Fireball Poke Cake

a slice of Fireball Poke Cake on a white place with fireball bottle on the background

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5 from 3 votes

Bake, poke, fill with pudding, and top for an easy Fireball Poke Cake with a boozy bite!

Prep Time15

Cook Time35

Total Time50

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: (3x3 inch) servings

Calories: 261kcal

Author: Jennifer Fishkind

Ingredients

15.25 ounce box of yellow cake mix plus the ingredients called for on the box - 3 large eggs, 1 cup water, and ½ cup vegetable oil - Betty Crocker Super Moist brand
3.5 ounce box of cook & serve butterscotch pudding mix
1¾ cups whole milk cold
¼ cup Fireball cinnamon whisky
12 ounces (1½ 8-ounce) tubs of whipped topping thawed
Optional garnish -½ teaspoon each of red and orange sugar sanding sprinkles combined

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan with baker’s spray. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer on medium speed, mix together the yellow box cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, and water according to the directions on the box. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake according to the box directions for 28-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
15.25 ounce box of yellow cake mix
Allow the cake to cool for 5 minutes, then poke holes over the entire surface of the cake. I like to use a round-handled wooden spoon to poke the holes. Allow the cake to continue to cool on the counter while you prepare the pudding mixture.
In a 2 quart-sized saucepan on medium heat, add the cook & serve butterscotch pudding mix, whole milk, and Fireball cinnamon whisky. Bring the pudding mixture to a boil while whisking constantly, and cook for 1-2 minutes once it has started to boil. Remove the pot from the heat and continue whisking the pudding until the mixture starts to thicken up. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
3.5 ounce box of cook & serve butterscotch pudding mix, 1¾ cups whole milk, ¼ cup Fireball cinnamon whisky
While the pudding is still hot and not fully set, slowly pour it into the holes that were poked into the yellow cake. Once you have filled all the holes in the cake with the warm pudding, you can pour the rest of the pudding over the rest of the cake. You can use an offset spatula or the back of a large spoon to spread out the warm pudding, covering the entire surface of the cake.
Allow the cake and pudding to continue to cool on the counter for another 20 minutes to allow the pudding to start to firm up before spreading on your final layer of the thawed whipped topping.
Spread the whipped topping evenly over the entire surface of the cake. If you choose to add the garnish of red and orange sugar sanding sprinkles, you can add them at this time.
12 ounces (1½ 8-ounce) tubs of whipped topping, Optional garnish -½ teaspoon each of red and orange sugar sanding sprinkles combined
Place the Fireball poke cake into the refrigerator to chill for a minimum of 8 hours or up to overnight. Slice and serve.

Notes

Storage:

To Store: This Fireball poke cake can be stored in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days.
To Freeze: I do not suggest freezing this cake as the texture becomes too soft and mushy the longer the cake sits.

Tips:

I used Betty Crocker brand Super moist yellow cake mix. I followed the directions on the box for mixing and baking. If you use a different brand of cake mix, it may call for slightly different ingredients or proportions, so you will just need to follow the directions according to the box brand you are using.
To poke holes, I recommend using a large round wooden spoon handle or other similar-sized object so that the holes are fairly big and the pudding mixture has plenty of room to seep down in between.
I highly recommend using whole milk when making your pudding as it will give you the best results, but I have used 2% milk when making this pudding, and I find that it just sets up a little softer. Low-fat or dairy free is not a good option for this recipe as the pudding will not set up properly.
I prefer the cook & serve option for the pudding mixture because it is easier to pour into the holes, and I find that it sets up a bit firmer than the instant pudding. You can certainly use instant pudding, but I would suggest working very fast once your pudding starts to firm up to spread your pudding into the holes. You may need to place the firmer instant pudding into a large piping bag or a gallon-sized zip-top bag with the corner snipped off and gently pipe the pudding into the individual holes. Then you would spread the remaining pudding evenly over the surface of the cake.
Refrigerating before serving allows the flavors to meld together and the pudding layer to set, making the cake easier to slice and serve.
If you substitute regular whiskey for Fireball in this recipe, I recommend using a whiskey that is on the sweeter side.
This Fireball poke cake is best served chilled.

Nutrition