Apple Poke Cake Remix
E
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Moist yellow cake with chunks of softened apples poked deep for pockets of creamy French Vanilla pudding spiked with apple pie spice. Topped with crunchy spiced nuts and crushed vanilla cookies, chilling brings the flavors together. Bake until the top springs back and toothpick tests mostly clear with a few moist crumbs. The pudding seeps slowly into every bite through holes, making forkfuls creamy. Caramel drizzle at the end adds sticky sweet contrast. Swap oil for melted butter or applesauce to tweak moistness. Use any tart apples you have; lemon juice keeps them from browning. Not too sweet, balanced with nutty crunch. One hour chill before serving is crucial for clean slices without a pudding spill. A quick blend of cake and pudding turned into something better than just a simple poke cake experience.
Prep:
18 min
Cook:
27 min
Total:
45 min
Servings:
16 servings
#American
#cake
#dessert
#apple
#pudding
#fall baking
Ever wrestled with poke cakes that drown in pudding or end up soggy mush? Me too. Figured out that apple chunks tossed in lemon juice keep their zing but soften just enough during baking—no raw apple chunks here. Poking holes when cake’s still hot but not too hot stops cracks and sinking puddles. And that French Vanilla pudding mix thickened just right with cold milk plus a dash of apple pie spice pulls it off—the seasoning makes all the difference. Crunchy nuts and crushed vanilla wafers on top are a must- something ’bout their texture balancing creamy pudding soothes a bit of my sweet tooth at the end of baking day. Chill hard, slice steady. Through trial, errors, and tasting every batch, this combo nails it—moist, dense, but not heavy. Caramel drizzle? Not optional.
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 cup water, room temp
- ⁄3 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups chopped tart apples (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), tossed in 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 package French Vanilla instant pudding mix
- 2 cups cold milk
- 1 tsp apple pie spice or ground cinnamon
- 1 cup crushed vanilla wafer cookies (Nilla or similar)
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
- Caramel sauce for drizzling (store-bought or homemade)
About the ingredients
Cake mix shortcuts life but swap yellow for butter cake mix for a richer crumb. Water can be swapped for milk or buttermilk; results vary, but buttermilk adds tang and tenderness if you want a less sweet edge. Oil’s better than butter for moisture retention; butter adds flavor but can dry edges if overbaked. Eggs—three is a sweet spot, many find two too dry. Apples? Tart works best; sweet varieties risk too mushy. Lemon juice prevents browning and adds brightness. Pudding mix must be French Vanilla (or substitute with homemade pastry cream for a larger time investment). Spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or apple pie spice evolve during chill time; taste a pinch before mixing. Use toasted nuts for depth, and crushed vanilla wafers soak up pudding spills. Caramel sauce thick or runny depends on preference—thick sets better on top, runny drizzles nicely but can drip; warm it before drizzling.
Method
- Preheat oven 350F (remove racks if close to top to avoid burning edges). Spray a 9x13 pan well with cooking spray or grease with butter for extra flavor and sticking prevention.
- In a large bowl, whisk cake mix, water, oil (or butter), and eggs just till combined—don’t overbeat will toughen crumb. Batter thick but pourable. It’s okay if a few lumps remain.
- Mix apples with lemon juice plus sugar in a bowl. Shake excess sugar off by tossing through sieve or coarse colander—too much sugar sinks apples, making wet pockets.
- Gently fold apple chunks into batter. Apples will bleed flavor but not soggy if folded carefully. Pour batter evenly into prepared pan, smooth top with spatula but don’t press down too hard.
- Bake for 22-28 mins. Watch for golden edges. Cake surface springs back lightly. Insert toothpick into center; pull out with a few moist crumbs but no raw batter. Color shifts from pale yellow to deeper gold.
- Right out of oven while still hot, poke holes deep and wide about ¾ inch apart with handle of wooden spoon or thick straw. Make plenty; more holes = better pudding soaking.
- Cool cake on wire rack for about 15 mins. It should still be warm but not hot—hot pudding hits makes holes expand and leak.
- Meanwhile, whisk pudding mix into milk briskly. Starts liquidy, then thickens after 2-3 minutes whisking. When it resists whisk and thickens further, stop. Let sit 2 minutes more to set.
- Stir in apple pie spice or ground cinnamon into pudding. Adds warmth and ties flavors together better than plain vanilla.
- Pour pudding gently over warm cake, focusing on holes. Pat pudding lightly into holes with a spoon tip or spatula. Use toothpick or skewer to prick through pudding to open blocked holes if you see puddles on top.
- Tap pan lightly against countertop a few times to settle pudding deep inside.
- Sprinkle crushed vanilla wafers and toasted nuts evenly on top. Walnuts add crunch, and wafers absorb some excess pudding to keep top from becoming mushy.
- Cover tightly with aluminum foil or plastic. Chill minimum 1 hour, longer if possible. Chilling firms pudding inside holes, making slicing cleaner without collapse or pudding oozing out.
- Serve cold or at room temp drizzled liberally with caramel sauce. Caramel contrast is key. Can use salted caramel for added zip.
- If pressed for time, fudge chilling down to 40 minutes but avoid less. Cake chills while pudding sets—don’t skip.
- Storing leftovers tightly covered in fridge for 3-4 days max. Taste improves after sitting overnight as flavors meld.
Cooking tips
Preheat oven fully to 350F—too low and cake gets gummy, too high and edges burn. Spray pan aggressively or butter generously for clean release—cake sucks moisture from pans. Mix batter gently; overmixing means tough texture. Folding apples instead of stirring preserves chunks; crushed apples hurt texture. Bake until springs back lightly to touch; toothpick with damp crumbs is okay, wet batter means underdone. Immediate poking expands flavors from smooth pudding into cake pockets—poking once cool seals pudding on surface and is pointless. Whisk pudding with cold milk fast; a slow mix means clumps and lumpy pudding. Spice folded in after thickening lets aroma last. Pour pudding slowly to avoid surface flooding holes. Use toothpick to unclog holes covered with thicker pudding. Tap pan so pudding sinks into every nook—don’t toss it around or jiggle excessively. Topping adds texture and a barrier to soaking. Chilling is important—without it pudding remains runny and cake slices sloppy. Drizzle caramel at serving to keep sauce from sinking and sweet-crisp at once. Store covered in fridge; bring to room temp slightly before serving if eaten later to regain creamy mouthfeel.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Preheat oven fully to 350F. Baking too low causes gummy edges, too high burns outside before center sets. Spray pan thoroughly or butter heavy. Cake sucks moisture from surfaces, results vary. Use sturdy spatula to smooth batter gently; don’t press down or kill air bubbles. Apples fold lightly or chunks break. Keep batter lumpy but pourable. Overmixing thick batter leads to dense crumb that may dry edges during bake.
- 💡 Mix apples tossed with lemon juice plus sugar separately to remove excess sugar. Toss through sieve or coarse colander. Excess sugar makes wet spots inside, sinks apples. Fold gently to retain chunks. Spill pudding when overpoured on surface—poking holes while cake still warm expands flavor inside cake pockets. Avoid waiting—hot cake critical for wide holes that hold pudding, else leaking spreads all over surface on chilling.
- 💡 Pudding mix whisked fast into cold milk initially very runny. Whisk 2-3 minutes until thicker but fluid. Stop when it resists whisk. Let sit 2 more minutes to set gently. Fold in apple pie spice or cinnamon after thickens. Spices react during chill time, flavor intensifies later. Pour slowly, focusing on holes, use tip of toothpick to unclog any blocked pockets before pudding settles on top.
- 💡 Tap pan gently but firmly against counter multiple times to settle pudding deep. Avoid shaking or jarring; pudding spills out and ruins layered look. Top with crushed vanilla wafers and toasted nuts evenly. Nuts add crunch, wafers absorb excess pudding so cake surface stays stable. Cover tightly with foil or plastic; chilling minimum 1 hour essential for pudding inside holes to firm up and clean slices without filling spill out.
- 💡 Storage: wrap tightly to avoid moisture loss or fridge smells. Leftovers keep 3-4 days max refrigerated. Flavors meld and improve after sitting overnight. Warm to room temp slightly before serving or pudding thickens cold and cake edges stiffen. Caramel drizzle warmed if thick or served at room temp if runny. Butter cake mix or buttermilk substitution changes crumb softness and slight tang; applesauce swap for oil alters moistness but not flavor.
Common questions
Why poke holes when cake still hot?
Hot cake soft but stable. Holes expand easier. Pudding seeps deep. If wait, holes seal. Pudding stays on surface. Cake crumbles more when cool so poking then ruins crust, leaks pudding outside.
Substitutions for oil or pudding?
Melted butter swap keeps moistness, adds flavor but edges dry fast if oven temp too high. Applesauce less fat, changes texture slightly. Homemade pastry cream instead pudding mix needs advance prep but gives richer flavor. Cold milk best for pudding mix. Warm milk causes lumps.
Cake edges burn, center underdone?
Oven temp check first. Position pan lower rack if top browns too fast. Use foil tent if needed midbake. Bake time range 22-28 mins varies by oven. Toothpick with moist crumbs okay, wet batter means underbaked. Cake springs back lightly when done. Don’t overbake to avoid dryness.
How long keep leftovers?
Wrapped tight in fridge, use in 3-4 days max. Leave out long risks soggy cake from pudding settling. Chill firms pudding pockets for structure. Room temp use shortly after retrieving or pudding thickens too firm, cake densifies. Reheating not advised; texture ruined. Cover with foil or plastic wrap always.
