Cherry Poke Cake
Cherry Poke Cake is a delightful dessert with fruity cherry flavor! Simple to make with a white cake mix, cherry jello that gets 'poked' into the cake, and topped with a cheesecake-like fluffy and creamy frosting.
Servings 18
Ingredients
Cherry Poke Cake
- 1 box (14.25 oz) white cake mix
- 4 large egg whites
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1 box (3 oz) cherry jello
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1/2 cup cold water
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting & Garnish
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1½ cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set it aside.
Make The Cherry Poke Cake
- In a large mixing bowl, add the white cake mix, egg whites, water, and oil. Use an electric hand mixer to beat until the batter is smooth. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top.1 box (14.25 oz) white cake mix, 4 large egg whites, 3/4 cup water, 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick poked into the center of the cake comes out clean. The edges of the cake should be pulled away from the pan and lightly golden brown.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before 'poking the holes' into the cake.
- Use the end of a wooden spoon to poke holes into the cake that are 1-inch apart from each other.
- In a small, heat-proof bowl, whisk together the cherry jell-o powder and boiling water until the jello has completely dissolved. While continuing to whisk, slowly add in the cold water. Pour gelatin mixture over the cake making sure that the jello goes into all of the holes.1 box (3 oz) cherry jello, 1 cup boiling water, 1/2 cup cold water
- Cover the cake pan with plastic wrap, or a lid, and place it in the refrigerator for 4 hours.
Make The Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting & Serve
- In a mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. Add in the heavy whipping cream and continue beating until stiff peaks form and the mixture is thick.4 ounces cream cheese, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1½ cups heavy whipping cream
- Spread the whipped cream cheese frosting over top of the cake in an even layer. Be sure and push some of the frosting into the holes to help finish filling them all the way.
- Spread the cherry pie filling over top the whipped topping layer. Cut into squares and serve!* You can also cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for several hours before serving it. I prefer doing this because I like the whipped cream cheese frosting chilled for serving. Leave the cherry pie filling off of the cake if wanted and dollop spoonfuls of it over each slice before serving.1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling
Notes
White Cake Mix : Recipe has been tested with the Betty Crocker Super Moist White Cake Mix (14.25 oz). Pay attention to the size of cake mix because for some reason some are 14.25 oz while others are 15.25 oz in size.
Want To Use Cool Whip? : To save time you can use an 8 ounce container of Cool Whip rather than using heavy whipping cream. Beat the powdered sugar and cream cheese until smooth and then stir in the thawed Cool Whip until combined well.
Topping & Garnish Ideas : You can either spread the cherry pie filling over top as a layer, or garnish each serving of cake with cherry pie filling before serving it. Other ideas include mini chocolate chips (think cherry + chocolate flavors), fresh cherries that have been chopped up, maraschino cherries, or try some chocolate curls made using a chocolate bar and a vegetable peeler.
Egg Whites : Only use the egg whites for the cake. Discard the egg yolks.
Water : I recommend using filtered water or bottled water for the cake. Sometimes tap water can have an odd, unfiltered taste to it which will affect the final taste/outcome of the cake.