Pistachio Poke Cake

This Pistachio Poke Cake is a homemade, lower sugar version. With the choice having been made that our diets would be lower carbohydrate and low to no sugar, I decided that my Secret Recipe Club pick for this month would reflect that lifestyle as closely as possible. What came out of this was a delicious recipe that I will definitely be keeping in our files for serving at gatherings this summer!

Today's reveal day for our Secret Recipe Club is close to St. Patrick's Day so I wanted to make something that had some green to it. My assigned blog, Cupcakes with Sprinkle, is a major baking blog! I started out looking for something that was not a dessert and found a few things that I bookmarked. My number one choice being Sweet and Sour Chicken. I am still going to make that particular one because that is what Grumpy always orders when we order Chinese Take Out! I also found out that Meghan has an obsession with Chex Mix. I am amazed at the many different ways she has mixed that particular one up! I have those pinned so I have them to go back to when we are going to need something for a party or to give for gifts!

I decided to make her Poke Cake recipe. My plan was to use green jello. In thinking about making it I discussed what I was thinking with Grumpy. I told him my only issue was green jello was lime flavored. Of course, his immediate response was "Use Pistachio Pudding and make pudding poke cake instead". Ok. You all do know that Pistachio IS Grumpy's favorite ice cream flavor, correct? So, I decided that since it was still Poke Cake, this would be acceptable.

Meghan's Poke Cake is made with a cake mix. I have absolutely nothing against using a cake mix and have done it myself in the past. However, I haven't bought a cake mix in years and I really didn't want to just to make this recipe. I will admit, that while I was in the grocery store to buy the sugar free pudding and sugar free cool whip, I did look at the sugar free cake mixes but ended up passing on it. I'm very happy I did because this cake turned out pretty darned awesome!

At the end of the post are links to the other Secret Recipe Club posts for the month. Please do check them out and see what other SRC Members Cooked/Baked up this month. I have a feeling, you could be seeing a lot of green. ;)

Pistachio Pudding Poke Cake

By Shelby Law Ruttan

Published 03/10/2014

A lower-sugar version of Pistachio Pudding Poke Cake

Ingredients

• 4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
• 3 tablespoons potato starch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Splenda Sugar Blend
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, chilled so it is not liquid
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
• 1 package (4 serving size) Sugar-Free Pistachio Pudding mix
• 2 cups 1% milk
• 1-8 ounce container Sugar-Free Cool Whip

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8x8 cake pan with cooking spray.

Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup. Level with a knife. Combine flour, potato starch, salt, and baking powder. Stir with a whisk.

In another mixing bowl, combine the Splenda Sugar Blend and Coconut Oil, beating with a mixer at medium speed until blended. Mixture will be like damp sand.

Add egg and egg white, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add coconut extract to almond milk.

Add flour mixture and milk/extract mixture alternately to egg mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Pour batter into cake pan and bake in 350 degree oven for 18-23 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in the center. Cool.

Once cake has cooled, poke holes in cake using the handle of a wooden spoon. I poked the holes about 1 inch apart all around the cake.

Make pudding mix per the package directions. When thickened but still pourable, pour the pudding mix over top of the cake, spreading it out to fill up the holes. Let sit in refrigerator at least 2 hours before serving.

Prior to serving, remove cake from refrigerator and spread with cool whip. Cut into 16 pieces and serve.

Yield: 16 servings

Prep Time: 00 hrs. 15 mins.