Christmas Red Velvet Poke Cake With Cheesecake Flavored Pudding and Festive Toppings Recipe
Celebrate the holidays with this festive Christmas Red Velvet Poke Cake, featuring moist red velvet cake pierced to soak up a luscious cheesecake pudding layer. Topped with green-tinted whipped cream, mini marshmallows, colorful red and green M&M’s, and red sprinkles, this dessert is both visually stunning and deliciously rich—perfect for holiday gatherings and seasonal celebrations.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Red Velvet Cake
- 15.25 ounces red velvet cake mix
- 1¼ cups water
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
Cheesecake Flavored Instant Pudding Layer
- 6.8 ounces cheesecake flavored instant pudding mix
- 3¾ cups cold whole milk
Topping
- 16 ounces (2 tubs) whipped topping, thawed
- 10–12 drops green food coloring
- 3 cups mini marshmallows
- ¼ cup red M&M’s
- ¼ cup green M&M’s
- Red sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick baking spray and set aside.
- Make the Red Velvet Cake Batter: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the red velvet cake mix, water, vegetable oil, and eggs. Use a handheld mixer on medium speed to blend until smooth and well combined, following box instructions.
- Bake the Cake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Poke Holes into the Cake: Once baked, use the rounded handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes about ½ inch apart all over the top of the cake. Set the cake aside to cool.
- Prepare Cheesecake Pudding: In another medium mixing bowl, whisk together the cheesecake flavored instant pudding mix and cold whole milk for 1 to 1½ minutes until the pudding starts to thicken.
- Pour Pudding over Cake: Evenly pour the thickened pudding over the cooled cake, making sure it fills the poke holes. Use a spatula to smooth the pudding evenly across the surface.
- Chill Cake: Cover the cake tightly and place it in the refrigerator to chill for 4 hours, allowing the pudding to set and soak into the cake.
- Color the Whipped Topping: Stir the green food coloring into the thawed whipped topping using a spoon until the color is evenly distributed.
- Apply Whipped Topping: Remove the cake from the refrigerator and spread the tinted whipped topping evenly over the pudding layer.
- Add Festive Decorations: Sprinkle the mini marshmallows evenly over the whipped topping. Then sprinkle the red and green M&M’s and red sprinkles on top for a festive look.
- Serve: Cut the cake into twelve 3-inch by 3-inch squares and serve chilled for a delicious Christmas treat.
Notes
- Use room-temperature ingredients to ensure even mixing and a tender cake.
- Poking holes allows the pudding to soak into the cake, making it extra moist.
- For best flavor and texture, chill the cake for at least 4 hours before serving.
- Customize decorating toppings with your favorite holiday candies or sprinkles.
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Keywords: Christmas cake, red velvet cake, poke cake, holiday dessert, cheesecake pudding, festive dessert
