Eggnog Poke Cake

Who loves poke cake? I sure do. If you haven’t made one before, poke cake gets its name because you poke the cake all over which allows the frosting or jello or filling (or whatever wonderful thing it is you’ve put on top) to sink down into the holes and lend extra flavor to every bite. It always provides for a moist and extremely tasty cake and this Eggnog Poke Cake is all those things, but it’s festive too. (And a little boozy, if you so desire.)

Like most poke cakes, this one starts with a box of cake mix, which keeps things really easy. Rather than just the requisite eggs and oil that usually go along with a mix, we’ve added some egg nog to the batter too.

You pour the batter into a 9×13-inch baking dish and bake it until it’s a nice golden brown.

CAKE

• 1 box white cake mix
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup eggnog

FILLING

• 1 (3.4 oz) box instant vanilla pudding
• 1/2 cup brandy (optional, see note)
• 1 1/2 cups eggnog
• 3 cups whipped topping
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the cake mix, eggs, oil, and eggnog. Pour into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes.
3. Once cake has cooled, poke holes all over cake using the end of a wooden spoon.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together pudding, brandy (if using), and eggnog. Before pudding has a chance to thicken, pour evenly over the cake. Place in refrigerator to chill for at least 15 minutes, but ideally one hour.
5. Gently stir cinnamon and nutmeg into whipped topping and spread evenly over the top. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
6. Note: If you don’t want to use brandy, use the equivalent amount of eggnog instead.