Strawberry Jello Poke Cake

Close up of the front of this poke cake on a white plate.

An incredibly light and delicious, easy to make Strawberry Poke Cake recipe! A white cake mix, fruity strawberry jello, and topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries.

Course Cake, Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword strawberry jello poke cake

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Chill Time 6 30

Total Time 7 15

Servings

Calories 284kcal

Author Jessica - Together as Family

Equipment

Ingredients

White Cake

1 box (15.25 oz) white cake mix
4 large egg whites
1¼ cups water
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Strawberry Jello Mix

2 boxes (3 oz each) strawberry Jello mix
1½ cups boiling water
1/2 cup cold water

Topping & Garnish

16 ounces Cool Whip thawed
15 whole strawberries (sliced, halved, or chopped)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350℉. Prepare a 9x13 baking pan by spraying with cooking spray. Set aside.
Add the white cake mix, egg whites, water, and oil into a large mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer or wooden spoon to mix it until well combined (about 1-2 minutes).
1 box (15.25 oz) white cake mix, 4 large egg whites, 1¼ cups water, 1/2 cup vegetable oil
Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool on a cooling rack for 15 minutes.
Use a fork or a chopstick, or a bamboo skewer, to poke holes across the top of the cake, making sure they are 1-inch apart from each other.
Add the strawberry jello powder into a mixing bowl.
Using a whisk, stir in the boiling water and stir until dissolved and well mixed. Add the cold water and stir to combine.
2 boxes (3 oz each) strawberry Jello mix, 1½ cups boiling water, 1/2 cup cold water
Pour the warm jello mixture into the poked holes across the top of the cake using a spoon or squeeze bottle. Be sure that enough jello penetrates through the holes in the cake.
Put the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes so the jello can cool and set.
Remove the cake from the fridge and evenly spread the thawed Cool Whip (or homemade whipped cream) on top of the cake. Cover the cake pan with a lid or plastic wrap and return to the fridge for 6 hours to chill before serving.
16 ounces Cool Whip
Cut the cake into squares and garnish the top of each one with fresh strawberries.
15 whole strawberries

Notes

How To Make Homemade Whipped Cream : Instead of using Cool Whip you can make your own. Add 3 cups heavy whipping cream + 1/2 cup powdered sugar into a mixing bowl. Use a hand or stand mixer to beat, starting at low speed and increase as needed, until stiff peaks form. This takes about 4-5 minutes.

Chill Time : Don't rush the fridge time before serving! The cake needs that time to soften, for the strawberry favor to penetrate throughout the cake, and for the cake to chill. It also helps the whipped topping stiffen and make it easier to cut when slicing for serving.

Strawberry Jello : You can either use 1 large box (6 oz) OR 2 small boxes (3 oz) of strawberry Jello.

Poked Holes : Don't poke the holes too close together or else the entire white cake will just be a strawberry jello cake. For the best look, leave 1-inch between the holes to ensure that you get that 'poked hole' effect with the strawberry jello. Use a bamboo skewer stick, chopstick, or fork.

Ensure Cake Is Cooked Through : Use a toothpick or cake tester, inserted into the center, to ensure that the cake is cooked before removing it from the oven. A cake is not like cookies where they will continue cooking and setting while cooking. The cake needs to be done before removing it from the oven. When a cake sinks in the center it usually means it was not cooked enough - a toothpick test will solve this.

Use Filtered/Purified Water : For the best taste to the cake make sure you are using filtered water. Either from a sink faucet, fridge water, or from a water bottle. Some tap water can have a slightly odd taste to them, which you don't want to translate into the cake, so for best results use filtered or purified water

Nutrition