Eggnog Poke Cake

5 from 2 votes

Eggnog poke cake is soft vanilla cake with eggnog baked right in, filled with creamy eggnog pudding and topped with fluffy whipped topping.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Chill Time4

Total Time4 40

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 304kcal

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13 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

Tips:

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.

Storage:

Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.