Red Velvet Poke Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Moist, creamy, filled with gooey cream cheese pudding and topped with cream cheese frosting.

So what i a “poke cake” you ask? well it’s pretty simple.. You bake your cake, then poke a bunch of holes in it, and pour pudding or condensed milk over the top ( so it soaks into the cake and makes it all moist and sweet and sticky and amazing). Then smother the top with frosting, because we can’t have all those holes showing, now can we?

I’ve been meaning to make a poke cake for a while now but have been putting it off for a while. I decided to make this cake for valentines day because whats better than a moist red velvet cake topped with yummy cream cheese frosting! I was going to make this cake from scratch but I’ve been very busy this week (I’m sure most of you are as well ), so I opted in for the box mix. It just makes life a little bit easier.

After baking the cake I pour the cream cheese pudding mixture over it and gave it a few minutes to settle in there. It gives the cake an amazing moist texture! Then I frosted the cake and well you know where it goes from there.. let’s just say I had more than a few bites 😀 This red velvet is truly mouth watering. They don’t call it red velvet for nothing, that’s for sure!

Red Velvet Poke Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

2.67 from 3 votes

Print Rate

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Author: Layla

Ingredients

• 1 box red velvet cake mix
• For the Frosting
• 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 4 ounces butter at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• For the Filling
• 1 box instant Cheesecake or vanilla flavored pudding
• 2.5 cups milk

Instructions

• Heat Oven to 350 degrees. Mix the cake as directed on the box, pour into a greased 9x9 or 13x9 baking pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes. remove the cake from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes. Poke cake with the bottom of a wooden mixing spoon.
  
  
• To make the pudding
  
  
• While the cake is baking we are going to prepare our pudding batter. In a medium bowl, prepare instant pudding with milk, whisking until all the lumps are gone. The batter should be runny so that it can absorb into the cake. Pour pudding over cake. Making sure to get right into the holes as much pudding as possible. Cover and put in the refrigerator to set for about 30 minutes.
  
  
• Frosting
• While the cake is in the fridge we are going to prepare the cream cheese frosting. This can be done by hand or using a stand mixer. If using a mixer, in a medium bowl whip the cream cheese and butter for 4-5 minutes on high, lower the speed to medium and add the sugar and vanilla and continue whipping for 3 minutes. Make sure to scrape the sides while whipping.
• If you are whipping by hand cream the cream cheese and butter for 3-5 minutes, add the sugar and vanilla and whip for another 5 minutes.
• Remove cake from the fridge and frost with the cream cheese frosting. Cut into squares and serve cold. Enjoy!