Easy Strawberry Jello Poke Cake Recipe

This Strawberry Jello Poke Cake recipe has such an incredible presentation and is the perfect dessert idea for the warmer months. It’s easy to make and tastes both light and airy.

So, how does this all work? Simple enough. Your favorite cake recipe with Jello drizzled through poked holes up and down the entire base. Now, you know where this spring, strawberry dessert got its name!

Easy Strawberry Jello Poke Cake Recipe

There are two things you are going for when creating this strawberry jello poke cake recipe – you want to make sure that your cake is light and fluffy AND you also want to ensure that the flavors are deep and rich. The best way to top off this particular dessert is with some sort of whipped topping. 

You can choose whipped cream or Cool Whip. That is up to you. But I wouldn’t consider options as thick as traditional icing. That would harden this dish and the thickness will take away from the dessert’s sweet and airy form. 

The best part of Strawberry Jello Poke Cake recipe is the airiness of the bite. Let’s keep that in mind as we continue. 

Strawberry Jello Cake Recipe Ingredients:

• 1 box (15.25 oz) white cake mix and ingredients to make the cake (eggs, water, and oil)
• 1 package, (3oz), strawberry jello
• 2 cups water, divided
• 1 tub, (8 oz) whipped topping, thawed

How To Make A Jello Poke Cake Recipe:

Let’s get right into how to make a Jello Pole cake! Prepare and bake a 9×13 cake according to package directions. Give yourself an ample amount of time for this step. You could even make the cake the day before if need be.

Be sure to allow the cake to cool completely. Once the cake has cooled, use a bamboo skewer to poke holes halfway into the cake, about 1/2″ apart. Set aside.

In a small microwave-safe bowl, add 1 cup water. Heat until boiling. Carefully pour in jello and mix well until dissolved. Add 1 cup of cold water and mix again until everything has dissolved.

Slowly pour over cake, filling holes. You will want to make sure that you get the mixture over the entire span of the cake. The Jello mixture will actually change the color of the cake once it soaks in.

You can see in this photo how the cake changes color. This is what your cake should look like. Once you have your cake at this point, be sure to refrigerate it for 1 hour.

After your one hour passes, take the cake out of the refrigerator. Frost your strawberry Jello poke cake with your whipped topping of choice and serve immediately. If you aren’t quite ready to serve this sweet dessert, then cover and store this dish in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

But I would seriously wait to top with your whipped cream or Cool Whip until you are ready to serve your strawberry jello cake. Just my thought. 

This Strawberry Jello Poke Cake recipe makes 18 slices. The best thing about easy cake recipes is that you can lean on them over and over again. Because this one starts off with a boxed cake mix, I have a feeling you can find the perfect time to make this dessert for friends.

If you’d like to top with fresh berries, consider adding sliced strawberries to your dish for decoration or as a topper, especially during strawberry season in the summer months. It would be the perfect accessory and add additional strawberry flavor to the delicious treat. What a crowd pleaser!

Related: Butter Pecan Praline Cake Recipe

Can I Use Other Jell-O Flavors Instead Of Strawberry?

If you change the flavor of jello, then you can swap the feel of this easy recipe. Consider orange, purple, cherry, or lemon. The choice is yours! This strawberry poke cake can quickly become a cherry one with a swap of a box.

Do I Have To Use White Cake Mix?

No, you do not have to use a white cake mix to make this strawberry jello cake recipe. You don’t even have to use a yellow cake mix. Why not try chocolate cake mix instead or make your own homemade cake? The choice is yours. You could even add some vanilla pudding to the mixture to make it a bit creamier. There are plenty of poke care variations to create, but remember the red color might vary if your base is not white or yellow. I typically grab whatever is available at the grocery store and never hear any complaints from my kids because this crowd favorite always wins them over. This simple recipe is one of my favorite things to make.

Does Poke Cake Need To Be Refrigerated?

Yes. Poke cake needs to be refrigerated for a couple of hours after you poured the strawberry Jello mix over the entire cake. This is a step that you absolutely cannot skip.

The cooling also enables the Jello to set and if you don’t set the jello then you don’t have a complete Strawberry Poke Cake recipe. So, temperature truly matters with this recipe. You actually cannot make this recipe without giving it time in the refrigerator.

Can You Make Strawberry Jello Cake Ahead Of Time?

As mentioned above, you can do everything up to the frosting of the whipped cream ahead of time when prepping for family gatherings. I would suggest waiting to frost the cake with your whipped topping right before you serve it to your guests. 

So, feel free to bake, mix the Jello, pour the Jello, and then set the Jello ahead of time. But leave that final step of topping the whipped cream out until the very last moment. 

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