The recipe prices will vary based on fluctuating grocery costs. Please use what is posted as a guide.
This easy Lemon Poke Cake is made with lemon cake mix, lemon pudding mix, milk, and cool whip. It’s a refreshing lemon dessert that is a family favorite.
$4.36 is all it costs to make this cake which serves 12. That is just $0.36 per serving!
Poke cakes are an easy and fun dessert that comes in many flavorful varieties. Some of our favorites include this Raspberry Poke Cake, 4th of July Poke Cake, and Death by Chocolate Poke Cake.
Lemon Poke Cake
For a deliciously soft, moist, light, and refreshing cake, this Lemon Poke Cake is the way to go! It is the perfect blend of sweet and tart lemon flavor.
After baking the lemon cake, you poke holes in it to allow the lemon pudding to fill those holes and then top it with creamy Cool Whip.
This cake is truly a cool and creamy dessert, perfect for any Spring or Summer potluck, BBQ, or weeknight dessert. The burst of lemon flavor in each bite is something your friends and family (and your tastebuds) will thank you for!
Grab the kiddos to help make this Lemon Poke Cake because it is so easy and fun to make!
What can I use to poke holes in the cake?
A wooden spoon works perfectly for this! The end of a wooden spoon is just the right size to poke holes in the cake for the pudding mixture to fall into.
Just be sure to keep the holes about one inch apart. If the holes are too close, too much pudding will get inside the cake, resulting in a soggy cake. If there are not enough holes, it could result in a dry cake from not having enough pudding.
Can you put pudding in the middle of a cake?
Yes! A poke cake is a cake in which you poke holes in it and then pour a pudding mixture over it. As you spread the pudding mixture over the cake, it will fill the holes. This puts pudding in the middle of a cake, resulting in a moist cake.
Can I use cook and serve pudding instead of instant in a cake recipe?
Yes, you can use cook and serve instead of instant. It will add more time to the prep-time to the recipe, but you can use it if you do not have instant pudding.
How to make Lemon Poke Cake recipe:
STEP ONE: First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Then spray a 9×13-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
STEP TWO: Next, make the cake. Pour the batter into the pan and smooth into an even layer.
STEP THREE: Bake for 25 minutes. Cool completely for one hour.
STEP FOUR: Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes over the cake. Set the cake aside.
STEP FIVE: Make the filling mixture in a medium bowl. Pour this evenly over the cake and then let it chill for one hour.
STEP SIX: Finally, spread the cool whip over the pudding layer and top with sliced lemons and zest before serving.
Cook’s Tools:
- 9×13-inch pan
- mixing bowls
- mixing spoon
- wooden spoon
- liquid measuring cup
- pastry spatula
How much will this Lemon Poke Cake recipe cost to make:
RECIPE COST: $4.36
PRICE PER SERVING: $0.36
- 15.25 oz box lemon cake – $1.16
- 1 cup water – $0.00
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil – $0.24
- 3 large eggs – $0.30
- 2 packages instant lemon pudding mix – $0.50
- 2 cups cold milk – $0.32
- 8 oz container Cool Whip – $1.84
To find out more about how we price our recipes, check out Budget Recipes Explained.
The Flavor and Recipe Variations
- This cake is so versatile, you can use any flavor of cake mix and Jello instant pudding that you’d like!
- You can also dress this cake up with white chocolate shavings or sprinkles.
- You can also make this into an 8-inch round layer cake. You’ll need 2 tubs of Cool Whip instead of 1.
- If you want a real lemon punch, use 2 jars of lemon curd instead of the lemon pudding.
How long is it good for:
Serve: You can leave the lemon poke cake at room temperature for about 2 hours before it will need to be refrigerated.
Store: When you’re ready to eat the Lemon Poke Cake, thaw it at room temperature for 1-2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
Freeze: Wrap the cake, while in the cake pan, in two layers of plastic wrap followed by two foil layers. Freeze the cake for up to 2 months.
How to get the kids involved with this recipe:
Ages 2-3: Show your little one how to poke holes in the cake with the end of the wooden spoon. They will seriously love poking the holes!
Ages 4-5: Have your child mix the pudding mixture and then pour and spread it over the cake. They can also help spread the cool whip topping over the top of the cake.
Ages 6-8: This is a great recipe to let your child try on their own with your guidance. It is a great recipe for beginners.
Ages 9-11: Supervise them while they prepare the entire recipe. Remember to have them read it twice before beginning the recipe.
Ages 12+: Let them prepare the entire recipe, unsupervised, while you do the happy dance in the corner!
More Desserts:
- Chocolate Wacky Cake
- Brownie Cookies
- Cake Mix Banana Bread
- Cake Mix Peach Cobbler
- Cheesecake Fruit Salad
- Chick-Fil-A Copycat Frosted Lemonade
- Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Bon Bons
- Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Bites
- Copycat Lofthouse Sugar Cookies
- Crockpot Chocolate Lava Cake
- Death by Chocolate Poke Cake
- Olive Garden Lemon Cream Cake
- Oreo Ice Cream Cake
- Mom’s Lemon Lush
- White Chocolate Dipped Oreos
More from Easy Budget Recipes
Lemon Poke Cake
Recipe Cost 4.36 Serving Cost 0.36Equipment
- 9×13-inch pan
- mixing bowls
- mixing spoon
- Wooden spoon
- Liquid measuring cup
- pastry spatula
Ingredients
- 15.25 oz box lemon cake mix we used Betty Crocker
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 2 (3.4) oz packages instant lemon pudding mix
- 2 cups cold milk
- 8 oz container Cool Whip
GARNISHES:
- Lemon zest and slices both optional
Instructions
PREP OVEN AND PAN:
- Move oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Spray a 9×13-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
MAKE CAKE:
- In a large bowl, combine cake mix, water, vegetable oil, and eggs. Mix until thoroughly combined.
- Pour batter into the prepared baking pan smooth into an even layer.
BAKE AND COOL:
- Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cake completely, for about 1 hour.
POKE AND FILL CAKE:
- Use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes over each inch of the cake. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the pudding mix and milk. Whisk together until smooth.
- Pour pudding over cake and spread evenly.
CHILL CAKE:
- Cover and refrigerate the cake for one hour.
TO FINISH:
- Spread the Cool Whip over the pudding layer.
- Top with sliced lemons and zest, both optional. Serve.
Suzie says
Would it work to bake it in 2 8 inch square pans? One for us and one to share.
Jess Jankowski says
Hi Suzie, yes that will work to do that. Great idea!
Suzie says
Thanks for your reply.
Lisalia says
Wow! I was looking for something EASY and quick and so so good. This checked off every box. Thanks for all your easy and absolutely delicious recipes. I love your site and this cake is a new favorite!
Liz says
I was looking for a good lemon dessert and this cake is exactly what I wanted! Perfect for the springtime!
Christina says
You had me at lemon!!! OMG. This looks so good!
Jess Jankowski says
Can’t wait to hear how you like it!
Carlena says
All the pudding I have seen are 3.5 oz do I still use two cups of milk?
Jess Jankowski says
Hi, thank you for catching our typo! We have corrected it. The boxes are 3.4 oz. Still use 2 cups of milk. Enjoy!
Paige Norman says
Can you use lemon pie filling instead of lemon pudding?
Jess Jankowski says
Hi Paige, we have not tested this but believe it will be ok. The consistency will be different and it may not saturate the cake as well as lemon pudding but it should still taste good!
Debbie says
Will it get mushy if I make this a day ahead,
Jess Jankowski says
Hi Debbie, you can make it a day ahead and then cover tightly and keep it in the fridge until ready to serve. Enjoy!
framjam says
My 99-gram (oh, silly Canadians!) pkg of pudding says that it wants two cups of milk. You’re mixing TWO pkgs of pudding with only two cups of milk. Are you intending to make it extra thick?
Jess Jankowski says
Haha our Canadian Beth appreciates you and your grams!! Yes, mix two packages of pudding with two cups of milk. The pudding will be a little thick to create a thin layer on top of the cake but not be too thick to saturate into the holes you poke in the cake to give it that moist and delicious lemon flavor.
Dee Bleekr says
I’m questioning the 2 boxes of lemon pudding mix with only 2 cups of milk. Won’t that make it too thick?
Jess Jankowski says
Hi Dee, if you look at the pictures, you will see the pudding is a little thick, which adds a thin layer of pudding on top of the cake. But it is not too thick for some of it to also saturate into the holes of the cake.
Paula says
I made two of the lemon puddings. I poured 1 over the cake, filling the cake holes, then I folded the other one into the cool whip. So delicious, thank you.
Jess Jankowski says
That’s awesome Paula! Thank you for the feedback.
Jaz says
Good morning Jess. Can I use Almond milk instead of cows milk?
Jess Jankowski says
Hi, we haven’t tested the recipe with almond milk but you should be able to substitute almond milk for cow’s milk with a 1:1 ratio. We’d recommend keeping an eye on it while it is baking as it may bake faster than it will with normal milk.
Linda says
Can you use hunt lemon pudding cups
Jess Jankowski says
Hi Linda, we have not tested that with this recipe. The texture may be too thick to saturate the holes that you poke into the cake. Let us know if you try it.
Cat says
Where do you live that eggs are only 1.20 a dozen?! About 4 where I am!
Jess Jankowski says
Hi Cat, this recipe was originally posted in Feb 2021. Prices have definitely gone up since then! We try to update the pricing on our recipes as often as possible, but it is a large task, as you can imagine because it is a manual process. We will be getting to this one as soon as we can. Right now eggs are about $3.82. We base our prices on Wal-Mart’s pricing. If you see any other recipes that you would like us to update before we get to them, please let us know. Have a great day and thanks for visiting our website, we hope you find other recipes here as much as we do!
Ginny says
I mis-read and only bought 1 pkg of pudding, should I add just 1 cup of milk to the pudding? Thanks
Jess Jankowski says
Hi Ginny,you can try that but the cake will not be as moist nor will the lemon flavor be as strong.