Easy Christmas Poke Cake Recipe
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This Christmas Poke Cake is a fun and festive dessert that’s perfect for the holiday season. Made with boxed cake mix, white chocolate, and a cream cheese frosting, this delicious cake recipe will be the star of your holiday dessert table!
Originally published November 2021 – Updated October 2023
Christmas Poke Cake Recipe
The Christmas holiday season is the most wonderful time of the year for baking and enjoying new treats. With all the all the festive desserts to chose from, there’s something truly special about this decadent holiday poke cake. After one bite of this delicious creation, it’s guaranteed to become one of your new favorites!
With a moist, red velvet cake topped with homemade, cream cheese frosting and festive sprinkles, it’s different from other poke cakes in that it doesn’t use Jello. Instead, this cake uses velvety sweetened condensed milk, drizzled over the entire cake. It’s soft, moist, and beautifully decorated, perfect for a easy Christmas dessert!
If you’re obsessed with how easy and delicious these types of cakes are, be sure to check out this Strawberry Poke Cake and this Oreo Poke Cake.
What is a Poke Cake?
If you haven’t guessed already, a poke cake is a cake that you poke holes in after the cake is cool. The holes then are filled with Jell-O, pudding, or chocolate sauce, caramel or sweetened condensed milk, like in this recipe.
Why We Love Poke Cake Recipes
- Easy to make: This easy Christmas cake is super easy to prepare using a boxed cake mix a a few other simple ingredients.
- Perfect for holiday parties: It’s a beautiful and colorful cake that’s perfect for any holiday gathering.
- Sweet and decadent: Unlike a Jello poke cake recipe, you make this cake by drizzling sweetened condensed milk in the holes. SO good!
Ingredients
- Red velvet cake mix
- Sweetened condensed milk
- White chocolate chips
- Cream cheese icing
- Red and green Christmas sprinkles
- White chocolate curls
How To Make A Christmas Poke Cake
Step 1: Prepare the cake mix as directed on the directions on the box.
Note: If you don’t have red velvet mix, you can use white cake mix instead. Just add a little bit of food coloring to get that holiday red color.
Step 2: Bake in a 13×9 pan. You’ll know the cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Step 3: Place the white chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring in between, until the chips are completely melted.
Step 4: In a large bowl, combine melted chocolate with condensed milk. Stir until completely smooth.
Step 5: Let the cake cool slightly. Then use the end of a wooden spoon to make the holes in the cake. Make sure the holes are all over the top and in the corners too.
Step 6: Once the cake is poked, pour the white chocolate mixture over the top of the cake, pushing it gently into the holes. You want it to saturate the cake.
Step 7: Chill the cake in the fridge at least 30 minutes, or until the chocolate and condensed milk mixture has set.
Step 8: After chilling for 30 minutes, spread cream cheese frosting evenly across the top. Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve.
Step 9: Just before serving, top the cake with your favorite Christmas sprinkles and white chocolate curls.
Christmas Cake Substitutions and Variations
This cake is easy to make your own just by switching out the ingredients for whatever you’ve got in your pantry.
- Cake: This recipe works best with red velvet cake just because it makes it feel more like a holiday cake. However, you can make this recipe with any cake mix you like.
- Filling: Instead of sweetened condensed milk and white chocolate chips, you can use instant French vanilla pudding or even cheesecake pudding for a fun twist.
- Frosting: This recipe calls for cream cheese frosting, but any type of vanilla frosting works. Light and fluffy Cool Whip or homemade whipped topping is also a great substitution.
- Toppings: Add more color by drizzling red raspberry or strawberry sauce over the cream cheese frosting before decorating with sprinkles and white chocolate curls.
Tips for Making A Delicious Christmas Poke Cake
- Make big holes: I recommend using the handle of a wooden spoon handle so that the holes are fairly big. You can also use a large fork to poke holes, but just make sure to wiggle it a little in order to make the holes larger. Be sure to poke all the way down to the bottom of the cake.
- Use all the milk: Once you allow the cake to cool, don’t be afraid that pouring the sweetened condensed milk over the cake will make it too wet. As it chills, the cake soaks in all in, making it moist, but not soggy.
- Let it sit: You’ll want to place the cake in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, but a few hours is even better. This gives the cake time to soak in all the milk.
- Wait to decorate: The dye in the sprinkles may run when added to top of the frosting. For best results, wait until you’re ready to serve to add them.
Storage Instructions
Leftover cake should be covered in plastic wrap and kept refrigerated. It’ll stay good for up to three days but my bet is that it’ll be gone long before then!
You can freeze cakes but it’s best to freeze the cake before you frost it. Poke the holes and fill the cake with your chocolate mixture. Next, wrap the cake tightly in the pan with plastic wrap, then foil. Once frozen, it should last for up to two months.
To thaw, place the frozen cake in the fridge for for up to 48 hours before you want to eat it. Once it thaws out, top it with the frosting and sprinkles.
Can I Make This Dessert Ahead Of Time?
Yes! This is the perfect dessert to make in advance. You can make the cake several hours up to a day day before your party or holiday gathering. Then when dessert time rolls around, you’ll be ready!
Can I Make Christmas Poke Cake with Jello?
The red velvet has a subtle chocolate flavor, so you’ll have to keep that in mind when thinking about a filling. Red and green Jello mixes have a strong fruity flavors that don’t work with this recipe.
If you want to make a Christmas Jello poke cake, you could use a vanilla or white cake mix and red gelatin instead.
Want More Christmas Dessert Recipes?
If you liked this easy recipe, you’ll want to check these desserts out too!
- Christmas Tree Cupcakes
- Mint Chocolate Meringue Cookies
- Santa Hat Cupcakes
- Vanilla Spiced Eggnog
- Christmas Candy Cupcakes
- Holiday Party Mix
- Candy Cane Inspired Mini Cheesecakes
- Peppermint Ice Cream with White Chocolate
Christmas Poke Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 box red velvet cake mix plus ingredients listed on box (water, eggs, oil)
- 1 cup white chocolate chips melted
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 16 ounces cream cheese frosting
- 1/4 cup Christmas sprinkles
- 2 tablespoons white chocolate curls
Instructions
- Bake cake according to instructions on box1 box red velvet cake mix
- Place white chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring in between, until the chips are completely melted1 cup white chocolate chips
- In a large bowl, combine melted chocolate with condensed milk. Stir until completely smooth.14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- Once the cake has cooled slightly, use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes throughout the cake.
- Pour the white chocolate mixture over the top of the cake, pushing it gently into the holes.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until the chocolate and condensed milk mixture has set.
- After chilling for 30 minutes, spread cream cheese frosting evenly across the cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.16 ounces cream cheese frosting
- Just before serving, top the cake with your favorite Christmas sprinkles and white chocolate curls.1/4 cup Christmas sprinkles, 2 tablespoons white chocolate curls
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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When using pudding do I do the direction on the putting box?
Hi Susan, This recipe doesn’t use boxed pudding. You may be confusing it with my Christmas Dessert Lasagna because they do look a lot alike. For that one, you’ll want to just follow the directions in the recipe, not the box, though the directions are very similar.