This cotton candy poke cake has a light cotton candy flavor. It’s an easy cake recipe with a colorful white chocolate pudding and whipped cream topping, all topped off with even more cotton candy. Kids will love this fun cake and it’s a simple, yet perfect cake for birthday parties.
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Hey there! Before you scroll, there’s lot’s of important stuff in the post!…including the FAQ section, which may answer any questions you might have about this recipe. Enjoy!
When I was little, my mom used to read me this Raggedy Ann and Andy book. It was one of my favorites. In this particular book, Raggedy Ann and Andy went to a carnival where they ate tons of hot dogs and cotton candy.
Well, they ate so much that by the end of the book, they got sick. Now, to me, I couldn’t imagine ever eating so much cotton candy that it would make me sick. Never.
I think the moral of this book was supposed to be to not eat too much candy (or something like that) but obviously it did not have the intended effect on me.
All I could do was think about cotton candy. Every time we went anywhere, if they happened to have some, that’s what I wanted. I think that book just created a monster.
Since spring was coming up and with all the pretty pastel colors everywhere, I decided what better way to celebrate that than by combining my love of cotton candy with cake. Sounds like a good reason, right?
This cake’s got a light cotton candy flavor plus a colorful white chocolate pudding soaked in, then topped with cool whip and cotton candy. Cuz who says you can’t cover an entire cake with cotton candy?
This cotton candy poke cake is really super simple. No, seriously it really is. The kids can put it together…and they’ll love it.
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LET’S TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE INGREDIENTS IN THE COTTON CANDY POKE CAKE:
Cotton Candy Flavoring: The cotton candy flavor in the cake comes compliments of Lorann’s Cotton Candy Flavoring, which you can find here: Cotton Candy Flavoring You don’t use much, just about a ¼ to ½ teaspoon.
White Cake Mix: This is the best flavor choice for making this cake. It doesn’t compete with the cotton candy flavoring. If you want to make this a scratch cake, you can try my white cake recipe here: Moist White Cake
Instant Pudding Mix: You can use either white chocolate pudding mix, or vanilla mix. I prefer the white chocolate though because the color of it doesn’t mess with the added food coloring you’re going to add.
Cotton Candy: This is what makes the cake so pretty and fun! You can get any kind of cotton candy you want, but here’s an option for you: Cotton Candy
Mixing Method for the Cotton Candy Poke Cake & Putting It Together:
This cake is super easy, since it’s a cake mix based recipe, so the mixing method is not complicated.
Since this is a poke cake, you’ll need to watch your timing a bit, so once it’s baked, you’ll only need to let it sit for about 5 – 10 minutes. While it’s sitting, you’ll make your pudding mixture, add colors and stir just until marbled.
You don’t want your pudding to set up, so do this right before you pour it over your warm cake.
Next you’ll poke holes in your cake with the end of a wooden spoon and pour over your pudding mixture. Chill for an hour, then cover with cool whip and cotton candy.
TIPS & FAQs FOR THE COTTON CANDY POKE CAKE:
No, but using a white cake mix will make the cake look prettier since you’ll be adding food coloring to the pudding mixture. A white cake mix also won’t compete with the added flavoring. You don’t have to use a mix though. You can always bake a scratch white cake if you want and just add in the cotton candy flavoring.
No you don’t, but it’s what gives the cake its cotton candy flavor.
Sure, but I find that white chocolate pudding is best because it doesn’t mess up the food coloring you’ll add to it and it doesn’t have a strong flavor that would compete with the cotton candy flavoring.
You don’t want to do this part ahead of time, because you don’t want your pudding to thicken up on you. It needs to still be in a semi-liquid state when you pour it over your cake.
If you add it early, the cotton candy (or part of it) may just dissolve when it soaks up the moisture from the whipped topping.
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Items & Tools Used to Make the Cotton Candy Cake:
Ok let’s get to the recipe!
Note About Recipe Measurements: I write recipes using volume (cups) measurements because here in the U.S., this is what people are more familiar with and I don’t want anyone to feel intimidated when baking. For metric/weight measurements, click the ‘metric’ button under the ingredients in the recipe card below. The weights are converted by a program, not me, and it’s just a best guess. I can’t guarantee that weighing the ingredients will produce the exact same results, since I test recipes using volume measurements.
Recipe:
Cotton Candy Poke Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box white cake mix (or your favorite white cake recipe)
- ¼ teaspoon cotton candy flavoring (can use up to ½ teaspoon if you want more flavor)
- 2 boxes white chocolate instant pudding mix (or vanilla instant pudding mix)
- 3 cups milk
- 1 large container cool whip
- 1 package cotton candy
- food coloring
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Instructions
- Prepare your cake batter according to the directions on the box or in your recipe.
- Add in ¼ to ½ teaspoon of cotton candy flavoring and mix.
- Pour into a greased or sprayed 13 x 9 inch pan and bake according to the box or your recipe.
- Let cool on a rack for only 5 -10 minutes.
- Poke holes in the cake with the back of a wooden spoon.
- Mix two small boxes of instant pudding mix and 3 cups of milk.
- Add in the food coloring. You can use the colors of your choice. Just mix only enough to marble the pudding. Work fast here because you don't want the pudding to thicken up on you before you're able to pour it over your cake.
- Quickly pour the pudding mixture over the top. Spread evenly.
- Let chill in the fridge for about an hour, then cover with cool whip.
- Right before serving, top your cake with cotton candy.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Jen
I’ve been asked to make this cake for a birthday party on Saturday night. Actually make 3 of them! Can I make them ahead of time? Or at least partial make it each one a day in advance?
Kara Jane
Yes, you could bake the cakes ahead of time, just don’t add the cotton candy to the tops until you’re about to serve them. The cakes need time to chill anyway, so making them the day before should be fine.
Barb T
Hello, I made this cake but major mistakes. I read it was ok to make cake ahead of time, but I only baked cake with out realizing that I should have added pudding to warm cake. Then my pudding was too thick. Really disappointing but I’ll try again.
Kara
Oh no Barb! I hope it works out for you if you try it again!