Description
This festive Halloween Poke Cake combines a moist white cake with colorful purple and green hues, filled with creamy vanilla pudding and topped with vibrant green frosting and ghoul mix M&M’s. Perfect for a spooky celebration, this poke cake offers a fun and delicious treat that’s sure to impress guests with its playful look and delightful flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Batter
- 1 box white cake mix
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup oil
- 1/3 cup water
- Purple gel food coloring (about 4 drops)
- Cooking spray, for greasing
Pudding Filling
- 6 oz vanilla pudding mix
- 2 cups milk
- Green gel food coloring (about 4 drops)
Frosting & Topping
- 1 can vanilla frosting
- Green gel food coloring (about 2 drops)
- Ghoul mix M&M’s (for garnish)
Instructions
- Prepare the cake batter: In a large bowl, combine the white cake mix, eggs, oil, and water. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are well incorporated and smooth.
- Add purple color: Add about 4 drops of purple gel food coloring to the cake batter and gently fold it in until the batter is evenly colored.
- Bake the cake: Spray a 9×11-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Pour the purple-colored batter into the dish, spreading evenly. Bake the cake at 350°F (175°C) for approximately 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Prepare the pudding filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together the vanilla pudding mix and 2 cups milk until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add about 4 drops of green gel food coloring and stir until the pudding is uniformly green. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Cool the cake: Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for about 15 minutes.
- Poke holes and fill with pudding: Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke approximately 12 holes evenly spaced on the top surface of the cake. Pour the green pudding over the cake, ensuring that each hole gets filled with pudding for maximum flavor and moisture infusion.
- Color the frosting: Transfer the canned vanilla frosting to a bowl and add about 2 drops of green gel food coloring. Mix well until the frosting is a consistent green color.
- Frost and decorate: Spread the green-colored frosting evenly over the top of the pudding-soaked cake. Sprinkle the cake liberally with ghoul mix M&M’s for a festive Halloween decoration.
- Serve: Cut the cake into 12 equal squares and serve chilled or at room temperature. Enjoy your festive Halloween poke cake!
Notes
- Make sure to let the cake cool slightly before poking holes to prevent it from breaking apart.
- You can adjust the amount of food coloring for more vibrant or subtle colors depending on preference.
- For a thicker pudding, chill it longer before pouring onto the cake.
- If desired, use sugar-free pudding and frosting to make this dessert more diabetic-friendly (though the current recipe is not diabetic).
- This cake is best enjoyed within 2-3 days if refrigerated.
