Ambrosia poke cake is loaded with all of the flavors of the classic creamy fruit salad in cake form. It is super moist, has a fun retro vibe, and tastes amazing.
If you are looking for a refreshing cake to make, you are in the right place. This condensed milk poke cake is filled with pineapple and orange goodness, and it’s topped with coconut and cherries reminiscent of ambrosia fruit salad.
The only thing it is missing is the grapes. You can serve them on the side if you want to check all of the boxes. 😉
This recipe started because I saw a recipe for an ambrosia cake. But it barely had any orange in it and no pineapple.
That just didn’t seem right at all. I knew I could do better.
So I combined parts of pig pickin’ cake with pineapple poke cake and a little bit of layered fruit salad to make this fabulous mash up.
It may sound complicated, but it is really quite simple. The base is a yellow cake mix with a can of mandarin oranges and some sour cream mixed in.
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That gets the orange flavor started, but it keeps going when you poke holes in the hot cake and pour a mixture of sweetened condensed milk and orange juice concentrate over the cake. The mixture soaks in kind of like tres leches cake and gives the most fabulous texture and more flavor.
You know I love recipes with sweetened condensed milk, so I couldn’t help myself!
The frosting is made from crushed pineapple, vanilla pudding, and Cool Whip. So it is light and airy with bits of fruit and great vanilla flavor.
A little shredded coconut and some maraschino cherries finish it off. That not only gets you most of the flavors from ambrosia, but it also gives it such a cool vintage look.
You can toast the coconut if you want. I love the flavor of toasted coconut, but for some reason the snow white coconut just seemed like the right visual here.
Storage tips
With all of the dairy and fruit in this cake, you will want to store it in the refrigerator. If your cake pan has a lid, use that.
Otherwise, cover your cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for up to five days. The cake is delicious and refreshing chilled, making it perfect for summer parties and family reunions.
However, it is wonderful any time of year. Freezing is not recommended as it will change the texture of the final cake.
Ambrosia Poke Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 15.25 ounce yellow cake mix
- 15 ounce can mandarin oranges undrained
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup sour cream
Soak
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 2 Tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate
Topping
- 3 ounce vanilla instant pudding mix
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- 8 ounces crushed pineapple undrained
- 8 ounces Cool Whip
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 12 maraschino cherries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉ and grease a 9×13-inch pan.
- In a large bowl, mix together 15.25 ounce yellow cake mix, 15 ounce can mandarin oranges (including the liquid), 3 large eggs, and ¾ cup sour cream. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Transfer batter to prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the center bounces back when lightly touched with a finger.
- In a small bowl, stir together the 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk and 2 Tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate.
- Use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes over the top of the hot cake. Pour the orange condensed milk mixture over the cake, spreading it to coat the cake evenly. Cool completely.
- When the cake is cooled, stir together the 2 Tablespoons milk, 3 ounce vanilla instant pudding mix, and 8 ounces crushed pineapple in a medium bowl.
- Fold in 8 ounces Cool Whip and spread over the cake.
- Sprinkle 1 cup shredded coconut over the frosting and place a cherry in the center of where each slice will be. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Store leftover cake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Feel free to toast the coconut for the topping if you would like, or omit if you don’t like coconut.
- If you like a little crunch, add some chopped pecans to the pineapple topping.
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It sounded so delicious but final product was horrible. Biggest thing was the instant pudding and ONLY 2 TBL of milk? I had a huge sticky mess that did not mix well with pineapple or whipped topping. Is there a typo in the instructions?
No, it’s correct. Between the pineapple juice from the can and the milk, there should be plenty of liquid. A lot of recipes that use a similar frosting (like pig pickin’ cake) don’t add any milk. Just pineapple, pudding mix, and Cool Whip.
Thanks Carlee: This is just what i have been looking for at our get to gathers. Can’t wait untill nx time.
I hope you enjoy it!
been looking for this recipe ever since I was a kid. Finally found the one that reminded me of the one my Mamaw made. Tips: toast the coconut and fold in the chopped pecan to the pineapple topping (just before adding the toasted coconut on top). you can also cut up the maraschino cherries and fold them in instead of placing on top. that’s what my Mamaw did. that cake was perfect!
How fun!! I love helping people find recipes from their childhood. Your mamaw’s cake sounds amazing. I am glad I could help you get close.
I love ambrosia and this cake looks fabulous!
Thank you!
This is a cake to die for. What a lovely cake to serve at your Thanksgiving table. Every bite of this Cake is delicious.
I am so glad you liked it!