Description
Peaches and Cream Punch Bowl Cake is a delightful layered dessert featuring moist yellow cake cubes, juicy peaches, creamy vanilla pudding, and a luscious cream cheese and whipped topping mixture. This Southern American favorite is perfect for gatherings, combining the freshness of peaches with the richness of cream and sweetness of cake in an easy-to-assemble no-bake trifle.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- 1 box yellow cake mix (plus ingredients to prepare)
Fruit
- 2 cans (15 oz each) sliced peaches in juice or light syrup (drained and chopped)
Pudding
- 1 package (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
- 2 cups cold milk
Cream Mixture
- 1 container (8 oz) whipped topping (like Cool Whip)
- 1 block (8 oz) cream cheese (softened)
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare the Cake: Follow the package directions to bake the yellow cake. Once baked, allow the cake to cool completely to room temperature to ensure the cream layers do not melt or become too runny.
- Make the Pudding: In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the instant vanilla pudding mix and 2 cups of cold milk. Continue whisking until the mixture thickens, then set aside to stabilize while you prepare other components.
- Prepare the Cream Cheese Mixture: In another bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Gently fold in the whipped topping until fully incorporated, creating a light, creamy layer for the dessert.
- Cube the Cake: Cut the cooled yellow cake into 1- to 2-inch cubes, ensuring manageable bite-sized pieces for layering.
- Assemble the Layers: In a large punch bowl or trifle dish, start by layering half of the cake cubes evenly on the bottom. Next, sprinkle half of the chopped peaches over the cake. Follow with a layer of half of the thickened pudding, then spread half of the cream cheese and whipped topping mixture over the pudding.
- Repeat the Layers: Repeat the sequence with the remaining cake cubes, peaches, pudding, and cream cheese mixture to create a visually appealing layered dessert. Smooth the top with a spatula and garnish with a few peach slices if desired.
- Chill the Dessert: Cover the punch bowl or trifle dish and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, allowing the flavors to meld and layers to set before serving.
Notes
- For extra flavor, reserve a few tablespoons of the peach juice and drizzle it over the cake layers before adding the next layer for additional moisture and peachy sweetness.
- Fresh peaches can be used when in season instead of canned for a fresher taste and texture.
- For a sweeter variation, substitute canned peaches with peach pie filling.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Southern American
