Punch Bowl Cake

Classic Punch Bowl Cake with layers of sweet cherry pie filling, crushed juicy pineapples, bananas, and fluffy whipped topping. A perfect year-round dessert that looks fantastic and is easy to make ahead.

If you are looking for a go-to indulgent dessert that easily feeds a crowd, this Punch Bowl Cake is for you. It is simple, versatile, pretty, and most importantly, insanely good. 

The layers of fruit cocktail on top of vanilla pudding make a balanced sweet and refreshing combination of flavor, and the cake cubes add that soft satisfying texture.

My favorite version is the classic Southern punch bowl cake with sliced bananas, crushed pineapples, and cherry pie filling. It is the creamiest and most delicious treat for me. 

Punch Bowl Cake is one of the most versatile dessert recipes. 

It is super easy to customize for any occasion or preference: you can use your favorite berries, chocolate, or cream cheese – the possibilities, as the number of layers, are endless. 

Only simple ingredients and easy process.

What I love about this recipe is how easily you can whip it and serve a delicious sweet treat for the whole family with minimal prep and almost no baking time. 

At the same time, it is not just a boring layered cake, that makes your stomach feel heavy, it is a homemade bowl of colors, flavors, and layers of fun!

Common Questions About Punch Bowl Cake

Why Is It Called Punch Bowl Cake?

Punch cake aka cake in a bowl or Punch bowl cake is a light cake that is usually made of layers of cake pieces, jello or custard, and finally fruits and pudding. 

You may also know it as the American version of a trifle. 

And it is literally served in a punch bowl. Go big or go home!

Why You Will Love This Recipe

It Is THE dessert for a crowd or a big family.

Making and serving this cake also always means family to me. Think Sunday, the whole family comes together and shares stories, laughs, and food, and digs into this rich layered cake with happy smiles on their faces.  

Busy moms in the 70s took advantage of all the new products: cake mixes, ready-to-use puddings, and pie fillings. 

Instead of spending hours prepping, baking, and mixing something, we can now whip a cake in no time without sacrificing the taste or leaving a hole in our budgets!

Every family may have its own recipe that is passed down through generations and makes its way to the table for parties, holidays, summer barbecues or picnics, potlucks, and family reunions. 

How Many People Can This Recipe Serve? 

A punch bowl cake works amazing when you need to feed a lot of mouths saving some space for the dessert. It is a crowd-pleaser. 

Depending on the size of the portion, this recipe will be good for 12 to 15 servings, either for one party or for a few days in a big family. 

Main Ingredients For Punch Bowl Cake

This cake is very quick and easy to prep and assemble. You only need simple ingredients, and you probably have half of the list already. 

You can also customize the fruit mix as you wish, and I have some ideas for you below. 

• Cake base – the cake cubes add texture in between layers of fruit and pudding. I use a yellow cake mix, for a big bowl cake you will only need one boxed cake mix. 

• Fruit cocktail – I really think the classic combo of pineapple, bananas, and cherries is the best, but the fruit layer is easy to customize. Some people don’t love bananas or use Maraschino cherries instead of cherry pie filling. I keep things simple and use canned pineapples, fresh bananas, and canned cherry pie filling.

• Pudding – boxed instant vanilla pudding works amazing for this recipe. It is sweet, really flavored, and keeps the cake layers moist. Use Jell-o or alternatives, can be homemade as well if you have time. 

• Whipped topping – kids’ favorite part, it is light, silky, and sweet. No less than 35% fat. 

• Topping – I love adding some chopped pecans on top, they are crunchy and add texture. I toast them lightly which brings out all the nutty flavors. Use any of your favorite nuts. 

Check the full list of ingredients with the exact measurements in the recipe card.

Best Flavor Variations of Punch Bowl Cake

• Old-fashioned (the one my family likes): bananas, cherries, and pineapple. And pecans or walnuts for topping. 
• Strawberries and blueberries for the fruit layer paired with crushed pecans, coconut flakes, and/or almonds for topping. You can use both fresh berries and the strawberry or blueberry pie filling. Fresh blueberries also make beautiful toppings. Fun fact – the color combination of red strawberries and blue blueberries makes the best so-called Patriotic punch bowl cake which can be a hit for the 4th of July.
• Perfect sweet-and-sour combination is pineapples and strawberries. Goes well with vanilla pudding and nuts. 
• Chocolate punch bowl cake. Instead of the fruit mix, you go with chocolate cake mix and chocolate pudding. You can still keep the cherries if you like Black Forest type of cakes. For toppings use any nuts, fresh strawberries, or chocolate chips. 

If you want to be extra, add crushed Oreo or Reese’s. 

• Classic decadent combo: rich chocolate with fresh oranges. Sweet and citrusy. Try orange dipped in chocolate for toppings. 
• An adult-only version comes with booze. You can soak the baked cake in alcohol. Rums, amaretto, tequila, bourbon, and flavored liquors work best for this.
• Fall-inspired Punch Bowl Cake that will be perfect for Thanksgiving: apple pie filling topped with chopped walnuts.  
• Pudding variations: instead of classic vanilla pudding mix or chocolate, try lemon pudding, white chocolate pudding, or even cheesecake pudding. Lemon pudding will go so well with blueberries!

To be honest, whatever canned, frozen, or fresh fruit and berries you have, go for it! I have never seen a “bad” bowl cake in my life.

Kitchen Equipment You Need

• Large punch bowl to assemble the whole cake. If you don’t have it, don’t panic, just use a large serving bowl or a trifle bowl. 
• 9×13 baking dish to bake the cake. It is the only thing we will have to bake or cook for this recipe. 
• Medium-sized mixing bowls (we will need to mix the cake base and the pudding).
• Hand Mixer to thoroughly mix the cake base. 
• Strainer and a small bowl to drain canned pineapples.

How To Make Punch Bowl Cake

It is a foolproof recipe for an easy dessert and it will turn out exactly like your grandma or mom used to make it.

It is mostly mixing and layering and you don’t need to know any fancy baking or decorating techniques, the whole prep takes 20-30 minutes.

Step 1: Prepare the Cake Layer

1. Start by preheating the oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or butter and flour. 
2. Combine the cake mix, water, vegetable oil, and eggs in a large bowl and mix using a hand mixer until combined, scraping down the sides as needed. Follow the package directions if unsure.
3. Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking dish. 
4. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 
5. Move the baking pan from the oven to a wire rack and allow the cake to cool completely.

Step 2: Prepare The Pudding Layer

1. While the cake is baking, combine the instant pudding and milk in a mixing bowl, and whisk until the pudding thickens. 

To speed up the process, you can use a hand mixer, just set medium speed and keep mixing the pudding for about 2 minutes.

If you have a sweet tooth, add some condensed milk to the pudding mix alongside the regular milk. 

Step 3: Assemble The Cake

Split the pudding, fruits, and cake cubes into equal portions based on how many layers you’d like to have in the bowl. 

You can make as many or as little layers as you wish. This recipe makes two thick layers.

1. Cut the cooled cake into bite-sized pieces. No exact measures, but you can aim for 1-inch cubes.
2. Crumble half of the cake pieces and pat it into an even layer in the bottom of a punch bowl.
3. Spread half of the vanilla pudding mixture over the cake in an even layer.
4. Drain the pineapples. Simply place a strainer over a bowl, and with a spatula keep “folding” the pineapples until all the excess juice is drained in the bowl. 
5. Spoon half of the drained pineapple evenly on top of the pudding layer.
6. Slice the bananas. Add half of the sliced bananas over the crushed pineapple in a single layer.
7. Spread half of the cherry pie filling over the bananas, making it as even as possible.
8. Top the cherry pie filling with half of thawed whipped topping.  
9. Repeat the layers with the remaining cake, pudding, pineapple, banana, cherry pie filling, and whipped topping. 
10. Sprinkle the chopped pecans on top. 
11. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. It tastes best when served cold. 

What To Serve With Punch Bowl Cake

A punch bowl cake is a delight on its own. 

If you want to add something else, the best serving suggestion I have is vanilla ice cream! 

A cup of your favorite tea or coffee, or fruit juices and smoothies make a great drink pairing for this cake. However, when I make it at home, I go for a big cup of hot chocolate.

If you skipped the pecans for toppings or want the cake to become a real centerpiece, add some maraschino cherries on top. 

Making The Cake Ahead

Punch Bowl Cake doesn’t take much prep or cooking time but it does require proper chilling anywhere from 2 to 8 hours (or simply overnight). 

This makes it a perfect dessert you can make one day ahead and just serve when the guests arrive. 

But I do need to warn you that as it is a one-bowl dessert, and the punch bowl is quite large, you need to have enough space in your fridge. 

If you are making the Punch Bowl ahead, let it chill without the whipped cream and toppings, and add them right before serving. 

Storing Punch Bowl Cake

The cake can only be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Use plastic wrap to prevent any other food smells from soaking into the cake. 

If you keep it for longer than 3 days, the whipped topping may turn watery, the texture will be lacking, and the bananas will start turning brown. 

Unfortunately, punch bowl cake can not be frozen, otherwise, it becomes soggy and mushy. 

When you serve the leftovers the next day, use small glasses for individual servings! It will turn the bowl cake into portion-sized cute cakes. 

Tips For Making The Best Punch Bowl Cake

• Baking pans trick. If you don’t have one 9×13 baking pan or planning to make two bowl cakes, you can use two 8-inch round baking pans. 
• Use lighter punch bowls. In case you’re making this cake for a potluck, I would use a plastic transparent punch bowl. It is safer to carry and more lightweight. If you don’t own such a relic, a big serving bowl or a trifle dish of 4 quarts minimum works just fine.
• Don’t skip the chilling. The cake fully soaks up all the flavors during chilling. Leave the cake in the fridge for min 2 hours, better overnight. For best results, you can also leave the pudding mix to chill for at least 5 minutes before assembling the cake in the bowl. 
• Nuts are optional. While I love pecans on top, it is optional and you can swap them with any other nuts, fresh berries or fruits, and even chocolate chips. 
• If you will add condensed milk, use 1 can of condensed milk and 3 cups of cold milk (the original recipe calls for 4 cups of regular milk, so we are replacing one cup of milk with a can of condensed milk). Of course, you can add less to avoid an overpowering sweetness. 

More Tips and Tricks

• The temperature of the ingredients is quite important. The milk has to be cold, and the whipping topping needs time to thaw. Keeping eggs at room temperature makes it easier to mix them.
• No need to be perfect. For the cake cubes, you don’t have to be precise. You can even just tear the baked cake into small pieces. But I love how neat the cubes look so I always cut my cake. 
• For extra fluffy pudding, you can mix in some Cool Whip as the last ingredient for the pudding. 
• Always drain the pineapples. The cake is really moist because of the pudding and the natural fruit juices. That’s why if using any canned fruits or berries, drain them well. This is vital if you use canned crushed pineapple – they have a ton of liquid in that can! 
• Make two batches. Not enough space in the fridge or two parties in a row? Easy fix: split the recipe between two serving bowls! 
• Make it homemade. Everything in this recipe can be homemade. I can’t deny that homemade whipped cream is next-level good. If making homemade whipped cream, beat it until firm peaks form. The perfect consistency is easy to achieve with a hand or stand mixer with a whisk attachment. 

How To Spread The Pudding And Whipped Cream Evenly?

It is easier to spread the pudding when it is not too thick using a simple silicone flat spatula. 

Just pour the pudding in the middle and quickly push the pudding to the edges and then go around the edges to clean up. The same works for whipped topping. 

What Can I Use Instead Of A Boxed Cake Mix?

Instead of a boxed cake mix, you can use Angel food cake, which uses no butter or regular pound cake.

If you are using a boxed cake mix, swapping water with milk and vegetable oil with butter will make the cake dough richer. 

It is absolutely optional and the cake tastes amazing without this swapping but you can always try and do it your way.

How To Reduce Calories in Punch Bowl Cake?

If you’re watching your sugar intake, replace the pudding with the sugar-free lighter version, and pick fruits or berries that have less natural sugars. 

And remember that canned fruit always have sweetened syrups and added sugar.

If you love this easy dessert recipe, you’re going to love these other sweet treats too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

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Chocolate Chip Cruffins

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