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Lemon Blueberry Poke Cake is the bright, creamy, make ahead dessert that tastes like a bite of sunshine, and I whipped one up one Easter weekend when I needed something pretty that fed a crowd without any fuss. A blueberry studded cake gets soaked with lemon pudding and crowned with fluffy whipped topping, and if you love an easy poke cake you have to try our raspberry Jello poke cake too.
Soaking the cooled cake with pourable lemon pudding is what makes every single bite impossibly moist and bursting with bright citrus flavor.
Lemon Blueberry Poke Cake Quick Look
- 🕐 Prep Time: 20 minutes
- 🍴 Cook Time: 34 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
- 🍽 Serving: 12 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 320kcal
- 🌶 Flavor Profile: Bright, citrusy, and creamy with sweet pops of blueberry
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our fresh strawberry dump cake
Quick Answer
Bake a white cake studded with fresh blueberries in a 9 by 13 pan and let it cool completely. Poke holes all over with a wooden spoon handle, then whisk instant lemon pudding with milk until pourable and pour it over the cake, filling the holes. Chill for 2 hours, spread whipped topping over the top, and chill 2 more hours before slicing and serving.
Jump to:
- Lemon Blueberry Poke Cake Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Lemon Blueberry Poke Cake
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Lemon Blueberry Poke Cake FAQs
- Other Recommended Easy Cake Recipes
- Easy Lemon Blueberry Poke Cake (with Lemon Pudding)
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Poking holes soaks in flavor. The holes let the lemon pudding seep deep into the cake for moisture in every bite.
- Coating the berries keeps them suspended. Tossing blueberries in cake mix stops them from sinking to the bottom.
- A box mix shortcut keeps it easy. Starting with white cake mix means foolproof results with less work.
- Pourable pudding fills the holes. Mixing the pudding just until it thickens lets it flow into every channel before setting.
- Chilling sets the layers. Resting in the fridge firms the pudding and melds the flavors.
- Whipped topping adds lightness. A fluffy layer balances the rich pudding soaked cake.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is a make ahead dream. Assemble it a day early and let the fridge do the work.
- Bright and refreshing. The lemon and blueberry combo is perfect for spring and summer, like our lemon cake with lemon buttercream.
- It feeds a crowd. One 9 by 13 pan serves a dozen, ideal for potlucks and parties.
Key Ingredients
- White Cake Mix: The easy, foolproof base; reserve 2 tablespoons to coat the berries.
- Fresh Blueberries: Juicy pops of berry throughout the cake.
- Instant Lemon Pudding: The star that soaks into the holes for bright, creamy lemon flavor.
- Whole Milk: Whisked with the pudding to the perfect pourable consistency.
- Whipped Topping: The light, fluffy crown, just like on our lemon cheesecake bars.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
- Switch the berry. Raspberries, blackberries, or strawberries all work.
- Change the pudding. Vanilla or white chocolate pudding make a milder cake.
- Add lemon zest. Stir fresh zest into the batter for extra citrus punch.
- Use homemade whipped cream. Swap the topping for fresh sweetened whipped cream.
- Make it a trifle. Layer cubes with pudding and berries in a bowl, like our meltaway lemon cookies on the side.
How to Make Lemon Blueberry Poke Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 by 13 baking dish. In a large bowl, mix the white cake mix (reserving 2 tablespoons), water, oil, and egg whites until smooth.
- Toss the blueberries with the reserved 2 tablespoons of cake mix in a small bowl.
- Fold the coated blueberries into the cake batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Sprinkle a few extra blueberries on top for a pretty presentation.
- Bake per the box directions until a toothpick comes out clean, then cool completely on a wire rack.
- Using a rounded wooden spoon handle, poke holes all over the cooled cake about 1 inch apart.
- Whisk the instant lemon pudding with the milk just until it starts to thicken but is still pourable.
- Pour the pudding over the cake, filling all the holes first, then smooth the rest on top.
- Cover and chill 2 hours, spread whipped topping over the cake, and chill 2 more hours before serving.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Cool the cake completely. Poking and pouring pudding into a warm cake makes it gummy.
- Use a wooden spoon handle. It makes the perfect size holes for the pudding to fill.
- Do not overmix the pudding. Stop while it is still pourable so it flows into the holes.
- Coat the berries. The cake mix toss keeps blueberries from sinking.
- Chill the full time. Patience here is what sets the layers and deepens the flavor.
- Wipe the spoon handle. If cake builds up while poking, just wipe it off and keep going.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
This Lemon Blueberry Poke Cake is cool, creamy, and refreshing, so I love serving it straight from the fridge on a warm day. It is a showstopper for Easter, Mother’s Day, baby showers, and summer cookouts.
For a bright dessert table, serve it alongside our lemon cake with lemon buttercream and a plate of meltaway lemon cookies. For another easy crowd pleaser, add our raspberry Jello poke cake so guests can pick their favorite.
However you serve it, keep it chilled until the last minute, because this creamy poke cake is best cold.
Lemon Blueberry Poke Cake FAQs
Yes. Raspberries, blackberries, or chopped strawberries all work beautifully in place of blueberries. Toss whatever berry you use in a little cake mix first so it does not sink to the bottom.
You can. Do not thaw them first, and toss them in the reserved cake mix while still frozen to keep them from bleeding too much color into the batter.
Absolutely. Freshly whipped, lightly sweetened heavy cream is a delicious swap for the whipped topping. Add it just before serving since homemade whipped cream is best fresh.
Coating the blueberries in a little cake mix keeps them suspended in the batter instead of sinking to the bottom, so you get berries throughout every slice.
It is a perfect make ahead dessert. You can make it a full day in advance and keep it covered in the fridge. The flavors and pudding layer only get better as it sits.
Cover and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It must stay chilled because of the pudding and whipped topping layers. It does not freeze well once assembled.
Other Recommended Easy Cake Recipes
If you make this Lemon Blueberry Poke Cake, I would love to hear how it turned out! Leave a star rating and a comment below, and tag us in your photos. Happy baking!
Love berries? Make no bake raspberry cheesecake bites next.
Easy Lemon Blueberry Poke Cake (with Lemon Pudding)
Ingredients
- 1 box white cake mix
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 3 egg whites
- 9 ounces blueberries
- 2 3.4 ounce boxes of instant lemon pudding
- 4 cups whole milk
- 8 ounces whipped topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, place the white cake mix (reserving 2 tablespoons for later), water, oil, and egg whites. Mix on low for 30 seconds, and mix on medium for 2 minutes with an electric hand mixer.1 box white cake mix, 1 cup water, 1/3 cup vegetable oil, 3 egg whites
- Toss blueberries with the remaining 2 tablespoons of cake mix in a small bowl. Fold in blueberries into batter.9 ounces blueberries
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle a few more blueberries on top for a pretty presentation, optional.
- Bake per the directions on the back of the box until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack.
- With a rounded wooden spoon handle, poke holes all over the cake about 1 inch apart. If the cake starts to accumulate on the handle, just wipe it off.
- For the pudding layer, mix pudding with milk in a large bowl, just until it starts to thicken. You want it to be pourable.2 3.4 ounce boxes of instant lemon pudding, 4 cups whole milk
- Pour the pudding mixture, concentrating on filling all the holes first, then smooth out the rest on top of the cake.
- Cover and place in the fridge for 2 hours.
- Top with whipped topping and chill in the fridge for an additional 2 hours. Slice and serve.8 ounces whipped topping
Video
Notes
- Allow the cake to fully cool before poking the holes. This prevents the cake from crumbling.
- When you pour the pudding over the cake, be sure to do it immediately after mixing it. If the pudding sets, it won’t seep into the holes as well.
- Don’t skip the step of tossing the blueberries in the dry ingredients! This helps the blueberries to evenly distribute in the cake.
- Make sure to refrigerate the cake for at least an hour before serving. This allows the pudding to set.
- Use a cake pan with high sides to hold all the delicious lemon pudding.
- Serve this cake chilled. It enhances the refreshing flavors of the blueberries and lemon.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
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Yes you can use whole eggs in place of the egg whites.
This looks divine I can’t wait to make it this weekend as one of the desserts for a baby shower! Can you use whole eggs instead of just egg whites?
You could, I never tried it so I can’t say it would be too much lemon or not
Could you use a lemon cake mix or would that be too much lemon?
Yes, that was answered in the body of the post, thaw and drain
My comment below went wacky! I asked if I thaw the frozen blueberries???