Five Ingredient Cherry Pineapple Punch Bowl Cake

Punch bowl cake is also known as punch bowl dessert, a more appropriate name because it is actually not a cake, it is an impressive, layered dessert served in an old-fashioned punch bowl. In short, it is the American version of a trifle. 

This punch bowl cake consists of cubed butter cake prepared from boxed cake mix, crushed pineapple, vanilla pudding prepared from pudding mix, canned cherry pie filling, and whipped topping—all convenience food ingredients, which makes the preparation of this dessert so easy.

After assembly, the punch bowl cake needs to be chilled for several hours so all the flavors can meld. It’s the classic icebox dessert and an ideal dessert to make ahead.

Punch bowl cake feeds a crowd. You can serve it at potlucks, baby or bridal showers, church suppers, birthday parties, barbecues, and Super Bowl parties.

Variations of the punch bowl cake abound. You can use yellow cake, pound cake, or angel food cake instead of butter cake. It’s up to you whether you trim the cake or leave the crust on. Any crunchy bits will get softened as the moisture from the fruit filling seeps into the cake layer.

Since the cake is cut into cubes, punch bowl cake is also a great way to use a cake that came out of the oven lopsided or otherwise misshaped. Rather than throwing it out, you can turn it into this scrumptious dessert.

Instead of pudding, you can use a mix of cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk. For a birthday punch bowl cake, layer chocolate cake or brownies with vanilla or chocolate pudding. For fruit, you can also use blueberries, strawberries, or bananas. The fruit can be fresh, canned, or frozen. For your Fourth of July party, make a patriotic cake, layering the butter cake with white chocolate or vanilla pudding, strawberries, and blueberries.

In some old recipes, liquor was drizzled onto one layer, hence the name tipsy cake. Most recipes, including this one, are without alcohol, so they are a treat for all ages.

Except for holidays like Christmas, the use of punch bowls to serve punch at parties is mostly a relic of the past, but punch bowls are still around. The punch bowl is often a passed-down family heirloom, especially in the American South.

If you don’t have a punch bowl, no worries, serving the punch bowl cake in a trifle bowl or a large glass serving bowl is just as spectacular.