This Strawberry Poke Cake is so moist, fluffy, and packed full of fantastic strawberry flavor. This classic summertime dessert will haveeveryone going back for seconds!
Suitable for vegetarian diets.
This Strawberry Poke Cake Recipe is a classic one made with white cake mix, gelatin, and fresh strawberries. It only uses ingredients you usually have on hand. And guys, it is a suuuuuper easy dessert to whip up.
If you’re looking for the perfect dessert for an upcoming gathering, this is it. This Strawberry Jello Poke Cake is wonderful for Memorial Day, 4th of July, and all your summertime celebrations. And if you love this recipe, you’ll also like Banana Pudding Cake and Crockpot Chocolate Lava Cake.
Why You’ll Love This
- Super easy dessert to make
- Potluck type dessert
- Perfect for relaxing Sundays
- Versatile, flexible dessert, easy to modify
What Is A Poke Cake?
A poke cake is a classic cake recipe. It’s a cake that you poke holes into after it’s been baked and cooled. Then some sort of filling, typically gelatin or pudding, is poured into the holes to give you the most delicious and moist cake.
Ingredient Notes
- Cake mix- we used a white cake mix, but you can use your favorite homemade white cake recipe.
- Water, oil, and egg whites- this is what the box mix will tell you that you need on the box
- Boiling water- to make the gelatin.
- Box of Strawberry gelatin – We used a 4 serving-sized box of Strawberry Jell-O™.
- White frosting – whole container of frosting, you can substitute this for other flavors or other things in the variations section below.
- Red decorating gel- to spread around with the frosting.
- Fresh strawberries- cut in half.
Ready to get baking? Gather up the ingredients and I will show you….
How To Make A Strawberry Jello Poke Cake
Get the complete ingredients list and instructions in recipe card below.
To prepare the poke cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F / 180C. Start by spraying a 13×9 pan with cooking spray. Mix cake mix, water, oil, and egg whites at low speed for 30 seconds in a large bowl. Then mix on medium speed for 2 minutes, making sure to scrape the bowl to incorporate it all.
- Pour cake mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 28-32 minutes. Test the doneness of the cake by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s finished baking. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack for 20 minutes.
- Next, boil water and pour the gelatin packet into a bowl. Add the boiling water and stir until gelatin is dissolved.
To complete the poke cake:
- When the cake is cool, use a wooden spoon handle to poke holes halfway down into the cake.
- Continue to poke holes about an inch apart across the entire cake.
- Then evenly pour the gelatin over the top of the cake.
- Refrigerate for one hour to allow the gelatin to set.
- Remove from fridge, use a spatula to spread frosting on the cake, and add red decorating gel on the frosting.
- To serve, use a knife to cut the cake into 4 x 3 rows, garnish with strawberries, then enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- If you don’t have a wooden spoon, you can use a fork or drinking straw to poke the holes.
- To speed up the gelatin setting process, place the cake in the freezer for about 30 minutes, and check on it periodically.
- Using a homemade cake recipe will increase your total prep time.
- Clean your knife after each cut when slicing the cake. The frosting makes the knife messy and cutting becomes more difficult.
- Keeping your cake in the refrigerator when not being served is helpful so that your icing doesn’t become too soft.
- You can use a funnel to help pour the geletin into the holes.
Delicious Variations
- Swap cake mixes- swap out your cake mixes. Try different flavors and feel free to use your homemade cake mix recipes, like this Gluten-Free Chocolate cake mix too.
- Swap frostings- feel free to use other frosting flavors. Try a homemade Nutella frosting recipe or Strawberry Frosting. You can even add some room-temperature cream cheese to your frosting.
- Skip frosting- Instead of frosting try something like Cool Whip or whipped cream.
- Trade out the gelatin- Try different gelatin flavors for different treats. Cherry, peach, and raspberry are delicious.
Storage and Freezing
Store– Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freeze – Follow the handy tips below on how to freeze this.
- If freezing before adding frosting – Let the cake cool down then tightly wrap in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and transfer into these convenient Ziploc freezer bags. Squeeze out all the extra air and seal the bags. Label the bags and then lay them flat in the freezer. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- If freezing with frosting – place the cake in the fridge first so the frosting isn’t super soft and repeat the same steps, plastic wrap, foil, and then bags and freezer. Thaw first before slicing and enjoying later.
FAQs
Poking a cake is really simple, guys. All you need is a wooden spoon. Just use the bottom of the spoon handle and poke it into the cake about every inch. Yeap, that’s it.
Most poke cakes need to be refrigerated. It helps to set the gelatin, pudding or whatever you’re using as the filling of the cake..
Guys, I totally recommend letting your cake cool the full 20 minutes, or at least close to it, before you start making your gelatin. Once it’s cool, make your filling, poke the cake and fill it.
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Strawberry Poke Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 15 ¼ ounces (432g) 1 box white cake mix
- 1 ¼ cups (296ml) water
- ⅓ cup (78ml) vegetable oil
- 3 egg whites
For the filling:
- 1 cup (237ml) boiling water
- 3 ounces (85g) 1 box strawberry gelatin
For decorating:
- 12 ounces (340g) 1 can white frosting
- .68 oz (18g) red decorating gel
- 12 fresh strawberries cut in half
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F / 180C. Spray 13×9 pan with cooking spray. Mix cake mix, water, oil, and egg whites on low speed for 30 seconds in a large bowl. Then mix on medium speed for 2 minutes, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Pour cake mixture into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 28-32 minutes. Test the doneness of the cake by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s finished baking. Remove from oven and cool on a rack for 20 minutes.
- Boil water and add the gelatin packet to a bowl. Pour in the boiling water and stir until gelatin is dissolved.
- Use a wooden spoon handle to poke holes in the cake about one inch apart, going halfway down into the cake. Carefully pour the gelatin over the whole cake evenly. Cool for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
- Once the cake is cool, use a spatula to spread on the frosting, then add red decorating gel. Use a knife to cut the cake into 4×3 rows. Garnish with strawberries, serve, and enjoy!
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Notes
- If you don’t have a wooden spoon for poking the cake, you can use a metal fork or a drinking straw.
- If you don’t have a ton of time to wait for the gelatin to set and “cool”, try placing the cake in the freezer for about a half-hour and check on it.
- If you’re going to use a homemade cake recipe, it will add to your prep time.
- Clean your knife after each cut when cutting the cake. The frosting makes the knife very messy and cutting becomes extremely hard.
- Keeping your cake in the refrigerator when not being served is helpful so that your icing doesn’t become too soft.
- If you find your gelatin isn’t going in the holes well, use a funnel.
- Inspired by a Betty Crocker Recipe.
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