Funfetti birthday poke cake is a light vanilla cake dotted with colorful candy sprinkles and creamy vanilla pudding. Finished with a light and fluffy whipped topping, this simple cake is quick, easy to prepare, and perfect for serving a crowd.
This cake is perfect for a kid’s birthday party or any time you want a light and festive dessert. You can serve it as is or add a scoop of your favorite ice cream or a drizzle of chocolate sauce to finish it off.
This colorful cake is quick and easy. Made with simple ingredients, it comes together with little effort and is the perfect cake for serving a crowd.
If you like cake that is a bit more decadent and full of chocolate, we suggest peek at our delicious Chocolate Caramel Poke Cake or Black Forest Poke Cake. They are just as easy and perfect for the serious chocolate lover in your life.
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A funfetti birthday poke cake is a simple vanilla cake that has been marbled with vanilla pudding and finished with a fluffy, light whipped topping.
Colorful candy sprinkles are stirred into the cake batter, giving the finished cake a fun, confetti appearance.
Topping the cake with additional sprinkles makes it even more festive and fun. You can use rainbow sprinkles or keep it to one or two colors if there is a special occassion you are trying to theme your cake after.
This fun cake is light and moist and is great served as is, but to make it even more special, you can add a scoop of your favorite ice cream, (we love it with homemade Strawberry Ice Cream), a drizzle of chocolate or butterscotch sauce, or some fresh, seasonal berries such as sliced strawberries or fresh raspberries.
Poke cakes are quick, easy, and economical to make. Using a box cake, instant pudding, and cool whip, they are always a huge hit.
If you want your cake to be more homemade, use your favorite 9×13 vanilla, white or yellow cake recipe instead of the boxed cake mix.
Because this cake is made in a 9×13 pan, it is easy to transport, cut, and serve, and one cake will make anywhere from 12 to 16 servings, which makes it ideal for birthday parties, and it is always a crowd pleaser.
Ingredients & Substitutions
For a full list of ingredients and measurements, see the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Vanilla Cake Mix (and ingredients to make cake) – You will need one box of vanilla cake mix to make a 9×13 cake. You can also use white or yellow cake or your favorite homemade vanilla or white cake. We use confetti cake mix for this recipe, which is a vanilla cake mix with little sprinkles already mixed in.
Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix – You need two boxes of instant vanilla pudding. If you don’t want to use vanilla, you add extra flavor by using different pudding mixes; chocolate, butterscotch, lemon, or pistachio would all taste great. If you don’t want to use pudding, the tangy flavor of homemade lemon curd tastes great with the light vanilla cake.
Milk – This will be mixed with the pudding for the filling and to make the whipped topping.
Frozen Whipped Topping – This creates a creamy, light frosting. If you prefer, you can use fresh, prepared whipped cream instead.
Candy sprinkles – You will want colorful candy sprinkles to create the confetti (or funfetti). You can mix rainbow colors, or keep it to one or two colors, depending on the theme you are looking for.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1 – Mix the cake according to package directions and stir in ¼ cup candy sprinkles. Bake the cake according to the package directions in a nine-by-thirteen baking pan and allow it to cool. Once it is cool, use the handle of a wooden spoon or the wide end of a chopstick to poke holes all over the baked cake.
Step 2 – In a small bowl, mix one box of vanilla pudding with one and a half cups of milk. Whisk until the pudding starts to thicken, then pour the pudding over the cake, paying attention to filling the holes of the cake.
Step 4 – In a large bowl, mix one cup of milk and one box of vanilla pudding until it begins to thicken, then fold in the whipped topping. Spread over the top of the cake.
Decorate the top with candy sprinkles.
Place the cake in the refrigerator for a minimum of one hour to allow the topping and filling to set before serving.
DECORATIONS AND TOPPINGS
Decorating this funfetti cake is optional, but it makes it prettier and, depending on your choice, can add texture and flavors.
We like to top this birthday cake with colorful candy sprinkles. But you could top it with swirls of chocolate or caramel sauce, chopped nuts, or toasted coconut.
This cake tastes great with berries, fresh strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries, adding flavor and color to this simple vanilla cake.
You could also add shaved chocolate or chocolate chips, chopped candy bars, gummy candies, fruity marshmallows, or anything else you can think of.
Serving Suggestions
While this moist cake is perfectly declicious served as is, there is nothing better than a slice of cake with a scoop of ice cream.
You can make a batch of easy no-churn oreo ice cream to go with this cake, or use your favorite ice cream from the grocery store.
We often serve this cake with extra whipped cream, fresh berries or homemade berry sauce, or a drizzle of chocolate.
Top Tips and FAQS
- When poking the holes in the cake, make sure they are large enough to allow the thickened pudding to fill them. If you are having trouble, a fine tipped piping bag will allow you to ensure the holes are fully filled.
- Let the cake rest in the refrigerator for at least one hour before serving to allow the pudding and topping to set.
Poke cake will keep for about five days when covered and stored in the refrigerator.
You can easily make this cake gluten-free using your favourite gluten-free cake mix or homemade recipe. You will want to ensure all the other ingredients you use, such as filling and topping, are also gluten-free.
You can use any cake mix designed for baking a nine-by-thirteen cake, depending on the flavours you are looking for.
Printable Recipe
Funfetti Birthday Poke Cake
Ingredients
- 1 (15.25 oz) box Vanilla cake mix
- 2 (3.4 oz) boxes vanilla instant pudding
- 2 ½ cups milk
- 4 cups frozen whipped topping
- ¼ cup rainbow sprinkles plus extra for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat the oven according to the package directions on the cake mix.
- Mix the cake according to the package directions and stir in ¼ cup of candy sprinkles.
- Pour the cake batter into a prepared 9×13 cake pan and bake the cake according to package directions.
- Let the cake cool completely, then use the end of a wooden spoon or other tool, such as a wide chopstick, to poke holes in the top of the cake. You want holes that are about half an inch wide.
- In a medium bowl, mix one box of the instant pudding with 1 ½ cups of milk just until it begins to thicken but is still runny. Use a small tipped piping bag or small spoon to fill the holes with pudding, then spread any remaining pudding over the top of the cake.
- Mix 1 cup of milk with the remaining box of pudding just until it begins to thicken, then fold in the frozen whipped topping.
- Spread the topping over the cake in an even layer. If you wish, you can reserve part to pipe swirls on top of the cake.
- Decorate the cake with sprinkles, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes in order to allow the pudding to set.
- Slice and serve as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
More Easy Poke Cake Recipes
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Food Safety and Storage
This poke cake can be covered with plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator for about five days.