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This eggnog poke cake is my answer for anyone who loves eggnog but wants something besides another glass. Soft, moist vanilla cake, pockets of creamy eggnog pudding, and fluffy whipped topping with nutmeg on top. You smell and taste the eggnog with the first bite.
I only get a few weeks a year to cook with eggnog, so I make them count. It tastes like Christmas to me, and baking it into a poke cake is the easiest way I know to put that flavor in front of a whole table.
I use eggnog twice in this cake. It goes into the batter, and then again into the pudding that fills the holes. Most eggnog poke cake recipes only put it in the filling, so you end up eating eggnog pudding on top of plain vanilla cake.
For a second eggnog dessert that never goes in the oven, my microwave eggnog fudge is made in one bowl.
MAKE AHEAD
I Bake the Cake a Day Early and Add the Pudding Later
A poke cake has to chill before you can slice it, so a good part of this one is done ahead whether you plan it that way or not. When I want a real head start at Christmas, I bake the cake a day early, let it cool completely, poke the holes, wrap it tightly and keep it in the refrigerator overnight.
The pudding and the whipped topping go on at least four hours before serving, and that is all that is left to do. Dessert is finished and waiting in the refrigerator, and one pan takes care of a full table.
Key Ingredients
- Eggnog: I tested this with homemade, non-alcoholic eggnog in both the cake and the pudding, and store-bought eggnog works too. In the batter it stands in for the water a cake mix calls for, and in the pudding it stands in for the milk. A lot of poke cakes use sweetened condensed milk for the filling, and this one does not need it. Keep the eggnog for the pudding in the refrigerator until you whisk it.
- Instant vanilla pudding mix: Make sure the box says instant, not cook and serve. Instant is the kind that thickens when you whisk it with cold eggnog, with no stove involved.
- Salted butter: I use melted butter in the cake instead of the oil a cake mix box usually calls for, so follow my ingredient list, not the back of the box. Let it cool after melting before it goes into the batter with the eggs.
How to Make Eggnog Poke Cake
Step 1: Mix and Bake the Cake Beat the cake mix, eggnog, melted butter and eggs until combined, then spread the batter in a 9×13 dish. I bake mine in a glass dish and pull it once a toothpick in the center comes out clean, because an overbaked cake comes out dry.
Step 2: Cool and Poke the Cake Let the cake cool completely first. Use the round handle of a wooden spoon and push it right down to the bottom so the pudding has room to fill in.
Step 3: Whisk and Spread the Pudding Whisk the pudding mix and cold eggnog until it starts to thicken, then spread it over the cake with an offset spatula.
Step 4: Add the Topping and Chill Spread the whipped topping over the pudding, cover the dish and chill it for the full four hours so the pudding sets in the holes. Sprinkle the nutmeg on right before you slice.
Easy Ways to Switch It Up
- Change the cake: Yellow cake mix works in place of white. For gluten free, use a gluten free cake mix and check that the pudding and topping are gluten free too.
- Change the topping: My homemade whipped cream works in place of the whipped topping. Candied nuts, crushed gingerbread cookies or vanilla wafers, or a drizzle of caramel all look pretty on top, and cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice can stand in for the nutmeg.
- Make it for the adults: If you spike it with rum or brandy, keep that pan for the grown-ups.
The same poke and fill method works with all kinds of flavors, and my easy poke cake recipes roundup has plenty more to try.
Storage
Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The pudding and whipped topping need to stay cold, so this cake does not sit out on the counter.
More Christmas Desserts to Make
If you are planning the whole holiday dessert table, my easy Christmas desserts list has plenty of other ideas.
Eggnog Poke Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 15.25 ounces box of white cake mix
- 1 cup eggnog
- ¾ cup salted sweet cream butter melted and cooled
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
Topping
- 3.4 ounces box of instant vanilla pudding mix
- 2 cups cold eggnog
- 8 ounces container of whipped topping thawed
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg optional garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with Baker’s Joy or a generic version. Set it aside.
- Add the cake mix, eggnog, melted butter, and eggs to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Using a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, mix for 1-1½ minutes or until well combined.15.25 ounces box of white cake mix, 1 cup eggnog, ¾ cup salted sweet cream butter, 3 large eggs
- Evenly spread the cake batter in the prepared baking dish. Bake for 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes away clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before using the end of a wooden spoon to poke holes in the cake 1 inch apart. Set it aside.
- Add the pudding mix and cold eggnog to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Use either a whisk or a handheld mixer on medium speed to mix the pudding mix and eggnog until well incorporated and beginning to thicken.3.4 ounces box of instant vanilla pudding mix, 2 cups cold eggnog
- Use an offset spatula to quickly and evenly spread the pudding mixture over the top of the cake. (Be sure to encourage the pudding mixture to drip into the holes in the cake)
- Use an offset spatula to spread the thawed whipped topping over the pudding layer. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours before sprinkling ground nutmeg and slice just before serving.8 ounces container of whipped topping, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Jenn’s Notes
- Be careful not to overbake the cake or it will turn out dry.
- Use instant pudding mix, not the cook and serve kind.
- Do not make the pudding ahead of time. It sets up before the cake is ready and will not fill the holes well.
- To poke the holes, I use a large round wooden spoon handle so the holes are big enough for the pudding to seep down. Poke right down to the bottom of the cake.
- Work quickly when you spread the pudding. The longer it sits, the thicker it gets.
- You can swap pumpkin pie spice for the nutmeg, or use freshly grated nutmeg in place of ground.
- You can use milk in place of the eggnog in the cake mix and vegetable oil in place of the melted butter. If you swap out the eggnog, add ½ to 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg to the batter.
- To make ahead, bake the cake, let it cool completely, poke the holes, then wrap it tightly and refrigerate it for up to 24 hours. Add the pudding and topping at least 4 hours before serving.
hi you are an inspiration.
I had never heard of poke cakes in the UK.
I am looking at trying to produce some in jars, layered with all sorts. I guess using pudding mix and cool whip they need to be stored in the fridge at all times?
Wow – I love the idea of trying these in jars – please let me know how they work out. Yes, I would store in the fridge. Enjoy!
yum