Dole Whip Poke Cake

This Dole Whip Poke Cake will make you feel like you're standing outside the Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Room at Disneyland. It's got the yummy pineapple flavor that the traditional Dole Whip is known for...along with a soft-serve-like icing. 

Huge Dole Whip fan here. It's the Disney treat I live for. And I'm kind of a Dole Whip purist in that I will only get the pineapple flavor (which is actually the only variety at Disneyland...and DL is the originator of the 'whip, so I feel like that's what I'm ordering no matter what resort I'm at). I'm also of the Dole Whip Float persuasion (where pineapple juice is poured over the pineapple soft serve...ummm, awesomesauce, y'all). These two magical treats are served at both Disneyland and Disneyworld in Adventure Land...right outside the Enchanted Tiki Room. Check out my Dole Whip Poke Cake recipe below...which is a mouthful of Disney, y'all.

Not going to lie. This cake took me three attempts...the icing especially eluded me. The first two cakes just weren't Dole Whippy enough. This one, the icing isn't as solidified...acting like the ice cream of the Dole whip. It flows all around the cake as it's cut and is perfect to soak cake bites in.

 I'm one of those that takes a picture with her Dole Whip Float. Every. Time.

We first fell in love with Dole Whips several years ago on my kids' first visit to Disneyland. (The above photo was taken last month when we were able to Disney it up for the big 60th Anniversary celebration). I've mentioned this before, but my oldest son is Autistic. He moves from obsession to obsession...many lasting for months on end. That particular year, he was fixated on all things toucan. 
On our way out to Cali, my mother-in-law mentioned that we needed to make sure to stop by the Enchanted Tiki Room so Ben could see all the birds. (My husband and his family are from LA, so they're fairly Disney savvy). Once Ben knew such a place existed, he was obsessed with getting there...even before setting foot on the plane. 
As the gates to Disneyland opened that day, everyone around us raced for Space Mountain or Star Tours or other "big" attractions. We headed to the Enchanted Tiki Room...and had our own personal show...TWICE. We were the only ones in there and the lady working the room told us we could just stay put and watch it again, if we liked. And of course...how could we not? Benjamin absolutely loved it. We saw the show again that afternoon. And after that show, our Dole Whip tradition was born. While many people carry their Dole Whip into the Tiki Room, we grab ours upon exiting the show. It's our favorite tradition. We carried it over to Disney World, too. 
We can't sing like the birdies sing without enjoying a Dole Whip afterwards. Every time we enjoy the Tiki Room, I tear up a bit thinking about that very first experience and how my sweet Ben was just mesmerized by all of the birds. 

This cake is designed to be served cold and stored in the refrigerator.

Dole Whip Poke Cake

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Ingredients:

Cake:

• 1 box white cake mix (you'll also need the ingredients for the box's recipe, but will be replacing the water with pineapple juice)
• 1 large can pineapple juice (to use as mentioned above, and below, and to use in the icing as well)
• 2 small (4 servings each) boxes vanilla instant pudding mix 
• 1 cup milk (I use skim, only because that's what we always have)

Icing:

• 1 (16 ounce) tub whipped topping, thawed
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• additional pineapple juice from the large can in cake ingredients

Directions:

Prepare cake mix according to package directions, replacing the water with pineapple juice. Bake according the package in a 9x13 pan, sprayed with cooking spray. Allow to cool completely. Using the wrong end of the wooden spoon, poke holes all over the surface of the cake...reaching all the way to the bottom of the pan. 

Prepare pudding mixes together using 1 cup of pineapple juice and 1 1/2 cups of milk. Working quickly (so the pudding doesn't set up), spread pudding onto top of cake. Using the back of a spoon, make sure the pudding soaks into all of the poked holes. Cover and refrigerate for four hours or more. 

Prepare icing using the tub of whipped topping and combining it with the sweetened condensed milk. You'll actually break up the normal consistency of the whipped topping by beating it with a mixer (on low). It takes a lot of the air out of it, but makes the icing more like soft-serve ice cream (in my opinion). Add pineapple juice, a 1/4 cup at a time until you're satisfied with the consistency. Try not to add too much, or the icing will be too runny (it will set up a bit in the refrigerator). Ice cake with mixture (it's pourable, actually). Refrigerate at least four hours, or even overnight.

Store in refrigerator.

<CLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE VERSION> 

Cake and Dole Whips...these are a few of my favorite things (now in one!).

Now, get your whistlers ready and let's all sing like the birdies sing.
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