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Banana pudding poke cake in a 9x13 white ceramic dish topped with Cool Whip, crushed Nilla Wafers, and fresh banana slices on a white marble counter

Banana Pudding Poke Cake

Authorlily mellow
A golden sponge cake poked with holes and flooded with creamy banana cream pudding, then topped with fresh bananas, Cool Whip, and crushed Nilla Wafers. The ultimate easy banana poke cake for potlucks and make-ahead desserts.
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Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time28 minutes
Chill time 3 hours
Total Time3 hours 43 minutes
Servings12 servings
Calories285 kcal

Equipment

  • 9x13-inch baking dish
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Whisk
  • Wooden spoon (for poking holes)
  • Large pour-spout bowl or pitcher
  • Offset spatula or silicone spatula
  • Wire cooling rack

Ingredients  

WET INGREDIENTS (CAKE)

  • 1 box 15.25 oz / 432g yellow cake mix (or white cake mix)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup 240ml water
  • ⅓ cup 75ml vegetable oil

FROM-SCRATCH OPTION (instead of box mix)

  • 2¼ cups 280g all-purpose flour
  • 1⅓ cups 265g granulated sugar
  • 2½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp fine salt
  • ½ cup 115g unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup 240ml whole milk
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1½ tsp pure vanilla extract

BANANA PUDDING SOAK

  • 2 packages 3.4 oz / 96g each instant banana cream pudding mix
  • 4 cups 960ml cold whole milk

TOPPINGS

  • 2 to 3 ripe but firm bananas sliced into thin rounds
  • 1 tub 8 oz / 225g whipped topping (Cool Whip), thawed
  • 1 cup 100g crushed Nilla Wafers / vanilla wafer cookies
  • 6 to 8 whole Nilla Wafers for decoration

Instructions 

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
  2. Prepare cake batter according to the box mix instructions or from-scratch recipe. Pour into the prepared dish.
  3. Bake for 26–30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the dish on a wire rack.
  4. Poke holes all over the warm cake using the round handle of a wooden spoon, spaced 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart and going ¾ of the way through.
  5. Whisk both pudding mix packets with 4 cups cold milk for 90 seconds to 2 minutes, until slightly thickened but still pourable.
  6. Pour immediately over the warm poked cake. Use a spatula to press the pudding into every hole. Do not delay — the pudding must be poured while still fluid.
  7. Refrigerate loosely covered for at least 2 hours, ideally 3 hours.
  8. Layer the sliced bananas in a single even layer over the chilled cake surface.
  9. Spread Cool Whip evenly over the banana layer, edge to edge.
  10. Top with crushed Nilla Wafers and whole wafer cookies for decoration.
  11. Slice and serve cold. Wipe the knife between cuts to show clean pudding columns.

Notes

Note 1 — Storage:
Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. This banana pudding cake 9x13
actually improves overnight as the pudding tunnels firm up and flavors meld.
Add fresh crushed wafers just before serving if topping has softened.
Freeze base sponge (unfilled) up to 2 months; thaw overnight before poking and filling.
Note 2 — Key substitutions:
Can't find banana cream instant pudding? Vanilla instant pudding works beautifully.
Replace Cool Whip with 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream whipped with 2 tbsp powdered sugar.
White cake mix or a homemade vanilla sponge are equally delicious as the base.
Note 3 — Critical technique:
Pour the pudding the moment it's mixed. If it rests 3+ minutes, it will begin to gel
and won't penetrate the sponge. Warm cake + fluid pudding = perfect absorption.