Description
A cheerful, pastel-layered cake that soaks up vanilla pudding for extra-moist slices, then gets crowned with whipped cream, coconut “grass,” and candy eggs — perfect for your Easter table.
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 box (15.25 oz) white cake mix
- 3 large egg whites
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ¾ cup whole milk
Pudding layer
- 1 box (5.1 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
- 2 ¾ cups whole milk
Whipped topping & finishing
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
- Easter sprinkles, mini chocolate eggs, or other festive candy (optional)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch glass or metal pan and set it aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cake mix, egg whites, oil, Greek yogurt, and milk until smooth — about two minutes of beating.
Divide the batter evenly into three bowls and tint each with a tiny amount of gel food coloring (pink, yellow, and blue work great). Drop spoonfuls of each color into the pan, alternating shades, then run a butter knife through the dollops once or twice for a soft marbled look. Bake 23–28 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Let the cake cool completely in the pan.
Bold tip: use gel food coloring for bright pastels without thinning the batter.
Using the handle of a wooden spoon (or a chopstick), poke holes across the cake about 1–1.5 inches apart. Wiggle the spoon gently so holes widen slightly — this helps the pudding seep down. In a bowl, whisk the instant pudding mix with 2 ¾ cups cold milk until it thickens (about 2 minutes). Pour the pudding slowly over the cake, spreading it so it pushes into the holes and covers the top. Cover the pan and chill 60–90 minutes, or longer, until the pudding sets.
Bold tip: poke deep enough to let pudding reach the center, but don’t go all the way through.
Beat the heavy cream with the granulated sugar on medium-high until stiff peaks form (roughly 2 minutes). Spread the whipped cream over the chilled pudding layer. Sprinkle on shredded coconut, sprinkles, and mini eggs to decorate. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before slicing — overnight yields the cleanest pieces.
FYI: If you plan to serve this more than 12 hours later, consider using stabilized whipped cream or a tub of whipped topping to keep it fluffy.
Notes
- Notes & tips
- Egg whites only: Using whites keeps the cake very pale so the pastel dyes show up nicely. Save the yolks for breakfast!
- Don’t over-swirl the batter. Too much mixing muddles the colors.
- To test doneness: stick a toothpick in the center — it should come out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.
- Make-ahead: You can assemble the cake a day in advance; just wait to add delicate toppings until you serve.
- Storage: Keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. For longer storage, freeze individual slices wrapped tightly; thaw in the fridge.
- Substitutions: Swap coconut for toasted coconut or omit it entirely. Use chocolate pudding for a richer twist.
- Bold tip: chill the cake well before topping and slicing — it keeps layers neat and makes serving cleaner.
Nutrition
- Calories: 496kcal
- Sugar: 36g
- Sodium: 399mg
- Fat: 30g
- Carbohydrates: 52g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 7g
- Cholesterol: 54mg