Perfectly Easy Vanilla Pudding Cake
Vanilla pudding bundt cake has a warm, sweet flavor and a perfectly moist crumb, thanks to the addition of instant pudding to a box of cake mix.
Vanilla pudding cake is moist and tender and tastes bakery fresh thanks to a few simple shortcuts and a well-stocked pantry.
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I’ve always been a chocolate girl. In fact, I have more than ten different chocolate cake recipes on this site!
But I have to admit…if a slice of this decadent and moist vanilla cake made with a cake mix were placed beside a slice of chocolate cake, I’d have a really tough decision to make!
That’s because this vanilla pudding bundt cake has a warm, sweet, rounded flavor that’s comforting but not overly rich.
It’s a delicious cake on its own, but also pairs well with fresh fruits or a dollop of whipped cream.
And of course, if you truly must appease the chocolate lovers, you can always drizzle the top with a bit of chocolate cream cheese icing.
Using a box mix makes this vanilla cake a cinch to throw together. It’s as tasty as my made-from-scratch vanilla mayonnaise cake with half the work.
The addition of instant pudding makes it incredibly moist. I love making cakes with pudding mixes to produce a tender, moist cake with extra flavor, too!
No matter how you serve it, it’s sure to be a winner–and may even win over a few die-hard chocolate fans, too! 🙂
If you prefer a cake made from scratch, try this vanilla pudding pound cake recipe instead!
More Fabulous Cakes Made with a Cake Mix:
- Vanilla Pudding Dump Cake
- Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Easiest Lemon Cake
- Southern Apricot Nectar Cake
- Pumpkin Bundt Cake
Easy Vanilla Cake Made With Vanilla Pudding
Even when you use a box mix, homemade cakes never seem to taste like a bakery-style cake. If you want a moist, dense cake with distinct vanilla flavor, the proof is in the pudding. Literally.
Adding a powdered instant pudding mix to a cake batter is the perfect way to doctor a cake mix to get that bakery flavor and texture.
It’s not as dense as a pound cake, but is the perfect crowd-pleasing delicious dessert.
I always stock up on cake mixes and instant pudding when they go on sale.
That way, I’m always ready to mix up a luscious cake by combining the mixes and adding a few pantry staples.
It’s a quick and inexpensive way to make an easy cake that tastes like it came from a bakery (I even make chocolate chip cookies with pudding mix!).
How to Make Vanilla Pudding Cake
It’s really easy to make this moist vanilla cake.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- French Vanilla Cake Mix
- Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
- Eggs
- Warm Water
- Vegetable Oil
- Sour cream
- Vanilla extract
- Powdered Sugar (optional)
How to Make It:
(Full printable recipe card is available below)
Prepare the equipment. First, you’ll grease a bundt pan well and preheat the oven to 325F.
Mix the batter. Next, you’ll combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water, oil, sour cream, and vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
Mix on low to medium speed for about 30 seconds to combine, then scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat for about 2 minutes.
Bake the cake. Then, you’ll pour batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake for about 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Garnish and serve. Last, you’ll remove cake from oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Gently slide a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake, then invert cake pan onto a plate.
Cool completely, then dust with powdered sugar if desired and serve. If you’d like, add some fresh berries and Cool Whip, or a scoop of ice cream!
Notes and Adaptations:
- If you can’t find french vanilla cake mix, regular vanilla boxed cake mix will work fine as well. You can even use plain yellow cake mix, for a slightly different flavor.
- You can use instant vanilla pudding mix or instant french vanilla pudding mix, depending on what you can find.
- If you’d like a cream cheese icing to drizzle on the cake, you can beat together 4 oz softened cream cheese, 2 TBSP softened butter, and 1 cup powdered sugar. Then mix in up to 6 TBSP milk until desired consistency is reached. Drizzle over warm cake.
- If you’d like a lemon glaze to brush onto the cake, whisk together 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 3 TBSP fresh lemon juice, and 1/4 tsp vanilla extract. Drizzle over or brush onto a warm cake and let it soak into the cake.
- Leftovers can be stored, covered, at room temperature.
Recommended Equipment:
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- Bundt pan
- Powdered sugar shaker
Vanilla Pudding Cake
This moist and tender vanilla pudding cake is so easy to make, thanks to some simple shortcuts.
Ingredients
- 15.25-oz french vanilla cake mix
- 3.4-oz instant vanilla pudding mix
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup warm water
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- optional: powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Grease a bundt pan well and preheat oven to 325F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer), combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water, oil, sour cream, and vanilla extract.
- Mix on low speed for about 30 seconds to combine, then scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat for about 2 minutes.
- Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake for about 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove cake from oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Gently slide a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake, then invert cake pan onto a plate.
- Cool completely, then dust with powdered sugar if desired and serve.
Notes
- If you can't find french vanilla cake mix, regular vanilla cake mix will work fine as well.
- If you'd like a cream cheese icing to drizzle on the cake, you can beat together 4 oz softened cream cheese, 2 TBSP softened butter, and 1 cup powdered sugar. Then mix in up to 6 TBSP milk until desired consistency is reached. Drizzle over warm cake.
- If you'd like a lemon glaze to brush onto the cake, whisk together 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 3 TBSP fresh lemon juice, and 1/4 tsp vanilla extract. Drizzle over or brush onto a warm cake and let it soak into the cake.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 303Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 397mgCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 0gSugar: 33gProtein: 3g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.
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Used a funfetti cake mix, butter instead of oil and the lemon drizzle topping w/ sprinkles. Kids loved every bite. Thank you for the easy recipe!
Thanks for sharing your tweaks, Safia! So glad it was a hit with your family! 🙂
This is the best cake I’ve ever made! Thankyou for the amazing recipe. You made me look like an accomplished baker with little effort and a wonderful outcome!
Thank you so much, Tiffany! That’s the best compliment! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
I made this cake using a coconut cake mix, coconut pudding, coconut extract, and added about 1/2 cup toasted coconut. It was so moist and dense! Most likely one of the best I’ve ever made! Next time I going to use lemon/lemon or chocolate/chocolate!
Hi Joyce! Thanks for sharing your tweaks–your coconut version sounds amazing! I’ll have to give that a try next time. 🙂
Total crap. Followed directions and ingredient portions as she listed. Batter seemed a bit thin (compared to the many pudding cakes I have made. Couldn’t remember exact ingredient list, so google’d and found this recipe). Poured into my well greased bundt pan and baked 325° for 48 minutes. Clean toothpick test – perfect. Let it cool for listed time and used very small rubber spatula to separate edge from pan. Flipped over onto plate held to bottom and cake literally disintegrated onto plate. Never use this recipe again.
Hi Gene! I’m sorry to hear the cake didn’t work out for you–I know how frustrating that can be. It definitely shouldn’t be falling apart. One thing to check is to make sure you have the right size cake mix, as some companies have begun reducing the size of their cake mixes, which could make a difference. I used a 15.25-oz mix, but some mixes sold now are 13.25-oz.
Yes, a lot of cake mixes are 13.25- then how much water, oil, sour cream eggs, pudding, if youcan please let me know adjusted amounts, thanks
Hi Zed! I haven’t tested the recipe yet with 13.25-oz cake mixes, because I am still able to easily find 15.25-oz mixes in my local grocery stores. Some people “upsize” a smaller box of mix by adding 6 tablespoons from a second mix. So they will buy the extra box of cake mix, dump it into an airtight container, and scoop out extra cake mix when needed to compensate for the smaller boxes. It’s not ideal, but it’s a workaround!
Could this work as a jello poke cake as well and then add lemon glaze.?
Hi Judy! I haven’t tried that myself, but I’m betting it would work well. If you do give it a try, I’d love to hear how it turned out for you! 🙂
Hi Christi …WOW…Now lm ready for “HELLS KITCHEN” lm so impressed with myself, l know I’m going to be upset at myself, my husband any me ate the whole cake during Super Bowl, l think we had more fun than “THE SWIFTIES” Thank you can’t wait for my next “ BAKE OFF”.
Haha!! I’m so glad you and your husband enjoyed the cake, Colleen! Everyone needs an easy recipe like this up their sleeve. 🙂
Do you have to use sour cream cheese
Hi James! The sour cream helps with giving the cake a moist texture. If you don’t have any on hand, you can use plain Greek yogurt instead. You can technically omit it, and it will still be tasty, but not quite as moist. I hope that helps! 🙂
Great recipe! I used regular white Duncan Hines cake mix, lemon pudding, and strawberry Greek yogurt! Very summery and fresh! Delish! Thanks!
Thank you for sharing, Elsa! Those tweaks sound delicious! 🙂
I made this into cupcakes. Used lower sugar vanilla cake mix. With the yogurt instead of sour cream. Baked sane aboutv25 minutes for 15 Large cupcakes. Topped with lower sugar chocolate frosting. Shared with neighbor and husband. They Loved! I Loved! Going to use with many varieties of flavors.
Thank you for sharing your tweaks, Donna! I love knowing there’s a way to make it a little healthier. Your neighbors are so lucky! 🙂
I used cheesecake instant pudding and applesauce instead of oil. Wow ..it was excellent..baked in a pretty bundt pan and put cherries in the hole and a lemon drizzle over cake. Thank you for this recipe.
Thank you so much, Nancy! I’m glad you enjoyed it–and thank you for sharing your tweaks–those additions sound amazing! 🙂
Hi,
I loved your box cake mix recipe with pudding mix. How can I make this without eggs ?
Hi Sapna! I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake! I haven’t tried making it without eggs, but you could try using 2 tablespoons of egg replacer (such as Bob’s Red Mill brand). You could also try substituting applesauce for the eggs. The general rule of thumb is to use about 1/4 cup of applesauce for each egg you’re substituting. The texture won’t be exactly the same, but hopefully that helps give you some other options! 🙂
Can you use yogurt instead of sour cream?
Hi Pam! I think plain Greek yogurt (or vanilla Greek yogurt) would work fine. Enjoy! 🙂
So Delicious Chrysti, Thank you very much for this recipe. I made for my husband and he loved it so made for neighbor who had surgery, then made it again for my Mother in law for Mothers day. Today I’m making it again on a cool day here in Michigan. Each time I’ve made with the cream cheese glaze. Today just gonna try the powdered sugar.
Raving reviews from all I made this for!!!!!! I’ll keep coming back for sure.
Renee’
Thank you so much, Renee’! This is the best kind of compliment. And your friends and family are so lucky to have someone to make them yummy baked goods! 🙂