Orange Crush Poke Cake

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This Orange Crush Poke Cake is incredibly light, refreshing, and super easy to make! It’s a delicious, moist white cake that’s loaded with a scrumptious orange Jell-o filling in every bite. It’s topped with a fluffy whipped cream topping and decorated with pretty orange sprinkles or fresh fruit, making it the ideal summer dessert.

Orange Crush Cake Recipe

This delectable cake will take you straight back to your childhood with the same summery flavors of frozen orange push up pops! This orange creamsicle cake is wonderful dessert that’s perfect for birthday parties, baby showers, backyard BBQs, or any gathering. Because it’s a poke cake, you’re guaranteed to have a moist and delicious cake that will be a huge hit with all your family and friends.

Anytime, I’m looking a super quick and easy dessert, poke cakes are my favorite go-to recipes. If you’ve never heard of a poke cake, they’re cakes that start with a box mix. Once the cake bakes, holes are poked all over the tops of the cake and filled with a liquid like Jell-o or pudding and topped with whipped cream or frosting.

For this recipe, orange jell-o takes front and center, but we’ve also made Strawberry Poke Cake using strawberry jello and Lime Poke Cake using lime jello and they are always a crowd pleaser.

Why We Love This Poke Cake Recipe

• Super easy dessert that using a boxed cake mix base
• This amazing orange jello cake is oozing with orange creamsicle flavor
• Amazingly light and refreshing dessert that just taste like summer

Recommended Tools

• 9×13 cake pan
• Electric mixer
• Mixing bowls
• Medium sauce pan
• Measuring cups

What’s Needed to Make Orange Crush Poke Cake

• White cake mix– you’ll also need the water, oil and egg whites called for on package directions on the cake mix box
• Water
• Cold orange soda
• Orange Jello gelatin mix
• Whipped topping
• Orange sprinkles

How to Make Orange Creamsicle Poke Cake

Step One: Bake the Cake

1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. Spray bottom of 9×13 pan with non-stick cooking spray. (use clear glass pan)
3. In large bowl, beat box of cake mix, water, oil and egg whites with electric mixer on low speed until combined.
4. Pour the cake batter into baking pan and cook for length on package (probably about 25-30 minutes) or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
5. Remove cake from oven and let cool in baking dish.

Step Two: Make the Filling

1. In a medium pot, bring 3/4 cup water to a boil. Once the cold water has come to a boil, dry jello powder in the hot water until dissolved. Add 3/4 cup cold orange Crush soda.
2. Using tongs of a meat fork or wooden skewer, poke holes in the top of the cake, about every ½ inch.
3. Pour dissolved orange gelatin over top of cake. Let cool completely, about 1 hour.

Step Three: Add the Topping and Chill

1. Spread cool whip over top of cake and chill in the fridge for a couple of hours
2. Sprinkle with orange jimmies and serve.

Orange Poke Cake Variations and Add-ins

• Cake – We used a white cake mix but you can also a yellow cake mix or French vanilla cake mix. If you want the cake to have a pale orange color all over, you can add a drop or two of orange food coloring to the cake mix batter.

• Orange soda – We used orange crush soda, but you can use Fanta orange or any other brand of soda.

• Filling –This poke cake uses jello gelatin, but you can make it using instant pudding. If you use vanilla pudding, add a little orange extract to give the orange flavor. If using the jell-o like we did in the recipe, you can add even more intense orange flavor by using a little orange juice in place of the water.

• Frosting – Whipped cream topping makes this a fluffy and light cake, but if you want a richer and more decadent cake you can top use vanilla frosting or a cream cheese frosting. Or for a really fun twist, you can use chocolate frosting.

• Toppings – We use orange nonpareils or orange jimmies you can get on the baking aisle at the grocery store. But you can have using different chopped orange candy slices or fresh orange zest. You can also use mandarin oranges or fresh orange slices as a garnish but keep the wedges whole, so the extra juice doesn’t leak onto the cake.

How To Store Orange Poke Cake Recipe

Store leftovers covered or in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days. If you are serving it on a hot day, be sure to keep it chilled when not serving it because the cool whip topping will melt and become runny.

This cake also freezes well without any type of fresh fruit toppings. Just wrap the dish it’s in well with a double layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of foil. Label it with the date it was made and place in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Before serving it, thaw overnight in the fridge, then add any garnishes or toppings you choose. 

Can I Make Poke Cakes in Advance?

Absolutely. In fact, poke cakes are even better the next day because it gives the gelatin time to really soak in and meld with the flavors in the cake. 

You’ll also love our 2-ingredient Orange Crush cupcakes.

More Sheet Cake Recipes

• Butterfinger Poke Cake
• Oreo Poke Cake
• Pig Pickin’ Cake
• Chocolate Texas Sheetcake