Unicorn Poke Cake

Unicorn poke cake is a colorful and fun dessert featuring layers of moist white cake, creamy vanilla pudding, and fluffy whipped topping, all topped with vibrant sprinkles. This easy-to-make cake is perfect for parties and gatherings, bringing joy and magic to any occasion.

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Prep Time20

Cook Time25

Total Time2 15

Servings slices

Table of Contents

Unicorn Poke Cake Ingredients
Tips and Tricks for Making A Poke Cake
How To Store Unicorn Poke Cake
Unicorn Poke Cake Frequently Asked Questions
Why This Recipe Works
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This unicorn poke cake is a joyful blend of fun colors, creamy layers, and irresistible flavor, making it the perfect centerpiece for birthday parties or any festive occasion. With swirls of colorful, moist cake, each slice is bursting with fun. Topped with silky vanilla pudding and a fluffy layer of whipped topping, this dessert doesn’t just look magical—it tastes amazing too.

A piece of unicorn poke cake on a white plate with a bite out of it.

What You Need To Know

MAIN INGREDIENTS: White cake mix, vegetable oil, egg whites, gel food colors (pink, blue, purple), vanilla pudding mix, whole milk, whipped topping, unicorn sparkle candy sprinkles.
QUICK STEPS: Preheat oven and prepare baking pan, mix and color cake batter in separate bowls, swirl batter in pan and bake, poke holes in cooled cake and fill with pudding, top with whipped topping and sprinkles, chill before serving.

Unicorn Poke Cake Ingredients

Unicorn Poke Cake raw ingredients that are labeled

White Cake Mix: We recommend a white boxed cake mix. It’s light color allows the food coloring to stand out, making it the perfect base for creating vibrant swirls.

Whipped Topping (Cool Whip): If you cannot get Cool Whip in your area, use our recipe for stabilized whipped cream.

Best Food Coloring to Use

With the right food coloring, your unicorn poke cake will look as magical as it tastes!

✔️ Stick to high-quality brands for reliable, vibrant results.

✔️ Gel food coloring is the best choice for creating the vibrant swirls in this delicious cake. It provides bold, concentrated colors without adding extra moisture.

❌ Avoid liquid food coloring as it’s less concentrated and can alter the batter’s consistency.

Tips and Tricks for Making A Poke Cake

A poke cake is a fun and flavorful dessert where small holes are poked into a baked cake and filled with pudding, gelatin, or other creamy mixtures. This technique infuses the cake with extra moisture and bursts of flavor in every bite.

Use a wooden spoon handle for perfect holes: The rounded end of a wooden spoon creates the ideal size holes to fill with pudding or gelatin. Make sure the holes are evenly spaced about an inch apart for even flavor distribution.

Chill for the best texture: Let the cake chill in the refrigerator after adding the pudding and whipped topping. This step helps the flavors meld together and makes slicing easier.

Be gentle with the batter swirl: Use a toothpick or bamboo skewer to gently swirl the cake batter colors together. Overmixing will blur the colors and lose the distinct swirls.

Spread the pudding evenly: When filling the holes, use a small spatula or piping bag to ensure the pudding goes deep into the holes without overflowing. This guarantees a moist and tasty cake in every bite.

More Easy Poke Cake Recipes

How To Store Unicorn Poke Cake

Storing your unicorn rainbow poke cake properly is the key to keeping it fresh and delicious. The creamy pudding and whipped topping layers are best enjoyed straight from the refrigerator.

MAKE AHEAD: Bake the cake and add the pudding layer, then store it covered in the refrigerator. Add the whipped topping and sprinkles just before serving to keep the topping fluffy and the sprinkles crisp.

IN THE FRIDGE: To store in the fridge, cover the cake pan tightly with plastic wrap or a lid. This will keep the cake fresh for up to three days.

IN THE FREEZER: We do not recommend freezing this cake.

Unicorn Poke Cake Frequently Asked Questions

How do I avoid overmixing the batter when swirling colors?

To avoid overmixing, use a toothpick or bamboo skewer to gently swirl the colors. Stop as soon as you achieve the desired pattern to keep the colors distinct.

What if my pudding layer too runny?

If your pudding layer is too runny, it may not have been mixed long
enough. For the best result, whisk the pudding mix and cold milk until
it thickens before adding it to the cake.

Can I use homemade whipped cream instead of store-bought whipped topping?

Yes, you can use homemade whipped cream, but it may not hold up as long as store-bought whipped topping. If you choose homemade, add it just before serving.

How can you cut clean slices of the cake?

Use a sharp knife dipped in warm water, wiping it clean between cuts, to slice the unicorn poke cake neatly and showcase the colorful swirls and layers.

What is the best way to mix the cake batter?

Mix the batter using a hand mixer on medium speed, in a large bowl, to combine cake mix ingredients until smooth and free of lumps. Mixing thoroughly but not overmixing will help the cake bake evenly and stay soft.
Divide the batter into small bowls before adding the gel food colors for even distribution.

Why This Recipe Works

This colorful unicorn poke cake recipe works because it combines simple ingredients with clever techniques to achieve a stunning dessert. The colorful swirls, creamy pudding, and fluffy topping come together in a way that’s easy to execute yet delivers a professional-looking result.

Whether you’re making this fun and easy dessert for a celebration or just because, it’s sure to become a favorite cake for the unicorn lover in your family.

A unicorn poke cake in a glass baking dish with a few pieces taken out of it.

Unicorn Poke Cake

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Total Time 2 15

Servings slices

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Ingredients

15.25 ounces white cake mix,
1 cup water
½ cup vegetable oil
3 egg whites, room temperature
Blue gel food color
Purple gel food color
Pink gel food color
6.8 ounces French vanilla instant pudding mix,
3 ¾ cup cold whole milk
8 ounces whipped topping, thawed
2.82 ounces Unicorn sparkle candy sprinkles

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Add the cake mix, water, vegetable oil, and egg whites to a medium-sized (2-3 quarts) mixing bowl. Use a handheld mixer on medium speed to combine cake mix ingredients until completely incorporated, and no visible cake mix lumps remain.
Equally divide the cake mix into 3 smaller bowls. (I recommend using glass bowls or even disposable bowls, since this is when you will be adding the gel food color. Glass bowls usually do not stain)
Add 3-4 drops of the blue gel food color, depending on how light or dark you are wanting, to one bowl. Stir well until no streaks of blue remain.
For the purple, add 5-7 drops, again depending on how light or dark you are wanting, to one of the remaining untinted cake batter bowls. Stir well until no streaks of purple remain.
Add 5-7 drops of the pink food color gel to the remaining bowl. Stir well until no streaks remain.
Drop spoonfuls of the tinted cake mix into the prepared baking dish. Once all of the tinted cake mix has been added, use a toothpick or bamboo skewer to gently swirl the tinted cake batter. Bake for 25-28 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. (Keep in mind that all ovens bake differently, so begin checking the cake at the 22 minute mark) Remove the cake from the oven and allow the cake to cool completely.
Once completely cooled, using the handle of a wooden spoon poke holes in the cake, about an inch apart.
Add the cold milk and pudding mixes to a large (4-5 quarts) mixing bowl. Use a handheld mixer on low, or a whisk, to mix the pudding for about 2-3 minutes until it begins to thicken well.
Spoon the pudding into the holes until they are filled. Once the holes are filled, spoon the remaining pudding over the cake. Use either a silicone spatula or an offset spatula to spread the pudding.
Spoon the 8 ounce container of thawed whipped topping on top of the pudding layer. Use a silicone spatula, or an offset spatula to smooth the whipped topping over the pudding. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Sprinkle ½ cup of unicorn sparkle sprinkles over the whipped topping layer. Slice the cake 3 slices x 5 slices. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Notes

If you don’t have non-stick spray, you can butter and flour your pan, but the outside of the cake may look less colorful when you serve it.
Be careful not to overmix! Otherwise, the colors will blend and won’t be distinct.
Since all ovens bake differently, we recommend you begin checking for doneness at the 22-minute mark.
You can use a piping bag with a medium-sized hole cut in the end to fill the holes if you prefer.

Nutrition

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Proudly Prepared by the Spaceships Kitchen

This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!

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Layne Kangas Marketing
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