Description
This festive Christmas Red Velvet Poke Cake features a moist red velvet cake base spiked with cheesecake-flavored pudding, topped with a vibrant green whipped cream layer and decorated with colorful mini marshmallows, red and green M&M’s, and red sprinkles. It’s a delightful and visually stunning dessert perfect for the holiday season, combining classic flavors with a fun, seasonal twist.
Ingredients
Scale
Red Velvet Cake:
- 15.25 ounce red velvet cake mix
- 1¼ cup water
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
Cheesecake Flavored Instant Pudding Mix:
- 3¾ cups cold whole milk
- 6.8 ounce cheesecake flavored instant pudding mix
Whipped Topping and Decoration:
- 16 ounce (2 tubs) whipped topping, thawed
- 10–12 drops green food color
- 3 cups mini marshmallows
- ¼ cup red M&M’s
- ¼ cup green M&M’s
- red sprinkles
Instructions
- Prepare Cake Batter: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 inch baking pan with baker’s spray and set it aside. In a medium mixing bowl, use a handheld mixer on medium speed to combine the red velvet cake mix with water, vegetable oil, and eggs according to the box directions until smooth.
- Bake the Cake: Pour the prepared cake batter into the sprayed baking pan and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool slightly.
- Poke Holes in Cake: Using the rounded handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes approximately ½ inch apart all over the cake while still warm. This allows the pudding to seep into the cake for extra moistness. Set the cake aside to cool completely.
- Prepare Cheesecake Pudding: In a medium bowl, whisk together the cheesecake instant pudding mix and cold whole milk for 1 to 1½ minutes until the pudding begins to thicken.
- Pour Pudding over Cake: Evenly pour the prepared pudding over the cooled cake, ensuring it seeps into the holes. Use a spatula to smooth the pudding layer evenly across the surface. Cover the cake tightly and chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours to set.
- Tint Whipped Topping: Stir green food coloring into the thawed whipped topping using a spoon until the color is uniform and vibrant.
- Add Whipped Topping Layer: Remove the chilled cake from the refrigerator. Evenly spread the tinted whipped topping over the pudding layer to create a festive green topping.
- Decorate the Cake: Sprinkle mini marshmallows evenly over the whipped topping. Then, sprinkle red and green M&M’s along with red sprinkles to give a colorful, Christmas-themed decoration.
- Serve: Cut the cake into 12 squares, approximately 3 inches by 3 inches each, and serve chilled for the best taste and texture.
Notes
- Keep any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days to maintain freshness.
- For an extra moist cake, ensure the holes made in the cake cover the entire surface evenly.
- You can substitute whole milk with 2% milk if desired, but whole milk yields a creamier pudding layer.
- If desired, add crushed candy canes on top for a peppermint twist and extra holiday flair.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12 of cake)
- Calories: 370 kcal
- Sugar: 32 g
- Sodium: 310 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
