to 350°F/177°C. Spray non-stick cooking spray or grease the bottom only of a 13x9-inch pan and set aside.

2. Mix the Cake. To the large bowl of a large stand mixer add the cake mix, eggs, eggnog, water, oil, and nutmeg and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.

3. Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 26-28 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake.

4. Cool and Poke. Allow the cake to fully cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Use the rounded end of a wooden spoon or a large straw to poke well-spaced holes into the cake.

5. Make Eggnog Filling. In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the vanilla pudding mix, eggnog, and spiced rum.

6. Filling the Cake. Slowly pour the pudding mixture over the cake allowing time for the pudding to fill the holes. Smooth the top of the pudding layer. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 1 hour.

7. Top and Garnish. Spread the whipped topping evenly over the top of the cake and sprinkle with freshly grated nutmeg. Continue to refrigerate the cake until serving time.