Fireball Poke Cake

close up shot of a cake on a plate with a fireball bottle in the background

Indulge in the warm and boozy delight of Fireball poke cake, where a spiced rum-infused butterscotch pudding meets moist yellow cake.

Prep Time15

Cook Time35

Total Time50

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Fireball Poke Cake Recipe

Servings:

Calories: 263kcal

Ingredients

15.25 ounces yellow cake mix (plus the ingredients called for on the box - 3 large eggs, 1 cup water, and ½ cup vegetable oil)
3.5 ounces cook & serve butterscotch pudding mix
1¾ cups whole milk, cold
¼ cup Fireball cinnamon whisky
12 ounces whipped topping, thawed (1 ½ 8-ounce tubs)
½ teaspoon red sugar sanding sprinkles, for optional garnish
½ teaspoon orange sugar sanding sprinkles, for optional garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan with baker’s spray. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer on medium speed, mix the yellow box cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, and water according to the directions on the box.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake according to the box directions for 28 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool for 5 minutes. Once cooled, poke holes over the entire surface of the cake. I like to use a round-handled wooden spoon to poke the holes. Allow the cake to continue to cool on the counter while you prepare the pudding mixture.
In a 2 quart-sized saucepan on medium heat, add the cook & serve butterscotch pudding mix, whole milk, and Fireball cinnamon whisky. Bring the pudding mixture to a boil while whisking constantly, and cook for 1-2 minutes once it has started to boil. Remove the pot from the heat and continue whisking the pudding until the mixture starts to thicken up. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
While the pudding is still hot and not fully set, slowly pour it into the holes that were poked into the yellow cake. Once you have filled all the holes in the cake with the warm pudding, you can pour the rest of the pudding over the rest of the cake. You can use an offset spatula or the back of a large spoon to spread out the warm pudding, covering the entire surface of the cake.
Allow the cake and pudding to continue to cool on the counter for another 20 minutes to allow the pudding to start to firm up before spreading on your final layer of the thawed whipped topping.
Spread the whipped topping evenly over the entire surface of the cake. If you choose to add the garnish of red and orange sugar sanding sprinkles, you can add them at this time.
Place the Fireball poke cake into the refrigerator to chill for a minimum of 8 hours or up to overnight. Slice and serve.

Notes

We used Betty Crocker Super Moist yellow cake mix for this recipe. If you choose a different brand, the required ingredients or ratios may vary slightly, so follow the directions listed on the box you’re using.
Oven temperatures can run a little off over time, so it’s worth checking calibration occasionally. As the bake time gets close, keep an eye on the cake so it doesn’t overbake.
When using instant pudding, work quickly once it begins to thicken so it spreads easily into the holes.
If the pudding firms up too much, transfer it to a large piping bag or a gallon-size zip-top bag with the corner trimmed. Pipe it into each hole, then spread the remaining pudding evenly across the top of the cake.

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