Strawberry Jello Poke Cake — This strawberry Jello cake uses just five ingredients and is a hit at parties and potlucks! It’s a moist, refreshing dessert you’ll definitely want seconds of!
Easy Strawberry Poke Cake … with Jello!
I’m a huge fan of poke cakes because they’re incredibly moist and tender.
If you’re not familiar, poke cakes are cakes that have holes poked into them after baking and a sweet sauce is poured in, which both flavors the cake and keeps it squishy soft. No chance of a dry cake.
Normally the sweet sauces that I’ve used in poke cakes are sweetened condensed milk, caramel sauce, and peanut butter. Strawberry is a first for me, and it certainly won’t be the last.
This strawberry Jello poke cake is super moist yet light, airy, and not heavy in the least. It’s refreshing on a warm day because it’s stored in the fridge and served chilled. It’s the kind of cake you’ll want to take a fork right into the cake pan and keep straightening the rows.
I love the tie-dyed appearance of the white cake with red Jello streaks. The strawberries and whipped cream (err…whipped topping) is such a classic and perfect combination!
Ingredients in Strawberry Jello Poke Cake
To make this simple poke cake with strawberry Jello, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- White cake mix (plus ingredients called for on the box)
- Strawberry Jello
- Cool Whip
- Fresh strawberries
Yes, plenty of baking shortcuts makes this a fast, easy, and foolproof strawberry poke cake that’s perfect for spring and summer parties or potlucks.
How to Make Strawberry Poke Cake with Jello
Making strawberry Cool Whip cake with Jello is nearly foolproof! Let’s review the basic recipe steps:
- Prep a 9×13-inch pan and preheat the oven.
- Then, make the white cake according to the package instructions and bake.
- Once the cake comes out of the oven, immediately poke holes all over it with a fork.
- Once the holes have been poked into the cake, make the strawberry Jello and slowly pour it evenly over the cake (the Jello mixture will be liquid, you don’t need to let it chill in the fridge).
- Cover the cake with plastic wrap or foil, and let it chill in the fridge for a few hours.
- Remove cake from the fridge and spread the whipped topping over the cake.
- Refrigerate for another 2 hours before slicing, garnishing with strawberries, and serving.
FAQs
I used regular (not sugar-free) Jell-O and can’t speak to the results if you use sugar-free.
Yes! I used a boxed cake mix to save time, but you can also make my white cake recipe and bake the batter in a 9×13-inch pan rather than two 9-inch round cake pans.
You’ll want to use a fork or the end of a wooden spoon to poke the cake all over. The holes should go about halfway into the baked cake. Do NOT poke to the very bottom.
This strawberry Jello poke cake is best the day it’s made, but it’ll last up to 5 days in the fridge. Note that the cake will soften as time goes on.
Tips for the Best Strawberry Poke Cake
Scratch cake option: If you want to keep this strawberry Jell-O poke cake more homemade than semi-homemade, you can make a batch of this scratch white cake rather than cake mix. (You’ll want to bake the batter in a 9×13-inch pan and not two 9-inch cake pans!)
Cool Whip: And although you could whip your own cream, it will likely deflate within a day and you’ll have a #cakefail on your hands. I prefer Cool Whip because it’s much more stable and doesn’t deflate.
Strawberries: Lastly, don’t add the strawberries until immediately prior to serving because they can get a little mushy if they’re sitting in Cool Whip in the fridge.
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Strawberry Poke Cake
Ingredients
- one 15.25-ounce box white cake mix, plus ingredients to make the cake (likely 3 egg whites, water, and oil)
- 1 cup boiling water
- one 3-ounce package strawberry Jell-O
- ½ cup cold water
- one 8-ounce container whipped topping, thawed (I used fat-free)
- fresh strawberries sliced for garnishing, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9×13-inch pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- Make cake according to package directions (likely adding 3 egg whites, water, and oil) and bake as directed.
- Remove cake from the oven when it’s done (probably about 23 to 28 minutes) and use a fork to poke holes all over the cake.
- To a large microwave-safe measuring cup, add 1 cup water and bring to a boil, about 90 seconds on high power.
- Add the Jell-O and whisk to combine until Jell-O has fully dissolved.
- Add 1/2 cold water and whisk to combine.
- Slowly and evenly pour the Jell-O water over the cake, taking your time to evenly distribute it. Cover and place cake in the fridge for about 3 hours.
- Remove cake from the fridge, evenly spread the whipped topping over the surface, cover cake, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (overnight is even better) before slicing, garnishing with strawberries, and serving.
Notes
- Don’t add the strawberries until immediately prior to serving because they can get a little mushy if they’re sitting in Cool Whip in the fridge.
- Cake will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- If desired, you can make your cake from scratch using this Vanilla Cake Recipe
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Poke Cake Recipes:
Check out 40+ Strawberry Recipes HERE and all of my poke cake recipes HERE!
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