Pina Colada Poke Cake Recipe

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This Pina Colada Poke Cake adds a fun twist to a standard sheet cake, using a creamy vanilla or rum filling, the convenience of a box cake mix, and the flavor combination of pineapple and coconut, resembling the tropical Pina Colada cocktail!

Imagine you are enjoying a tropical vacation with this Pina Colada Cake. If you loved our Tres Leches Cupcakes and Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake, then you are sure to love this recipe. I’m quite confident that it just may become one of your favorite Dessert Recipes!

Table of Contents

• Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• Why This Recipe Works
• What You’ll Need To Make This Recipe
• 🍽Equipment
• 🥘Ingredients
• 📋How To Make Pina Colada Poke Cake
• 💭 Recipe Tips
• 📖 Variations
• What To Serve With Pina Colada Poke Cake
• FAQS
• More Cake Recipes
• Recipe
• Reviews

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• This pina colada poke cake turns an ordinary box cake into a decadent dessert with the perfect balance of coconut and pineapple flavor. 
• This poke cake can easily be adapted to suit your preferences – remove all traces of alcohol or make an extra boozy cake using your choice of rum!
• If you love moist cake, you’ve come to the right recipe! The creamy rum filling seeps into every inch of the cake for a mouth-watering experience. 

Why This Recipe Works

• This is a tried and tested poke cake recipe, allowing me to guide you through straightforward recipe instructions with corresponding in-process images so that there’s zero guesswork!
• You only need to dedicate 15 minutes of preparation when making this boozy cake. In fact, you could even make the cake base with filling ahead of time and add the topping just before serving.
• Valuable tips and frequently asked questions are added in this recipe post for further clarification, making the recipe a breeze to understand and follow. 
• I’ve included a few ways that you could adapt this pina colada poke cake with simple recipe substitutions and suggestions. If you have any of your own, share them with me in the comments section!

What You’ll Need To Make This Recipe

🍽Equipment

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• 1 hand mixer
• 1 mixing bowl set
• 1 9×13 Cake Pan

🥘Ingredients

Below, I discuss the ingredients and possible substitutions if you don't have a specific ingredient. However, if you are looking for the specific measurements of each ingredient, scroll down to the bottom of this article, just above the comments, for the printable recipe card, which includes all the ingredients and the specific amounts of each one.

FOR THE CAKE

• Box cake mix – I’ve used a white cake mix for this pina colada poke cake, but you can also use a box of yellow cake mix. The cake mix provides convenience by saving time, but you’re welcome to make your own cake from scratch. Gluten-free box cake mix can be used when catering to dietary sensitivities. 
• Crushed pineapple – I don't drain the liquid from the can of crushed pineapple but use it in the cake batter. It provides moisture and great flavor to the cake. 
• Oil – Vegetable oil is a great oil to bake with, but you can also use canola oil or any baking oil with a neutral taste. You could also use unsalted butter instead of the oil.
• Eggs – I've used large eggs that I allow to sit at room temperature for a while before adding to the batter. This helps the cake rise and also mixes better with the rest of the cake batter ingredients. 

FOR THE FILLING

• Cream of coconut – This is a great ingredient that's added to pina colada cocktails or other drinks and has the consistency of a thick sweet syrup. You can also use sweetened condensed milk with coconut extract or coconut liqueur with a drop of coconut extract. Coconut cream and coconut milk are not the same as cream of coconut! 
• Pineapple juice – Any brand of pineapple juice will do. 
• Vanilla extract – A high-quality extract will result in a better-tasting poke cake. You could coconut extract instead, or if you prefer a rum extract.

FOR THE TOPPING

• Instant coconut pudding mix – If you can’t find instant coconut pudding mix, use vanilla or French pudding mix and add some coconut extract. 
• Milk – You can use whole milk or low fat. Obviously, the whole milk will add more flavor. 
• Whipped topping
• Crushed pineapple – For the topping, it’s essential to drain the crushed pineapple; otherwise, the excess liquid will ruin the consistency of the topping. 
• Toasted coconut – For garnish. 

📋How To Make Pina Colada Poke Cake

Make The Cake

1. In a large bowl, add the cake mix, crushed pineapple, oil, and eggs.
2. With an electric mixer, mix on low for 30 seconds to combine. Increase to medium speed and whip for 2 minutes.
3. Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 29-34 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
4. Let cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Using a fork, gently poke holes all over the cake. Try not to crumble the top of the cake the best you can.
5. In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the cream of coconut, pineapple juice, and vanilla extract.
6. Pour all over the cake. Let it sit until completely cooled and the liquid is absorbed.

Make The Topping

1. Place the pudding mix into a large bowl. Add the milk.
2. Whisk to combine until it starts to thicken. 
3. Fold in the whipped topping.
4. Continue until there are no streaks left.
5. Add in the well-drained crushed pineapple.
6. Fold in the crushed pineapple with the whipped topping. 

Frost The Cake

1. Let the cake cool for 30 minutes before frosting.
2. Smooth the pineapple whipped topping over the top of the cake.
3. Top with toasted coconut, if desired, and serve!

💭 Recipe Tips

• Don’t Overstir. Avoid over-stirring the cake batter; otherwise, you can end up with a dense cake.
• Baking Time Can Vary. The baking time can change if you’ve opted to make this poke cake with gluten-free cake mix. Ovens also differ, so if you aren’t sure whether the cake base is adequately cooked, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. The toothpick should come out moist but clean. If it comes out with batter, it needs more baking time. 
• To Chill or Not To Chill. This poke cake can be enjoyed at room temperature or chilled, straight from refrigeration storage. I've tried both options and love it either way.
• Be Patient. Wait for the baked cake base to cool sufficiently before adding the filling; otherwise, the filling can become overly runny instead of luxuriously thick. 
• Make Ahead. If you’d like to make this poke cake in advance, consider baking the cake base, pouring the filling over it, and then storing it in an airtight container in the fridge. The cake will absorb the creamy filling while it sits, increasing the flavor of this poke cake. You can then top the cake just before serving.
• Crumbling. Since this cake is so moist, it does run the risk of crumbling when served. Be gentle when lifting the individual slices out of the baking tray for presentation’s sake. 

📖 Variations

• Gluten-Free. I’ve only tested this poke cake recipe with a regular box cake mix. From my experience of making gluten-free baked goods, I believe this cake will still turn out well if you opt for a gluten-free cake mix instead. 
• From Scratch. If you don’t have a box of cake mix or prefer making your cake base from scratch, go ahead and make the poke cake base with flour (all-purpose or gluten-free), baking powder, eggs, oil, crushed pineapple. 
• Butter. You can use butter (preferably unsalted) instead of oil in this poke cake. In that case, use ⅔ cup of butter to replace ½ cup of oil. 
• Substitutions. If you don't have cream of coconut for the filling, use a 14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk with coconut extract or coconut liqueur with a drop of coconut extract. Don't confuse cream of coconut with coconut milk or coconut cream – these are different ingredients! 
• Pudding Substitution. Instant coconut pudding mix may be tricky to source. In that case, use vanilla or French instant pudding mix instead. 
• Boozy Tasting Version. If you want a a boozy taste to this poke cake, omit the vanilla extract and use a rum extract or coconut extract instead, if you prefer. 
• Real Boozy Version. For an extra boozy pina colada poke cake, use real rum instead of the rum extract (about 2 tablespoons to ¼ cup of rum, depending on how strong you want the cake to be). You will need to subtract an equal amount of pineapple juice in the filling. Dark rum, light rum, or spiced rum are all great options!

What To Serve With Pina Colada Poke Cake

Enjoy a slice of this pina colada poke cake as is, or serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. 

FAQS

WHAT IS A "POKE CAKE"?

A poke cake is a regular sheet pan cake with holes “poked” into it once baked, either using a skewer or fork. A filling is poured over the cake, seeping into the entire cake base for maximum flavor and deliciousness! 

Most poke cakes are then topped off with a topping of choice, but it’s the process of poking holes into the cake and adding a filling that gives this type of cake its name. 

WHAT IS THE FLAVOR AND TEXTURE OF THIS BOOZY POKE CAKE?

This pina colada poke cake is very moist from the filling that soaks into the baked cake base. 

While the cake itself has a strong pineapple flavor, the topping has more of a coconut taste, balancing this pina colada cake out beautifully!

IS THIS BOOZY CAKE SAFE FOR KIDS TO EAT?

The rum extract contains a lower percentage of alcohol than most alcoholic beverages. Only two teaspoons of the rum extract are used in the filing, but you can easily omit this if you like and use vanilla or coconut extract instead. 

HOW SHOULD I STORE THIS PINA COLADA POKE CAKE?

This pina colada poke cake can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months. 

While you can serve the cake at room temperature or chilled, I prefer storing leftovers in the refrigerator for the sake of the creamy ingredients in the filling and topping. 

CAN I MAKE THIS PINA COLADA POKE CAKE AHEAD OF TIME?

Yes! In fact, this recipe lends itself well to being made ahead of time. Allowing the baked cake base to sit in the refrigerator for a couple of hours after the creamy filling has been poured over intensifies the sweet, creamy, and rum flavor.

WHAT WORKS BEST FOR POURING THE FILLING OVER THE CAKE?

You can use a spoon to carefully pour the creamy rum filling over the poked cake; otherwise, consider using a piping bag or the corner of a plastic sandwich bag, cut off. The latter options should give you greater control of the filling. 

More Cake Recipes

• Tres Leches Cupcakes
• Pumpkin Tres Leches Cake
• Cinnamon Roll Cake

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