Hawaiian Poke Cake with Pineapple (Printable)

Moist yellow cake soaked in pineapple and coconut milks, topped with whipped cream and toasted coconut flakes.

# What You Need:

→ Cake Base

01 - 1 box (15.25 oz) yellow cake mix
02 - 3 large eggs
03 - 1 cup crushed pineapple with juice
04 - 1/2 cup vegetable oil
05 - 1/2 cup water

→ Poke & Filling

06 - 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
07 - 1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk
08 - 1 package (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
09 - 1 cup cold milk
10 - 1/2 cup pineapple juice

→ Topping

11 - 1 container (8 oz) whipped topping, thawed
12 - 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
13 - Fresh pineapple chunks for garnish
14 - Maraschino cherries for garnish

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray or butter.
02 - Combine yellow cake mix, eggs, crushed pineapple with juice, vegetable oil, and water in a large bowl. Beat with electric mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes.
03 - Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 28-32 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
04 - Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes. Using handle of wooden spoon, poke holes all over surface at 1-inch intervals, pressing about three-quarters through cake.
05 - Whisk sweetened condensed milk and coconut milk in medium bowl until fully combined. Slowly pour evenly over warm cake, allowing mixture to seep into holes.
06 - Whisk instant vanilla pudding mix, cold milk, and pineapple juice in separate bowl until thickened, about 2 minutes. Spread pudding evenly over cake surface.
07 - Cover pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until completely chilled, ideally 2-3 hours for best results.
08 - Spread thawed whipped topping evenly over chilled cake using offset spatula or back of spoon.
09 - Sprinkle toasted coconut over top. Garnish with fresh pineapple chunks and maraschino cherries if desired.
10 - Cut into 12 squares and serve cold. Cake can be stored covered in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

# Helpful Tips:

01 -
  • The combination of three milks soaking into warm cake creates the most incredibly moist texture that stays perfect for days
  • Its one of those rare desserts that feels fancy and tropical but actually takes about fifteen minutes of active work
02 -
  • The cake must still be warm when you add the milk mixture or it will not absorb properly
  • Do not refrigerate before poking the holes or the cake will be too firm to pierce easily
03 -
  • If your cake mix is less than 15 ounces, add a tablespoon of flour to maintain the right structure
  • The wooden spoon handle trick works way better than a fork because it creates larger holes for more filling

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