STRAWBERRY POKE CAKE DESSERT

I’ve got the perfect dessert to share with you today!! This classic cake always get rave reviews!

Strawberry poke cake is so easy to make. With only five ingredients, most of which are probably already sitting in your pantry, it’s a summer and spring favorite.

WHAT MAKES THIS ONE A KEEPER

• This one’s easy. Easy easy easy. No fancy footwork here. Just make sure to give it plenty of time in the refrigerator before digging in.
• This cake disappears fast. It’s a birthday dinner favorite and a definite winner at potlucks or other warm weather get-togethers.
• This is my mom’s favorite fruit dessert. It’s a definite go-to if we’re looking for anything besides chocolate.

WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU START

• Poke cake is such a simple dessert to make. Basically, you’re making a white cake from a box. After it comes out of the oven, it sits for about 5 minutes while you prepare the Jell-O mixture. Then, you poke holes in the cake and pour the Jell-O on top of the cake, followed by a generous application of Cool Whip on top of that. It’s not complicated at all, but the cake is so much better than you’d think.
• You can follow the directions on the box for preparing the cake, but I like to use milk instead of water. It makes the cake a little richer and the texture is more tender, almost like something you’d find coming out of a bakery.
• Poke the holes when the cake is warm and pour the Jell-O onto the warm cake so it seeps down through all of those little holes you’re making. If the cake is too hot the Jell-O will get gummy and if the cake is completely cooled the Jell-O won’t soak in properly. You want it to make its way through those holes and not just sit on top of the cake.
• Make sure you give it a couple hours in the refrigerator. The longer the cake sits the better it tastes. Ideally, make the cake ahead of time and let it sit in the fridge for a day before digging in. If you serve this cake right away it will be a mess. The cold helps everything come together. It firms up the cake, sets the gelatin and incorporates that luscious Cool Whip. The good news is that the Cool Whip holds up just fine in the fridge, so it’s totally OK to make the cake a couple of days ahead of time.
• This is such a refreshing and light dessert. It’s creamy and cold and fruity. You can’t really go wrong.

THE CAKE BASE

Any brand will do. This cake uses a very basic white cake, so there’s no need to go out of your way for a particular mix.

TIP: Use milk instead of water as directed on the cake mix. This little tweak takes no extra effort and results in a richer, more tender cake.

You’ll be glad you did.

Use the same amount of milk as water as directed on the cake mix box.

The eggs and oil will also be used in the same quantity as directed on the cake mix.

A 9×13 pan is best for poke cakes since the surface of the cake is flat and one-layered, making the poke-and-pour part of the process easier. It also slices more evenly.

THE POKE FILLING

Use full-sugar gelatin, not sugar-free. Sugar-free gelatin doesn’t set up quite as well, resulting in a somewhat soggy cake.

TIP: The cake itself will be very moist and somewhat pudding-like thanks to the Jell-O, rather than light and fluffy. That’s what poke cakes are all about.

ONE 3 OZ PKG STRAWBERRY JELL-O dissolved into 2 CUPS boiling water.

THE TOPPING

TIP: I like to use Cool Whip since it’s so creamy and easy to spread. Canned whipped topping does not hold up nearly as well and deflates after a short period of time.

Cool Whip holds up very well for several days. You’ll need ONE 16 OZ TUB that has been thawed in the refrigerator.

HOW TO MAKE STRAWBERRY POKE CAKE

STEP 1: BAKE THE CAKE

Preheat oven to temperature specified on cake mix. Grease 9×13 pan.

Prepare cake according to directions on cake mix, substituting milk in lieu of water. Bake until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean and the edges just start to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Allow cake to sit for about 5 minutes so that it is warm and NOT HOT before proceeding to next step.

STEP 2: POKE THE HOLES

Remove cake from oven. Use handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes through the cake.

When poking holes in your cake, it’s hard to get them perfectly evenly-spaced, but do your best to create a rough grid and try to keep them about an inch apart. This photo shows a few of the holes from the top of the cakes.

There are about 30 to 40 holes per cake.

STEP 3: POUR THE JELL-O

Bring two cups of water to a boil and stir in gelatin until fully dissolved. Make sure there are no more granules in the liquid.

Remove from heat. Pour gelatin mixture evenly over cake.

Any extra on top of the cake will soak in while the cake is cooling.

STEP 4: REFRIGERATE

Let the cake cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

STEP 5: TOP WITH COOL WHIP AND SERVE

Take the cake out of the refrigerator and spread Cool Whip evenly over the cake. You can add some sliced strawberries to the top of the cake if you’d like, and it’s beautiful when it’s ready to serve.

Slice, serve, and enjoy.

HELPFUL TIPS

DON’T SKIP THE MILK SWAP

Swap out the water in the cake mix recipe for an equal amount of milk, which will make the cake so moist and delicious.

MAKE THE HOLES BIG ENOUGH

This is super important. The holes you poke into the cake need to be big enough for the gelatin mixture to make its way into the cake.

If you don’t poke holes that are large enough, the jell-o mixture will stay on top of the cake, making it super soggy and likely to fall apart when it’s sliced. I use the handle of a wooden spoon and poke holes that are about a 1/2 of an inch.

If you use a tool that is too small, like a skewer or a fork, the holes will be too small to allow the jell-o mixture to make its way into the cake.

THAW YOUR COOL WHIP IN THE FRIDGE, NOT ON THE COUNTER

If your Cool Whip has been in the freezer and needs to be thawed before you try to spread it, leave it in the fridge to thaw instead of setting it out on the counter. Otherwise, it will get thin and watery, making it hard to spread.

FRESH STRAWBERRIES ON TOP ARE OPTIONAL BUT WORTH IT

While this strawberry poke cake recipe does not call for fresh strawberries on top, I highly recommend adding some. It’s worth it for the gorgeous pop of color, since Cool Whip is pretty drab in comparison.

Plus, the cake has a lot of sweetness, and fresh strawberries add a welcome brightness. Adding fresh strawberries only takes less than 2 minutes, and it makes the cake so much prettier.

Add them right before serving.

USE A GOOD BAKING PAN

A good metal 9×13 pan is worth keeping in your cabinet. It’s what I use for this cake, brownies, bars — everything. The even heat makes a real difference.

I prefer to bake this poke cake recipe in a 9×13 metal baking pan, but if all you have on hand is a 9×13 glass pan that will work too. Metal distributes the heat more evenly than glass, but glass is good to show off your cake.

If you use a glass pan, increase the baking time by 5 minutes, and remove the cake when it starts to pull away from the edges of the pan. If you’re taking this cake to a party or potluck, consider baking it in a disposable aluminum pan.

You’ll save yourself from hauling your good pans and you’ll skip the dishwashing too.

VARIATIONS AND SUBSTITUTIONS

CHANGE THE JELL-O FLAVOR

Strawberry is the obvious choice for strawberry poke cake, but honestly, ANY Jell-O flavor works the exact same in poke cakes. Cherry and raspberry would also be delicious with a white cake.

Lemon makes for a more poke cake-like experience, and orange could be a fun summery choice.

USE A YELLOW CAKE MIX INSTEAD

If you have yellow cake mix on hand, this recipe will work with yellow cake just fine, the flavor is pretty much exactly the same. The main difference will be color.

White cake will look prettier against the pink Jell-O streaks when you slice it, but yellow cake won’t look as pretty once sliced.

ADD FRESH STRAWBERRIES TO THE FILLING

For an added dimension of flavor and texture, add a layer of sliced strawberries to the cake before pouring on the Jell-O mixture. The strawberries will sink into the filling as it cools, adding delicious strawberry bites to each slice.

CREAM CHEESE COOL WHIP TOPPING

If you like a slightly more substantial topping that will hold its shape more firmly and slice prettier, try using Cool Whip mixed with softened cream cheese. Use some thawed Cool Whip and one 8-oz. package of cream cheese.

Whip the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth, then fold in the Cool Whip. Use as directed in recipe.

MAKE-AHEAD, STORAGE, AND LEFTOVERS

Can this cake be frozen?

If you have leftovers, it’s best to eat it within 3-4 days. It’s ok after that but the texture of the cake will change and the Cool Whip tends to separate/get watery after a couple of days.

It’s perfectly safe to eat, it’s just not as nice.

You can freeze the cake without the topping if you like. Just let it chill overnight after pouring the Jell-O over it and then wrap it up REALLY well and freeze it for up to 1 month.

Let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then top with Cool Whip and serve. Since Cool Whip turns into a soupy mess when frozen and then defrosted, be sure to freeze it BEFORE adding the whipped topping.

Can I take it to a party?

Yes. Just keep it chilled and bring it to the party in whatever container you’d be serving it in.

Keep it covered with plastic wrap until ready to serve. It’s fine to let it sit out of the refrigerator for a few hours at a party, just keep it out of any direct sun.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

CAN I USE SUGAR-FREE JELL-O?

You can, but the cake does tend to get a little too wet with sugar-free Jell-O and doesn’t quite hold together as well as it does with regular Jell-O. Also, the slices are not as distinct because it isn’t quite as firm.

HOW FAR IN ADVANCE CAN I MAKE THIS?

The best option is to make the cake and poke and soak it in Jell-O about 1 day ahead of time. Let it chill in the refrigerator, covered tightly in plastic wrap overnight.

The Jell-O will settle and the flavors meld nicely.

Then in the morning/day of serving, top with Cool Whip and chill until ready to serve. If using fresh strawberries, add them right before serving.

If necessary, it’s fine to make it two days ahead, but not any longer than that. After that the Cool Whip tends to get watery and the cake’s texture changes.

It would still be perfectly ok to eat but not as nice.

DOES THE CAKE NEED TO BE FULLY COOLED BEFORE ADDING JELL-O?

No, it shouldn’t be. But I find it works even better when the cake is still a bit warm.

As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, about 5 minutes later, I poke all of the holes and pour on the Jell-O mixture. It seems to drink up even more Jell-O when it’s still a bit warm.

CAN I USE HOMEMADE WHIPPED CREAM INSTEAD OF COOL WHIP?

Honestly, this recipe was created with Cool Whip in mind and we think that’s totally fine. Real whipped cream tends to deflate after sitting in the refrigerator a few hours and becomes a bit watery.

If you would like to use real cream and stabilize it, try adding a little cream cheese or a small amount of instant pudding mix.

WHY IS MY POKE CAKE SOGGY?

There are a couple reasons why poke cakes turn out too soggy. It may have had too much liquid added to it, it may not have chilled long enough, or you used Jell-O that was too hot when it went onto the cake.

Follow these steps when making poke cakes: Dissolve the Jell-O into 2 CUPS boiling water only, not the cold water the box calls for, and then immediately pour it onto your cake. And make sure your cake gets at least 2 full hours in the refrigerator.

WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE A WOODEN SPOON HANDLE TO POKE THE HOLES?

The item you use to make the holes just has to be about ½” wide, which will make holes just large enough for the Jell-O to make its way inside. Some good substitutes for wooden spoon handles would be a thick chopstick, the end of a spatula, or the handle of a butter knife.

Items that are too thin, such as forks or skewers, won’t make a large enough of a hole.

SERVING IDEAS

• This poke cake is served cold and can be served right out of the pan. It cuts really easily into pretty, square-shaped pieces.
• Top with mint leaves (shown here), which are a fun color contrast against the white Cool Whip.
• Add some sliced strawberries right before serving. You can add the berries on top of each piece or scatter some on top of the whole pan.
• For more strawberry flavor, drizzle some strawberry sauce or jam thinned with a little water over the cake.
• For a nice plated dessert, serve this poke cake alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

This would be a fun spring or summer crowd-pleasing dessert, like graduation parties, Mother’s Day, July Fourth, Memorial Day, etc. Enjoy!

RELATED RECIPES

If you liked this easy-to-make strawberry poke cake recipe, check out some of these recipes you’re going to love too:

• Cool Whip & Frozen Yogurt Pie: As simple as poke cake is to make, this recipe is on par. It’s cold, it’s creamy, and comes together in minutes.
• Crock Pot Apple Crisp: Perfect for the fall, but honestly, this recipe works well all year long. This is only 4 ingredients and doesn’t even use your oven.
• No Bake Chocolate Lasagna Cake: If you’re looking for another no-bake recipe like this poke cake, then this recipe is perfect. This rich, yummy, cold dessert is a perfect alternative.
• Edible Cookie Dough Bars: Another no-bake recipe. These easy-to-make bars are great to bring to a get-together or make for the family. Plus, no raw eggs involved.
• Pumpkin Spice Cake: This cake is another great recipe to make in the fall. This cake is another boxed cake hack that turns out amazing. Learn more at this link: