Carrot Cake Poke Cake

Carrot Cake Poke Cake: This quick and easy version of a classic carrot cake recipe is made with a box cake mix and has a light whipped frosting that makes this cake irresistible!

Quick Overview: Mix cake ingredients, bake at 350° for 28-30 mins. Prepare pudding mix, poke holes and pour pudding over cake; chill. Make frosting and spread over cake. Serve & enjoy!

 

Carrot cake is a classic for good reason – it’s a moist cake that’s full of spice and flavor! This would be the perfect cake to enjoy in the fall, or around Easter but it’s sure to be a hit anytime.

If you’re a fan of carrot cake desserts, this old-fashioned carrot cake recipe and these no bake carrot cake rice krispie treats are fun to try next.

Why You’ll Love This Carrot Walnut Cake Recipe

This easy cake recipe uses a cake mix and French Vanilla instant pudding to make a quick, easy, and delicious carrot cake in no time! Traditional carrot cakes have a cream cheese frosting, but this quick version has a light, fluffy powdered sugar frosting that you’ll love (trust me, this might just be the best carrot cake recipe ever).

Jump to:

• Why You’ll Love This Carrot Walnut Cake Recipe
• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Storage
• Expert tips and FAQs
• Related Recipes
• Recipe
• Comments

Ingredients

• 1 – 15.25 ounce Duncan Hines Spice cake mix
• 1 – 3.4 ounce instant Jello French Vanilla pudding mix (this is the secret ingredient that creates a super moist texture)
• 1 cup shredded carrots (about 2 good sized carrots)
• ½ cup chopped walnuts (plus extra for garnishing)
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup oil

Pudding

• 1 – 3.4 ounce Jello French Vanilla pudding mix
• 3 cups milk

Frosting

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 4 tablespoons powdered sugar (aka icing sugar)

See the printable recipe card below for exact quantities and step-by-step instructions.

Instructions

How to make carrot walnut cake

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Butter a 9×13 dish or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside. 
3. In a large bowl, pour the cake mix, instant French vanilla pudding, carrots, and walnuts. Mix until all ingredients are combined using a Danish dough hook, a fork, or a whisk. You can also do this in the bowl of an electric mixer on low speed.

4. Add the eggs, milk, and oil to the flour mixture. Mix until the wet mixture and flour mixture are fully combined. For this step you can use the paddle attachment of a stand mixer on medium speed, a hand mixer, or just mix by hand with a wooden spoon. 

5. Pour the carrot cake batter into the prepared 9×13 dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 28 to 30 minutes or until the edges are set and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Note: If you use a different cake mix than I did the baking time and temperature may be different. 

6. Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack (you could prepare the pudding while you wait). With the handle of a wood spoon or a straw poke holes all over the cake. 

Making the Pudding Mix

1. Mix the ingredients for the pudding (milk and instant French Vanilla pudding mix). 
2. Gently pour over the cake. 

3. Place the cake in the freezer for 10 minutes to allow the pudding to firm up (just enough time to make the frosting). If you don’t want to freeze it, you can let it set at room temperature for an hour or longer so the pudding can firm up. 

Making the Frosting

1. Pour the cold, heavy cream in a clean bowl of a stand mixer or mixing bowl if you are using a hand mixer and whip on high until you get soft peaks (approximately 2 to 3 minutes).
2. Add the sugar and mix until you get stiff peaks.
3. Carefully spread the creamy frosting over the entire cake layer with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.

4. Sprinkle walnuts on top of the cake, serve, and enjoy!

Substitutions

Need to make a substitution? Here are my suggestions…

• Carrots – If you don’t have carrots or have a carrot allergy, you can try using grated sweet potato instead!
• Walnuts – I love walnuts in carrot cake, but you could use your favorite nut in its place. Almonds, pecans, or even hazelnuts would be delicious!
• Milk – I used 2% milk in this recipe, but you could replace it with whole milk, 1% milk, or even a non-dairy milk.
• Oil – You can use your favorite oil (vegetable, canola oil, grapeseed oil, coconut oil).

Variations

If you are looking to make a few additions or changes to this recipe, I have a few suggestions! Why not try…

• Adding Raisins – I know this one is a bit of a love it or not a fan, but for me it’s a love! I love raisins in carrot cake, and if you do too feel free to mix some in!
• Make Carrot Cake Cupcakes – Instead of making this recipe in a 9×13 pan, you could make these as cupcakes. Simply mix the cake batter as the recipe says, but bake it for however long your cake mix says to bake cupcakes (or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean). Then poke a hole in each cupcake, add the pudding and chill. Top the cupcakes with frosting and nuts (or any other topping you like)!
• Spice It Up – If you like your carrot cake spicy, you can add an extra teaspoon of cinnamon to your cake mixture!

Storage

Store leftovers for 3-4 days in an airtight container in the fridge to keep it fresh.

Did you make this? I’d be so grateful if you left a “star” rating below to let me know what you thought! Then, the next time you need a quick and easy recipe, come back to Fantabulosity to browse all of my easy recipes!

Related Recipes

If you’re looking for more quick and easy cake recipes, you have to try this hot fudge cake (this one’s for the chocolate lovers, for sure) or this pumpkin poke cake (it’s a super easy recipe with only 4 ingredients)!

Originally published: June 2022
Updated and republished with video: May 2025

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