Hawaiian Poke Cake bakes a French vanilla sheet cake with eggs, whole milk, melted butter, and sour cream, then fills its warm holes with banana pudding and crushed pineapple. More pineapple and a thawed whipped topping form the cold upper layers. The cake makes 12 slices, serves 12, and records 40 minutes of preparation and baking before the separately required minimum four-hour refrigerator chill.
This guide preserves every recorded ingredient, quantity, temperature, time, and method step. Read the full sequence once before beginning.
Hawaiian Poke Cake Ingredients
For the cake base: 1 box French vanilla cake mix; 3 large eggs, at room temperature; 1 cup whole milk; ⅓ cup melted unsalted butter; 2 tablespoons sour cream.
For the filling and topping: 2 boxes (3.4 ounce each) banana cream instant pudding; 3 cups cold whole milk; 1 can (20 ounce) crushed pineapple in its juice; 1 tub (8 ounce) whipped topping, thawed; Fresh pineapple chunks for garnish (optional); Toasted coconut flakes for garnish (optional).
If you enjoy this recipe, you may also like Lemon & Strawberry Pound Cookies.
Plan the Work Before Cooking
Measure every ingredient and prepare these tools: 9x13-inch baking dish; Electric mixer; Wooden spoon (for poking holes); Measuring cups and spoons; Mixing bowls. Arrange each group in method order and keep ingredients separated until their specified stage. Reserve clean tools and serving surfaces for the finished food. This setup protects short timing windows and lets you watch texture, browning, doneness, chilling, or melting instead of searching for an item. Keep every exact source quantity because its ratio determines the intended structure, flavor, and yield.
For storage details after serving, the USDA leftovers and food safety guidance.
How to Make Hawaiian Poke Cake
- Prep your baking dish: Heat your oven to 350°F. Grab a 9x13-inch baking dish and give it a good spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Make the cake batter: In a large bowl, mix together the vanilla cake mix, eggs, milk, melted butter, and sour cream. Beat with a mixer for about 2 minutes until everything's nice and smooth. Pour this into your prepared baking dish.
- Bake the cake: Slide the cake into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. You'll know it's done when the top springs back when you touch it or when a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean. Let it cool for about 5 minutes.
- Poke those holes: While the cake is still warm, use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes all over the cake in rows. Make sure the holes are big enough for the pudding to seep into.
- Make the pudding mixture: In a bowl, whisk together the banana pudding mix, cold milk, and 1 cup of the crushed pineapple with its juice until it starts to thicken.
- Fill and top the cake: Pour the pudding mixture over the cake, making sure it fills all those holes you made. Use a spatula to gently push it down into the holes. Spread any remaining pudding evenly across the top.
- Add the pineapple layer: Drain the remaining crushed pineapple and spread it over the pudding layer.
- Add the finishing touch: Spread the whipped topping evenly over everything. Cover the cake loosely with plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight - the longer the better!
- Serve and enjoy: Cut into squares and serve chilled. If you're feeling fancy, top each piece with some fresh pineapple chunks and a sprinkle of toasted coconut.
If you enjoy this recipe, you may also like Cotton Candy Cookies.
Why the Order Matters
Mixing the cake batter for about two minutes develops a smooth, even base without leaving dry cake-mix pockets. The cake cools only about five minutes because warmth helps the pudding travel through the holes. A wooden-spoon handle makes openings wide enough for the thick filling. One cup crushed pineapple remains with its juice in the banana pudding mixture, while the remaining pineapple is drained before becoming a distinct layer. Whipped topping is added last so it stays white and airy. The long refrigerator rest is essential: it lets pudding settle into the cake, firms the layers, and makes twelve clean chilled squares possible.
Critical Visual and Timing Cues
Heat the oven to 350°F and coat one 9×13-inch dish. Beat one box French vanilla cake mix with exactly three room-temperature eggs, one cup whole milk, one-third cup melted unsalted butter, and two tablespoons sour cream for about two minutes. Bake 25–30 minutes until the top springs back or a center toothpick emerges clean, then cool about five minutes. Whisk two 3.4-ounce boxes banana pudding with three cups cold milk and one cup crushed pineapple with juice until thickening. Push it into the holes, add the drained remaining pineapple, spread eight ounces whipped topping, and chill at least four hours.
Serving and Storage
Cut the thoroughly chilled cake into twelve equal squares. Fresh pineapple chunks and toasted coconut are optional garnishes and belong on top only at serving. Keep the cake cold because pudding, whole milk, sour cream, and whipped topping are perishable. Cover the dish loosely during chilling, then cover leftovers more securely and refrigerate promptly. A clean knife wiped between cuts keeps the pale layers distinct. The cake contains dairy, eggs, and gluten through the cake mix and dairy components; instant pudding, whipped topping, and cake-mix labels should be reviewed for anyone with additional allergies.
Recorded Recipe Tips
- This cake tastes even better the next day, so it's perfect for making ahead.
- Keep leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- For the best tropical flavor, don't skip the crushed pineapple!
Food Safety and Allergen Note
The recorded allergen information is: Contains dairy (milk, butter, sour cream, pudding, whipped topping); Contains eggs; Contains wheat/gluten (cake mix). Check every packaged ingredient when cooking for someone with an allergy because brands and facilities vary. Refrigerate perishables promptly, prevent cross-contamination, and use every explicit internal-temperature or doneness test in the source method. These precautions support the recipe without changing its quantities, temperatures, timing, or sequence.
Conclusion
Hawaiian Poke Cake makes 12 slices in 40 minutes of recorded preparation and cooking, plus any separately stated chilling or resting time. Follow the exact ingredient list and ordered method for the intended texture and doneness.
Frequently Asked Questions
- → How many servings does Hawaiian Poke Cake make?
It serves 12 and makes 12 slices.
- → How long does Hawaiian Poke Cake take?
The recipe records 10 minutes of preparation, 30 minutes of cooking, and 40 minutes total, plus any separately stated chilling, resting, or cooling time.
- → What equipment should be ready?
Prepare 9x13-inch baking dish; Electric mixer; Wooden spoon (for poking holes); Measuring cups and spoons; Mixing bowls before starting.
- → Can I change the recorded method?
For the verified result, keep the listed quantities, temperatures, timing, and ordered instructions exactly as written. Use only optional variations explicitly recorded in the recipe tips.