Hands Down The Best Cake Filling You'll Ever Eat

Cake Filling

Get ready. 

Yes, I know the haters will say this is trash. HA! You make and decide, Boo!

As always, if you'd rather not read the jibber jabber, hit that "jump to recipe" tab and get to nomming.

Hands Down The Best Cake Filling You'll Ever Eat

I'm telling y'all (again!): this is hands down the best cake filling you'll ever eat!

I'm gonna need you to calm yerself before you gaze upon it's creamy light deliciousness.

Ready?

GO!

Hands Down The Best Cake-Filling You'll Ever Eat #cakefilling #bestcakefilling #cake #desserts #ohmrstucker

Don't you want to just grab a spoon and hide in a closet until yer done hoggin' all that cake filling goodness?

No?

WHAT?!

Come On, People - live a little!

It makes me giddy (not even kidding) ever time I see it.

The bonus is it tastes even better than it looks.

#pinkyswear

Let's take another peek:

Hands Down The Best Cake-Filling You'll Ever Eat

There's only one problem with this recipe: I have amnesia.

I have where-did-I-find-this-most-amazing-recipe amnesia.

For that I am truly sorry, because whoever created this deserves a stinkin' cake-filling medal.

Cake Filling

Hands Down The BEST You'll Ever Eat!

Ain't even kidding!

Have you ever read a recipe and were all: Oh, man - I gotta try that.

Soon.

So you grab whatever scrap piece of paper is closest and scribble down the recipe, swearing you'll get to the store, grab the necessary ingredients, and make that bad boy tomorrow?

Yeah. Me too. Twinsies!

Except it took FOREVER before I found the scribbled recipe again and then actually got to the store, grabbed the ingredients and made it.

I had tucked it into my "recipe file" (a giant notebook haphazardly stuffed with scraps of paper) and had promptly forgotten about the nommy nom nom that awaited me.

Then one day, while rummaging through the ridiculously overstuffed notebook for a completely different recipe (and swearing for the thousandth time that I would organize that hot mess), I came across my barely legible chicken scratch on an old-looking piece of paper and pulled it from the abyss to decipher and make.

Lawsy.

Cake Filling Ideas

The Story Of This Life-Changing Cake Filling

To say that day changed my cake filling ways isn't hyperbole, it's the holy truth of what actually happened.

~ clouds parting - angels singing ~

Look at this lovely bowl full of fluffy cake-filling nirvana:

Hands Down The Best Cake-Filling You'll Ever Eat

~ mouth watering...must make again ~

We'll just cut the chit-chat and get right to it, shall we?

Here's the true lowdown on what happened...

Cake Filling Flavors

Not only is this filling delicious on its own, it's ripe for change.

As soon as I made the cake filling, and knew it was gold, my brain immediately started to play around with it for modifications:

  • Cut up fruit and add to filling.
  • Add mini chocolate chips.
  • Flavors, so many flavors of pudding available to try!
  • One flavor filling to fill the cake - another to top the cake.
  • Use on cupcakes!
  • Pancake, waffles and French Toast filling!
  • Make and hide in the back of your fridge - for your spoon only!

Hands Down The Best Cake-Filling You'll Ever Eat

How Cake Filling Changed My Baking Life

* Years ago, I found a filling that spoke to me on paper, but I never got around to making it. I copied it and tucked it away, until now.

* I had a new cake recipe that I wanted to try.

* I thought I'd try the filling too.

* Turned out the filling was so good that I didn't frost the cake, I simply used the filling to fill and top the cake.

* We almost fainted from the sheer joy and deliciousness.

Full Disclosure: We didn't come near to fainting, but if I could have, I would have.

* After I filled and topped the cake, we licked the container clean that held the filling.

Like kids. I had it on my fingers and face and shirt.

I ain't ashamed.

* We ate a piece of cake each and fell in love. With the cake-filling. Cause we're already in love with each other.

Just thought I should clarify.

But, totally feed this to someone whose affection you seek.

It should do the job.

[Tweet "Yep. Cake filling. I'm practically hyperventilating over cake filling. "]

Picky Eaters

This Amazing Cake Filling Concoction For Other's Joy.

My MIL is a picky picky sweets eater and in her later years has taken to a softer foods.

Enter the best cake-filling modified as her fav: banana pudding.

I simply make use the vanilla pudding mix, then add banana slices and finely crumbled vanilla wafers as a topping.

Add a spoon and she's in!

Currently, this is her all time fav sweet to eat.

People. Try this filling. DO IT!

I soooo want to link where I found this bit of cake-filling nirvana, but I don't know to whom the credit belongs.

THANK YOU, ANONYMOUS STRANGER!

If y'all will excuse me, I need to go make filling.

No cake.

Just filling.

Cake Filling Heaven

Sweet sweet filling of the cakes!

Go on now - get to whippin' and stirrin' and lickin' of the spoonin's!

Easy Cake Filling

How Easy Is It To Make This Cake Filling?

Can your pour?

Can you stir?

Can you fold in one more ingredient?

Yes, to all?

That's how easy it is to make.

Let's quit messin' around and get to pouring, stirring and folding.

Custard Cake Filling

Do You Love A Custard Cake Filling?

Have you ever made custard for filling a cake?

There's the heating of milk and carefully adding the eggs - don't add too fast! Do you want to ruin it and have to start all over again?! Sheesh.

There's the constant stirring and babying the mixture.

While the finished product is delicious, you may not have time for the drama, mama!

Honestly, this is as close as you'll get with minimal time and mess.

Let me backtrack just a hair - have you ever had a giant Costco custard filled sheet cake?

You know the ones. They could feed a village and you could still send everyone home with leftovers.

Oh, momma!

I tell anyone who will listen (THAT'S YOU!) that I could eat that filling straight from the vat. 

For my next birthday, y'all can skip the cake (SACRILEGE!) and simply bring me a spoon and a tub o'filling from Costco!

It's addicting.

It's lip-smacking.

It's spoon licking goodness.

As. Is. This. Best. Cake. Filling.

You know you can trust me on this.

Vanilla Cake Filling

Use The Vanilla As A Chocolate Cake Filling

I've used this filling, the vanilla flavor, mostly in my chocolate cakes; the light flavor and texture is perfectly paired with a robust and dense chocolate cake.

Witness:

chocolate cake with white icing and jimmes on orange plate

This is one of the most simple and, dare I say, elegant ways to present a cake.

Simply fill in between the layers and then top cake with filling.

For a fun splash, you can top the cake with anything your imagination offers.

Nothing on a cake says OH MY GOSH, THIS IS GONNA BE GOOD! like a sprinkling of, well, sprinkles.

For my chocolate cakes, I like the delicious crunch and fun appearance of jimmies.

JIMMIES!  (Commonly Known As Sprinkles)

Who doesn't love jimmies?  WHO?!

Fun Fact: Jimmies are the granddaddy of ice cream toppings, and credit for their creation is claimed by Brigham’s, a Boston-area ice cream company in business since 1914. Company records don’t reveal why the miniature chocolate rods (outsiders call them “sprinkles”) were dubbed jimmies. 

Honestly, when I was research I was surprised to learn this fact; I thought the term belonged to the South.

Alrighty, y'all - enough jibber-jabber: To the recipe!

Note: I have included a printable recipe card below for yer stuff-and-forget into your "recipe file" needs. Aren't I swell?

cake filling in a blue bowl

Hands Down the Best Cake Filling You'll Ever Eat

Ingredients:

  • 1 3.9 ounce box vanilla instant pudding mix.
  • 1  cup of milk (use only half the milk called for on box)
  • 1 ½ – 2 cups Cool Whip or whipped heavy cream

Instructions:

  1. Whisk pudding mix with milk.
  2. Place in fridge for about 5 minutes to set.
  3. Fold in Cool Whip or whipped heavy cream (I used 1 ½ cups Cool Whip - one normal-sized tub)
  4. Makes enough to fill and top a two-layer cake.

Note:

Once cake is filled and topped, eat immediately - or - cover and refrigerate.

cake filling in a blue bowl

 

cake filling in blue bowl

Hands Down The Best Cake-Filling You'll Ever Eat

Yield: Enough to fill and top a two-layer cake
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Additional Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

Hands down the best light and fluffy cake-filling I've ever made or eaten. Get ready for a cake-filling, cupcake-topping, spoon-eating recipe to end all recipes.

4.4 Stars (1141 Reviews)

Ingredients

  • 1 3.9 ounce box vanilla instant pudding mix.
  • 1 cup of milk
  • 1 ½ – 2 cups Cool Whip or whipped heavy cream

Instructions

  1. Whisk pudding mix with milk.
  2. Place in fridge for about 5 minutes to set.
  3. Fold in Cool Whip or whipped heavy cream (I used 1 ½ cups Cool Whip - one normal-sized tub)
  4. Makes enough to fill and top a two-layer cake.

Notes

Once cake is filled and topped, eat immediately - or - cover and refrigerate.

Options:

* Cut up fruit and add to filling.

* Add mini chocolate chips.

* Flavors, so many flavors of pudding available to try!

* One flavor filling to fill the cake – another to top the cake.

* Use on cupcakes!

* Pancake, waffles and French Toast filling!

IMPORTANT: The nutritional info does not take into account how much per spoonful you sneak.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 slice cake
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 97Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 55mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 0gSugar: 4gProtein: 2g

Nutrition information can vary.

Original Post: October 2, 2017. Updated: May 2, 2025

Tired of searching for a popular OMT! recipe?

Rest yer weary fingers.

Except to click on the image.

You still have enough strength for that.

COME ON!

YOU CAN DO IT!

 

If you liked this cake filling post, here are three others you might like!

The Best 1-2-3-4 Cake Recipe You’ll Ever Make

The 1 2 3 4 Cake is an American classic. If you've never tried it, you're missing out on cake history!

a 1-2-3-4 cake on a white cake pedestal

The Best Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake

Truly a Texas classic. This cake cures homesickness, soothes a broken heart, and is offered at every event imaginable in the South.

Doesn't hurt that it's addictive!

A cut piece of The Best Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake

Manhattan Cheesecake is the Last Cheesecake Recipe You'll Ever Need

Folks in New York love this cheesecake and now you can too. It's our family go-to for birthdays.

It takes a bit of time to make, but it's not difficult (hardest part is letting it sit in fridge overnight for the flavors to marry).

a closeup of a slice of cheesecake on a plate

Now you have four great recipes to try!

Thank you for reading and trying this recipe: Hands Down The Best Cake Filling You'll Ever Eat

Tell me what you think!

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387 Comments

  1. I have been using this as an easy cream filling for cream puffs, napoleons, eclairs, Boston Cream pie. Sometimes I add 1 softened block of cream cheese and 1/4 cup sugar to it and make a pie. Found her recipe 14 yrs ago in Country Cooking mag. I use the 11/2cups heavy cream whipped. Everybody at church looks forward to cream puffs.

      1. I found where I got recipe from: Taste of Home magazine. But I actually first tried a most delicious 3 layer chocolate torte in same section
        I really recommend trying this. And I use the icing recipe for other things, even as a cannoli filling
        Bavarian Torte
        1 1/2 package (18 1/4 oz) Devils food cake mix without pudding
        1 package 8 oz. Philly cream cheese
        2/3 cup packed brown sugar or 1/3 + 1/3 white and brown
        1 teaspoon vanilla extract
        1/8 tsp salt
        2 1/2 cups whipping cream whipped

        Bake cake according to directions. Cool on wire racks.
        In mixing bowl beat cream cheese, salt, sugar until fluffy
        Whip cream and fold into mixture.
        Split each cake in half. Put icing in between layers and then cover whole
        cake in rest of icing

        1. Just my preference, but I never cared for CoolWhip. Homemade whipped cream is best. A littl= ironic since I used boxed pudding mix. LOL

  2. I haven't made this yet but I will! I think it would be good put into individual tart cups/those little Graham cracker crusts and topped with fresh fruit. Kids want them right now lol.

  3. It’s tough to believe some of the titles on the Pinterest posts, best ever blah, blah, blah BUT you guys aren’t kidding when you say this is GOLD! It absolutely it the best ever and I’m glad I happened upon your post! I’m just sad I didn’t know about this before and that I didn’t buy more cool whip ?

  4. If you want a great chocolate filling, which can be eaten as a mousse also, try this:
    Beat 1 small box chocolate pudding with 2 c. HEAVY WHIPPING CREAM. Chill. Beat again 1 minute to fluffy. Serve it as a mousse or use as a cake filling, cupcake frosting,...

  5. I learned about something like this by accident when I was a chef! I was out of milk and needed pie filling so I mixed chocolate instant pudding mix with heavy cream. whisked slowly til the powder dissolved and then whipped til fluffy, makes awesome cream filling even more fluffy and a solid no-ooze cream pie. Again, possibilities are endless! vanilla pudding for eclairs/ eclair cake, bake two whole puff pastry sheets till golden split in half, layer filling between, and pour melted chocolate over the top. chill til service and slice gently with a sharp serrated knife.

  6. This has been part of my family’s favorite dessert for Thanksgiving...used in an apple pie. Bake crust and cool. Layer this most delicious pudding in the bottom of the pie. Add canned pie apples on top of the cream. Top the pie with whipped cream and lightly dust with cinnamon. I could so go for some right now!

  7. Back in the 80,s we did this as pie filling lemon, chocolate, coconut, butterscotch, banana in a chocolate cookie crust was awesome, any crust, any flavor pudding we used half the cool whip to cover top of pie instead of meringue, we toasted the coconut to garnish the top,I thing we even did a pineapple too . Endless possibilities.

  8. Is this filling stable? Will it withstand the weight of a three layer cake? Is it stable enough for cupcakes that have to sit out for a while?

    1. To be honest, I haven't had the filling last long, EVER'ONE EAT!, so I have no idea.

      I've only done a two-layer.

      If you do a three-layer and it holds, come back and fill (snort) us in!

  9. Wow, so many interesting comments. I am going to try to copy this. For health reasons I can not eat sugar or artificial sugar, but maybe I could make a very thick pudding and mix with some whip cream. Crossing fingers. Sounds very good.

    1. Have you tried it with natural sweetener, stevia? It's a plant and comes in a granulated form also like sugar but without any harmful effects. Blessings.

  10. What I have done with this is put the pudding, cool whip and a 8 oz can of crushed pineapple in a stand mixer and whip it until the pudding is blended in well and it makes a great filling and frosting. I do a yellow cake and layer mandarin orange slices over the top of the batter and bake then use this frosting. My son’s requested birthday cake every year!

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