Boston Cream Poke Cake

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 17 May 2016 23:00:32 +0000

This Boston cream poke cake has layers of rich cake, creamy pudding and is topped off with a delicious, yet easy, chocolate ganache. So easy to make and it’s a perfect dessert!

I have to start out by saying I was never much of a fan of Boston cream pie when I was younger. I can’t even recall ever eating any past the age of 10 or so–and that’s a LOT of years now!

It’s something I never really thought about until I saw a Boston Cream Poke Cake that was made by my friend Danielle from Hugs & Cookies XOXO. Danielle makes the most SPECTACULAR desserts and cheesecakes you will ever see. Even though we both live in New York, I’m much farther north than she is. And that’s a good thing because if I still lived down in NYC, I’d be too close–close enough to visit regularly–and I’d end up not being able to get through doorways LOL.

Danielle’s version uses her from-scratch cake. I don’t bother too much making cakes from scratch anymore because I find the convenience of a mix to be a boon, especially since I got lazy in my old age. Plus cake mixes taste way better nowadays than they did years ago. In fact, they really taste very close to homemade.

What I did with the mix was used the pound cake formula so the cake that forms the base would have a bit more body to it. Other than that, I did pretty much the same that Danielle did with hers, but I think she used more vanilla pudding than I did. I used the larger box–the one that makes 6 or so servings.

I like the ganache topping nice and runny–like when it’s lukewarm, but I do suggest frosting with the ganache and letting the cake chill for a couple of hours otherwise you’d have to keep reheating the ganache. It’s totally delicious either way.

Print Recipe Add to Recipe Box

Boston Cream Poke Cake

This Boston cream poke cake has layers of rich cake, creamy pudding and is topped off with a delicious, yet easy, chocolate ganache. So easy to make and it’s a perfect dessert!

Prep Time15

Cook Time40

Total Time55

Course: cakes, desserts

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Boston Cream, chocolate ganache, poke cake, vanilla pudding

Servings: 12

Calories: 489kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

CAKE

1 box 15.25 oz yellow cake mix (I used Duncan Hines)
1 box 4-serving size vanilla or French vanilla instant pudding mix
4 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 cup water

FILLING

2 boxes 4-serving size -OR- 1 box (5.1 oz "Family Size") instant vanilla pudding mix
Amount of milk called for on the box es for PIE

FROSTING

1 cup heavy cream
8 oz chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or spray a 13 x 9 -inch baking pan.
Place all cake ingredients in a large bowl and beat at medium speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes.
Pour into prepared pan and bake 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes.
Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes ever 2-inches on top of the cake, then cool cake completely.
When cake is cool, prepare pudding by placing the milk and pudding mix in a large bowl and beating at low speed for 1 minute; pour over top of cake, spreading across entire surface.
Chill for at least 3 hours.
To make ganache, heat the cream almost to the boiling point. Remove from heat and add the chocolate chips; let stand for 5 minutes.
Whisk until smooth. Pour over top of cake and chill for about 1 hour.

Nutrition

The post Boston Cream Poke Cake appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Peanut Butter Cup Trifle

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Peanut Butter Cup Trifle

I know the pic grabs you immediately–and this is beyond delicious, but you would be surprised that you can make 2 versions of this and one is (almost) guilt free.

OK, there’s nothing we can do about the mini peanut butter cups, but you can reduce the amount AND they are cut up so there’s the illusion of more. However, we can use low-fat or even skim milk in the pudding, and that pudding can be sugar free as well. Everyone knows the whipped topping comes in “light’ and non-fat varieties and these can be substituted for the regular.

Easy Dessert

And the brownies? That’s from a mix AND it was the low-fat version because that’s all the store had left when they offered a Facebook coupon for 25 cents a box.

The peanut butter sauce is to die for, so get that fainting couch out. This is the sauce I use to make my peanut butter swirl ice cream–that’s another story and I may make some soon and do it for my readers.

So whether you choose to make this lightened up some or the original recipe (which is given), both versions are delicious. Dig in.

Peanut Butter Cup Trifle

4 large brownies, cut into cubes
1 cup instant vanilla pudding–the pudding is already made
1 cup mini peanut butter cups, cut into quarters
1 cup whipped topping
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup heavy or whipping cream
2 tbs light corn syrup
1/4 cup light brown sugar

Prepare peanut butter sauce by mixing the peanut butter, cream, corn syrup and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until sugar is melted and sauce is very smooth. Remove from heat; set aside.

Fold together the whipped topping and the vanilla pudding in a small bowl. Set aside.

Assemble trifle by taking 4 mini trifle bowls or dishes of an equal size (a stemless wine glass or an old-fashioned glass works well here too), and build layers: layer 1/2 of the brownies on the bottom of the 4 trifle bowls. Next, layer 1/2 of the quartered peanut butter cups on top of the brownie layer, then top with 1/2 the pudding. Drizzle about 1-2 tbs of the peanut butter sauce over the pudding. Repeat the layer brownie and the pudding layer once more. Top with remaining quartered peanut butter cups and liberally drizzle with more peanut butter sauce–and yep, let the sauce drip down the sides!!! You can garnish with chocolate sprinkles if desired too.

Remember–you are distributing what you have between 4 small bowls. Let your eye be your judge as to the amounts of each bowl so they will look even.

Now kick back and ENJOY.

Makes 4 desserts.

The post Peanut Butter Cup Trifle appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

vanilla pudding Archives - The Midnight Baker

Boston Cream Poke Cake

Boston Cream Poke Cake

Ingredients

CAKE

FILLING

FROSTING

Instructions

Nutrition

Peanut Butter Cup Trifle