Strawberry poke cake is an easy vanilla cake with strawberry gelatin seeped into the cake, then topped with silky Cool Whip topping.
If you love strawberry desserts you’ll want to try our strawberry pie.
Strawberry Poke Cake
We love poke cakes, and kids love them too. I love this recipe because it’s so easy that the kids can make it themselves.
It starts with a box cake mix that you add holes to the cooked cake. Then poke holes all in the cake. Pour gelatin on top and let it seep into the cake.
We love this easy strawberry poke cake recipe because the red coloring inside the white cake is so colorful and pretty. It’s a real treat to cut into the cake.
Poke Cake Ingredients
- White cake mix and ingredients – 1 box white cake mix plus water, oil and egg whites called for on cake mix box
- Water – you’ll need 1 1/2 cups total. One cup will need to be boiled, while a 1/2 cup will be cool water
- Jell-O gelatin – strawberry is what we used, but you can pick any flavor gelatin
- Whipped topping – use any brand of whipped topping
- Strawberries – these are for garnish only, so just grab a few and slice for the top of the cake
How to Make Strawberry Poke Cake
I love how simple this recipe is. My daughter (11) makes this cake and it looks so fancy!
- Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- In large bowl, beat the cake mix, water, oil and egg whites with electric mixer until combined. (Follow the instructions on the box.)
- Pour cake mixture into your baking pan and cook for length on package (probably about 25-30 minutes) or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool the cake on the counter. Keep it in the baking dish.
- While the cake is cooling, boil 1 cup of water and mix the strawberry Jell-O package in water until dissolved and then add ½ cup cold water.
- Using tongs of a fork, poke holes in cake, about every ½ inch. You can also use the back of a wooden spoon if you want larger holes.
- Pour dissolved strawberry gelatin over top of cake. Let cool completely, about 1 hour.
- Spread Cool Whip over top of cake. Garnish slices with fresh strawberries.
Why Is It Called Poke Cake?
This cake recipe is called a poke cake because you actually poke holes in the cake so the gelatin can soak deep into the cake.
You can use a fork and poke small holes, which is what a lot of people do and what we used for this recipe, but I’ve also used the back end of a wooden spoon.
Can I Use Homemade Whipped Cream for the Frosting?
If you are going to eat the entire cake the same day, you can certainly use your homemade whipped cream. If you do this, I would frost the cake just before serving.
If you feel you are going to need to refrigerate the cake and eat some later, I would stick with the store-bought whipped topping, like Cool Whip. It tends to retain its shape longer than homemade whipped cream.
Want More Strawberry Recipes?
- Strawberry Poke Cake
- Strawberry Pie
- Whipped Strawberry Milk
- Strawberry Pretzel Salad
- Chocolate Covered Strawberries
- Strawberry Lemon Lasagna
Strawberry Poke Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box white cake (plus, water, oil and egg whites called for on cake mix box
- 1 cup water boiling
- 1/2 cup water cool
- 1 box 3.3 ounce Jell-O gelatin, strawberry
- 1 ,12 oz. container whipped topping
- fresh strawberries for garnish
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F.
- Spray bottom of 9×13 pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil and egg whites with electric mixer until combined. Pour cake mixture into baking pan and cook for length on package (probably about 25-30 minutes) or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Remove cake from oven and let cool in baking dish.
- Boil 1 cup of water and mix gelatin package in water until dissolved. Add ½ cup cold water.
- Using tongs of a fork, poke holes in cake, about every ½ inch.
- Pour dissolved strawberry gelatin over top of cake. Let cool completely, about 1 hour.
- Spread whipped topping over top of cake. Garnish slices with fresh strawberries.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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