Easter Bunny Poke Cake Recipe

Let’s be honest—when it comes to Easter desserts, we’ve all tried to get fancy with elaborate bunny-shaped cookies or triple-layered carrot cakes. But sometimes, you just want something easy, adorable, and delicious enough to make Grandma ask for seconds. Enter: the Easter Bunny Poke Cake. Yep, that fluffy, creamy, colorful dessert that looks like it was handcrafted by the Easter Bunny himself (if the bunny had access to boxed cake mix and a sweet tooth).

So, if you’re looking to wow your guests without sacrificing your entire weekend to kitchen duty, this recipe has your back. And belly. 😋

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Why You’ll Fall in Love with Easter Bunny Poke Cake

Let’s start with the obvious: this cake is insanely cute. Like, Instagram-worthy cute. But more than that, it’s:

Super easy to make (yes, even if you usually burn toast)
Moist and creamy thanks to the pudding-filled “poke” technique
Customizable with all your fave Easter colors and candies
Perfect for potlucks, brunches, or pretending you’re hosting The Great British Bake Off

Oh, and FYI—kids love it. Adults love it. Your dentist may not, but that’s a future-you problem. 😉

🥄 What Exactly Is a Poke Cake?

If you’ve never heard of poke cake, don’t panic. It’s not some fancy culinary term. It literally means you poke holes in a baked cake and pour delicious stuff into those holes—like pudding, Jell-O, or condensed milk.

Why do that? Because the filling seeps into the cake, making every bite ridiculously moist and flavorful. It’s like stuffing a cake with joy.

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🧁 Ingredients You’ll Need for Easter Bunny Poke Cake

Here’s the beauty of this cake: it’s semi-homemade. You don’t need to churn your own butter or milk a cow for eggs. Here’s the full rundown:

For the Cake:

1 box white cake mix (plus ingredients on the box—usually oil, water, and eggs)
Food coloring (pastel pink, blue, yellow, green—go full Easter egg!)
Nonstick spray or butter (for greasing the pan)

For the Filling:

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (3.4 oz) box instant vanilla pudding mix
2 cups cold milk

For the Topping:

1 container whipped topping (Cool Whip, for example)
Easter sprinkles, mini marshmallows, jelly beans, or crushed Peeps (dealer’s choice)
Bunny Peeps or chocolate bunnies for decor

Pro Tip: Don’t stress about finding pastel food coloring—a little goes a long way. And if it turns out more neon than pastel? Call it “Easter rave cake” and roll with it. 🐣

🧁 How to Make Easter Bunny Poke Cake (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: Bake the Cake

Preheat your oven to 350°F (or whatever your cake mix box says—no rebels here).
Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Prepare the cake batter as instructed on the box.
Divide the batter evenly into four bowls.
Add a few drops of different food coloring to each bowl (think: pastel pink, blue, yellow, and green).
Pour the batter in spoonfuls randomly into the pan to create a marbled, tie-dye Easter look. Don’t overmix!
Bake according to the box instructions—usually 25–30 minutes.

Ever wonder why your cake sometimes sinks in the middle? Yeah, don’t open the oven door like you’re checking on a pizza. Trust the process.

Step 2: Poke and Fill

Let the cake cool for about 15 minutes.
Use the handle of a wooden spoon (or anything thick and round) to poke holes all over the cake—about an inch apart.
In a bowl, whisk together the instant pudding mix and 2 cups cold milk until it thickens slightly.
Pour the pudding over the cake, making sure it seeps into the holes.
Spread evenly with a spatula.

BTW, this is the point where it might look like a mess. That’s normal. It’s called the ugly duckling stage. Frosting fixes everything.

Step 3: Chill and Frost

Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours, or overnight if you’ve got the patience of a saint.
Spread the whipped topping evenly over the chilled cake.
Decorate like your inner child is in charge:
- Sprinkles? Absolutely.
- Mini marshmallows? Toss ‘em on.
- A Peeps bunny army? Why not.

🐣 Tips for Maximum Easter Magic

Want to take your cake from “Yum” to “YAAAS”? Here are a few hacks:

Use different pudding flavors like white chocolate or cheesecake for a twist.
Add crushed graham crackers on top to mimic an “Easter garden” look.
Pipe whipped topping into decorative swirls to look extra fancy (even if you’re not).
Make it gluten-free by using a GF cake mix—this recipe adapts easily.

🐰 Why This Cake Is the Ultimate Easter Dessert

Still not convinced? Let me hit you with some facts:

It travels well. No sliding layers or frosting meltdowns on the way to brunch.
It feeds a crowd. One 9×13 pan = 12–16 servings (or 8 if you’re not into sharing).
It can be made ahead. Actually, it should be made ahead for best flavor. That’s a win-win, IMO.
It’s just plain FUN. Between the colors, the candy, and the creamy filling, this cake basically screams, “Let’s celebrate!”

And let’s be real—when else do you get to stick a bunch of marshmallow bunnies into a dessert and call it art?

👩‍🍳 Personal Confession: I Made This for “The Kids”… and Ate Half

Not proud, but also not sorry.

I originally whipped this up for an Easter playdate, thinking the kids would go nuts. And they did. But so did the adults. I’m talking elbows-out, fork-dueling over the last corner piece. The combo of pudding-soaked cake and fluffy topping is just that good.

And here’s the thing: you don’t need some Pinterest-level decorating skill. As long as you don’t drop the cake on the floor (speaking from experience 😬), you’re golden.

🔄 Make It Your Own

This cake is super versatile. Want to switch it up? Try one of these fun variations:

Lemon Bunny Poke Cake: Use lemon cake mix + lemon pudding + whipped cream = spring in a slice.
Carrot Cake Poke Cake: Add crushed pineapple to carrot cake mix, poke in cream cheese pudding, top with whipped cream and cinnamon. YES, please.
Chocolate Easter Explosion: Chocolate cake + chocolate pudding + crushed mini eggs on top = decadent chaos.

Basically, you do you

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📝 Final Thoughts about Easter Bunny Poke Cake

So here’s the deal. Easter Bunny Poke Cake is a total showstopper that takes minimal effort but gives maximum payoff. It’s colorful, creamy, and crowd-approved. Whether you’re celebrating Easter, springtime, or just looking for a fun baking project, this cake brings the good vibes.

Just one word of advice? Make two. One for the party, and one for you. Because once people taste it, leftovers become… a myth.

Now go grab that cake mix, find your wildest sprinkles, and get baking. 🐰✨