Punch Bowl Cake is a sweet and creamy layered southern dessert. With its fluffy cake pieces, creamy pudding, and fresh fruit, including pineapple, banana, and cherry pie filling, it’s the perfect dessert to feed a crowd.
Old Fashioned Punch Bowl Cake
Our banana cherry pineapple Punch Bowl Cake couldn’t be any easier to prepare because it’s made with all the convenience food ingredients that you probably have in your pantry.
The cake consists of cubed yellow cake baked from a box, instant vanilla pudding mix, cans of crushed pineapple and cherry pie filling, bananas, containers of cool whip, and pecans.
What I love most about a fruit punch cake bowl recipe is that it has no rules – you can use fresh fruit, canned fruit, or frozen fruit, homemade cake or one baked from a box, homemade pudding or one made from a mix – for convenience, I use what I have on hand.
With the perfect combination of flavors and textures, each layer is displayed in an old-fashioned glass punch bowl for a pretty presentation that is both pleasing to the eye and especially to the belly!
Why We Love this Punch Bowl Cake Recipe
- Quick and easy make.
- Uses a handful of simple ingredients.
- Delicious dessert is a beautiful display of food to feed a crowd.
- Contrasting tastes and textures in every forkful.
- Perfect for potlucks, baby or bridal showers, birthday parties, summer barbecues, picnics, and Super Bowl parties.
Punch Bowl Cake Ingredients
- Yellow cake mix: I used Pillsbury but feel free to use your favorite brand.
- Water
- Vegetable oil
- Eggs
- Instant vanilla pudding mix
- Whole milk
- Crushed pineapple
- Bananas
- Cherry pie filling
- Frozen whipped topping, like Cool Whip
- Pecans
Substitutions and Additions
- Pick Your Pie Filling Flavor: You can substitute canned strawberry pie filling or blueberry pie filling for the cherry pie filling for a different fruity flavor.
- Prepare Without Pecans: Feel free to top your cake with chopped walnuts, almonds, or cashews instead of pecans.
- Pick Your Pudding: You can substitute white chocolate or cheesecake-flavored instant pudding mix for the vanilla pudding mix if you prefer.
- Cut The Calories: To make a lighter version of this punchbowl cake, you can use sugar-free pudding, pie filling, cake mix, and whipped topping.
How to customize your cake
- Create A Black Forest Punch Bowl Cake: Use chocolate cake mix and chocolate pudding paired with the cherry pie filling for a black forest punch bowl cake.
- A Taste Of The Tropics: Add some coconut flakes for a tropical flair.
- Create A Chocolate Punch Bowl Cake: Use chocolate cake mix, chocolate pudding and chocolate whipped cream for a chocolate punch bowl cake.
- Create A Strawberry Punch Bowl Cake: Use strawberry or angel food cake mix, strawberry creme pudding paired with fresh strawberries for a strawberry shortcake punch bowl cake.
- Create A 4th of July Punch Bowl Cake: Add a layer of fresh blueberries and strawberries for a patriotic presentation.
Recommended Tools
- 9×13 baking dish
- Baker’s spray (Baker’s Joy or generic version)
- Handheld mixer
- 4-quart punch bowl or trifle bowl or we used this mixing bowl
How to Make a Punch Bowl Cake
- Bake The Cake: Combine the cake mix, water, vegetable oil, and eggs. Spread the batter in the prepared baking dish and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes. Allow the cake to cool completely.
- Prepare The Pudding: Mix together the instant pudding and milk until the pudding begins to thicken.
- Cut The Cake: Cube the baked cake. and crumble ½ of the cubes into the bottom of a glass bowl.
- Assemble: Spread the pudding over the cake layer, followed by a layer of pineapple, a layer of sliced bananas, a layer of cherry pie filling, and cover with whipped topping. Repeat for the remaining cake, pudding, pineapple, banana, cherry pie filling, and whipped topping. Sprinkle with chopped pecans on top.
- Chill: Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.
- Serve: Serve and enjoy!
Tips For Making The Best Punch Bowl Cake
- Make sure your eggs are at room temperature.
- Make sure to drain the cans of crushed pineapple and remove as much liquid as possible.
- We used this 4-quart mixing bowl for this recipe.
How to Store Punch Bowl Cake
- To Store: Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Remember, the bananas will turn brown the longer it is in the refrigerator.
More Easy Cake Recipes
Other Easy Dessert Recipes
- Caramel Apple Dump Cake
- Mounds Cake
- Vanilla Mug Cake
- Strawberry Banana Cheesecake Salad
- Cherry Yum Yum
- Rainbow Fudge
- Dirt Cake Cups
- Birthday Cake Pops
- Earthquake Cake
Punch Bowl Cake
Serves — 15
This loaded Punch Bowl Cake is a pretty dessert with layers of cake, fruit, pudding, whipped topping, and pecans. Perfect for parties and BBQs.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Rest and Chill Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 15.25 ounce box of yellow cake mix (your favorite brand – I used Pillsbury)
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 6.8 ounces (2 3.4-ounce) boxes of instant vanilla pudding mix
- 4 cups of cold whole milk
- 40 ounces (2 20-ounce) cans of crushed pineapple well-drained
- 4 medium-sized bananas sliced
- 42 ounces (2 21-ounce) cans of cherry pie filling
- 16 ounces (2 8-ounce) containers of whipped topping thawed
- ⅓ cup of chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously spray a 9×13 baking dish with baker’s spray (Baker’s Joy or generic version)
- Add the cake mix, water, vegetable oil, and eggs to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Use a handheld mixer to mix just until combined and no yellow streaks remain.
- Spread the cake batter in the prepared baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes away clean. Allow the cake to cool completely.
- Add the instant pudding and milk to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Use a handheld mixer on medium-low speed to mix until the pudding begins to thicken.
- Cube the baked cake. Crumble ½ of the cubed cake in the bottom of a 4-quart bowl.
- Spread ½ of the vanilla pudding over the cake layer.
- Spread ½ of the drained pineapple on top of the pudding layer.
- Layer ½ of the sliced bananas on top of the crushed pineapple.
- Spread 1 can of cherry pie filling on top of the bananas.
- Spread 1 of the thawed whipped topping over the banana layer. Repeat for the remaining cake, pudding, pineapple, banana, cherry pie filling, and whipped topping. Sprinkle the chopped pecans. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.
Jenn’s Notes
Servings: makes a 4-quart punch bowl
Storage:
- To Store: Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Remember, the bananas will turn brown the longer it is in the refrigerator.
- Make sure your eggs are at room temperature.
- Make sure to drain the cans of crushed pineapple and remove as much liquid as possible.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 456kcal | Carbohydrates: 88g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 367mg | Potassium: 456mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 48g | Vitamin A: 397IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 192mg | Iron: 1mg
This was excellent. I wonder if you can freeze for later?
great for church potluck