If you’re looking for a show-stopping dessert, this Boston Cream Poke Cake is always a good choice! Everyone will be raving over the delicious combination of yellow cake, vanilla pudding custard, and chocolate glaze.

Plan to take this one-pan dessert to your next gathering! It’ll certainly be a crowd favorite, just like the ever delicious Chocolate Lasagna.

slice of boston cream poke cake on a white plate with bottle of milk in background

Why This is One of Our Favorite Desserts

When I was a young child I was enamored with any and all desserts containing custard. I was particularly captivated by Boston Cream Pie because it wasn’t a pie at all, it was a custard filled cake. And that layer of glorious, shiny chocolate—yum!

Related: My all-time favorite chocolate cake!

I learned to bake at a young age, but mastering egg-based sweets like custard and Creamy Flan wouldn’t come until I was older. If only I had known about this Boston Cream Poke Cake, I could have eaten it anytime the fancy struck! It’s seriously that simple to cook with boxed cake mix and instant pudding.

overhead photo of chocolate cake in a glass pan with a slice being lifted out

While I am now an avid baker, I’m not above using boxed mixes and hacks. If they make life easier and taste just as yummy, I’m all for it. My cute Lemon Sandwich Cookies start with a cake mix and they fly off the plate every time.

If you have one component that’s completely from scratch, it gives the whole thing a homemade flavor (the cookies have cream cheese frosting).

With that in mind, I decided to make the chocolate glaze from scratch since I’m a bit of a chocoholic. You could certainly use canned chocolate frosting, chocolate buttercream frosting or chocolate fudge frosting if you want, but the chocolate ganache is simple enough that it doesn’t take much more than melting a few ingredients together.

Ingredients you’ll need for this cake

photo of labeled ingredients for boston cream poke cake: yellow cake mix, milk, pudding,chocolate chips, corn syrup, heavy cream, vanilla

You’ll use a box of yellow cake mix, but you also need the ingredients on the back of the box.
Be sure you use instant vanilla pudding mix, not the cook and serve kind!
You will need milk and vanilla extract to mix up the pudding.
To make the ganache, you will need semi sweet chocolate chips, heavy cream, and a small amount of corn syrup. It’s a very small amount of corn syrup, but if it bothers you, use an equal amount of butter.

ONE-PAN DESSERTS COOKBOOK!

The one-pan dessert is ideal for all occasions including potlucks, holidays, barbecues and birthdays. Several of these desserts do not require baking making them perfect for summer. See ALL my cookbooks here!

20 delicious one-pan dessert recipes plus tips for dessert success! ONLY $9.97!!

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Helpful Kitchen Items:

Hand mixer
13×9 baking dish
Whisk
Mixing bowls

How to Make this Amazing Cake

The rest of the Boston cream poke cake is equally quick and easy. Bake a cake according to the package instructions, then poke holes in it.

poking holes in a cake with a wooden spoon

Mix up some pudding and pour it over the cake before it starts to thicken.

pouring thin pudding over cake with holes in it

If you do this before the pudding has completely set, the custard can drip all the way down into the pockets.

pouring chocolate over pudding layer on cake

After chilling, it all gets topped with that chocolate glaze and then sets up in the fridge. Don’t forget to let your glaze cool for 10 minutes before pouring it over the cake!

This Boston cream poke cake definitely tastes better if you let it sit overnight. I’m an impatient person, so I usually can’t wait to dig in before something is done but trust me, the flavors come together in an amazing way. Cake, pudding, and chocolate glaze magically transform into Boston Cream Pie!