Eggnog Poke Cake
A soft vanilla cake soaked in a creamy eggnog and rum pudding, finished with a layer of whipped topping and a sprinkle of nutmeg.
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow or vanilla cake mix about 18 oz / 510 g
- 3 large eggs
- 2/3 cup eggnog 160 ml
- 1/2 cup water 120 ml
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil 80 ml
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 box instant vanilla pudding mix about 3.4 oz / 96 g
- 2 cups eggnog cold, 480 ml
- 1/4 cup spiced rum (optional) 60 ml
- 1 container frozen whipped topping thawed, 8 oz / 227 g
- Ground nutmeg for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch (23x33 cm) baking pan.
- In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, 2/3 cup eggnog, water, oil, and 1 teaspoon of nutmeg. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Using the round handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes all over the top of the warm cake, about an inch apart.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the instant pudding mix and 2 cups of cold eggnog until it starts to thicken. Whisk in the spiced rum, if using.
- Immediately and slowly pour the pudding mixture over the warm cake, making sure it seeps into the holes.
- Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight, until the pudding is set.
- Once chilled, spread the thawed whipped topping evenly over the cake. Sprinkle with additional ground nutmeg before slicing and serving.
Notes
For a non-alcoholic version, you can omit the spiced rum or replace it with 1 teaspoon of rum extract.
Ensure the eggnog for the pudding is cold. This helps the instant pudding set up correctly.
The cake must be chilled for at least 4 hours. This allows the pudding filling to set and the flavors to meld.
Eggs are considered fully cooked when the cake batter reaches an internal temperature of at least 200°F (93°C), which is confirmed when a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.