Christmas Red Velvet Poke Cake — rich, moist, and festive. This easy dessert delivers classic red velvet flavor with a creamy pudding filling and a bright green whipped topping for a cheerful holiday presentation. With just a few pantry staples, you can create a visually striking cake that’s perfect for family gatherings and holiday celebrations.
Prepare this cake for a simple, crowd-pleasing dessert that children and adults both enjoy. The method is straightforward: bake a boxed red velvet cake, poke holes across the warm cake, pour a vanilla pudding mixture so it seeps into the cake, chill to set, then top with lightly sweetened whipped cream tinted green and decorated with seasonal sprinkles and white chocolate curls. The result is tender cake with moist, pudding-filled pockets and a creamy, festive topping.
Small touches make this dessert feel special. Using red and green snowflake sprinkles, white chocolate curls, or other holiday-themed decorations gives the cake a festive look without extra fuss. The green topping is simply whipped cream colored with a few drops of food coloring — add the color slowly until you reach the shade you want. If you prefer, use homemade whipped cream or stabilized whipped cream for a firmer texture when serving later in the day.
Tips for success: bake the cake until a toothpick in the center comes out clean, but don’t overbake—the cake should be tender so the pudding can soak in. Poke holes while the cake is still warm, and pour the pudding mixture slowly, directing it into the holes to help it settle evenly. Chill the cake for several hours or overnight to allow the pudding to fully set and the flavors to meld. For best presentation, spread the green whipped topping just before serving and add sprinkles and curls right on top.
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- For the cake:
- 1 box red velvet cake mix (plus eggs, oil, and water as called for on the box)
- For the filling:
- 2 boxes (3.4 oz each) instant vanilla pudding mix
- 4 cups milk
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- Green food coloring (a few drops, to desired shade)
- For garnish:
- Red sprinkles (optional)
- Green sprinkles (optional)
- Snowflake decorations and white chocolate curls (optional)
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter or spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan and dust lightly with flour.
- Prepare the red velvet cake mix according to the package directions. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Avoid overbaking so the cake remains tender.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for a few minutes so it’s warm but not hot.
- Using the back of a wooden spoon or a similar tool, poke holes evenly across the top of the cake.
- Whisk together the instant vanilla pudding mixes and 4 cups of milk until smooth and slightly thickened.
- Slowly pour the pudding over the cake, trying to direct as much as possible into the holes so the pudding settles into the cake.
- Refrigerate the cake for several hours, or overnight, to allow the pudding to set and the cake to become moist.
- Whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add green food coloring a few drops at a time until you reach the desired color, then whip to combine.
- Spread the green whipped topping evenly over the chilled cake. Decorate with white chocolate curls, red and green sprinkles, and snowflake decorations as desired.
- Keep the cake refrigerated until ready to serve. Slice and enjoy chilled.
