Easy Strawberry Jello Poke Cake Recipe

Share this post:

This Strawberry Poke Cake is the kind of easy, crowd-pleasing dessert that disappears fast at potlucks, birthdays, and spring gatherings. A moist white cake is soaked with Strawberry Jell-O, then topped with fluffy homemade whipped cream and fresh strawberries for the perfect light, fruity cake. It’s simple to make ahead, gorgeous to serve, and tastes like strawberry shortcake meets classic poke cake!

Strawberry Poke Cake

If you’re searching for a recipe for strawberry poke cake that’s both impressive and incredibly simple to make, you’ve come to the right place. 

This easy Strawberry Poke Cake recipe combines fresh soft cake, tart strawberry Jello, and creamy whipped cream over the top! This Jello poke cake is one of those fan favorites you’ll make again and again. 

But first, what is a poke cake? Strawberry Poke Cake is a dressed-up box cake where you poke holes in the freshly baked cake and pour strawberry Jell-O into them! Then you top it with delicious homemade whipped cream and fresh strawberries to make it pretty.

This strawberry shortcake poke cake is especially popular during strawberry season when fresh berries are at their peak, but honestly, it’s delicious any time of year.

The combination of white cake mix, strawberry Jello, and fresh strawberries makes a simple summer dessert that tastes like you spent way more time on it than you actually did. And best of all? This Jell-O poke cake comes together faster than you’d think, so it’s easy to make ahead in a pinch and the perfect dessert for just about any occasion. 

Why You’ll Love Strawberry Poke Cake with Jello

This cake is my favorite easy dessert, and for good reason. It’s light and fluffy and pairs perfectly as a light finish to any meal. 

• Soft and light: Using white cake mix makes this cake super soft and springy, making the perfect texture for this fluffy dessert. 
• Quick and easy: This is a great recipe for parties and backyard cookouts. Throw it together in the morning, and it can just sit in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. You can even make it the night before, and it’s still great. 
• Irresistible flavor: This strawberry poke cake tasted like a cake version of a strawberry crunch ice cream bar. It’s indulgent but not heavy. 

Tools Needed

• Measuring cups and spoons
• Mixing bowls
• Electric mixer (hand mixer)
• 9×13 Dish- use your own dish if you’re making this for family gatherings, or use a disposable pan if you want to take it to a potluck, give it to a family in need, or just want super easy cleanup!
• Whisk
• The end of a wooden spoon or thick skewer; or the tines of a fork or a straw for smaller holes
• Silicone spatula or offset spatula
• Sharp Knife
• Cutting Board

Ingredients for Strawberry Poke Cake

One of my favorite things about this cake is the simple ingredients that you may already have or can easily grab!

• White boxed cake mix (plus the ingredients to make the cake), or a vanilla cake mix works just as well
• Strawberry gelatin mix
• Boiling water
• Heavy whipping cream
• Powdered sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Fresh strawberries

Substitutions

Fresh Whipped Cream. While I much prefer homemade whipped cream, you can absolutely swap it out for Cool Whip in this strawberry poke cake! If you’re short on time (or just want the easiest option), Cool Whip makes a quick, fluffy topping that spreads beautifully and still tastes delicious. Just thaw it in the refrigerator first, then spread it over the chilled cake right before serving for the best texture.

How to Make a Poke Cake

1. Starting with a box cake mix, follow the instructions and bake the cake in a 9 x 13-inch pan, according to the box directions and allow it to cool for 15 minutes. 

2.  While the cake cools, whisk together the strawberry gelatin mix and boiling water until the mix has completely dissolved into the water. 
3.  Use the handle of a wooden spoon or the tines of a fork to poke holes about halfway down and 1 inch apart.
4.  Pour the gelatin mixture over the cake and place it into the refrigerator for 3 hours (or up to overnight).

5.  Right before you plan to serve your cake, make the frosting by combining the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. 
6.  Use an electric hand mixer to whip the mixture together until it’s light, fluffy, and reaches stiff peaks. 

7.  Spread the whipped cream frosting over the top of the cake, slice it into 12 equal pieces, top with strawberries, and enjoy. 

Variations

You can make just about any flavor poke cake that you can dream up! Here are some great combinations. 

• Lemon cake with lemon Jell-O for a perfect lemon poke cake
• Use strawberry cake mix to amp up the sweet strawberry flavor
• Lemon cake with raspberry Jell-O. 
• Yellow cake with orange jello (orange creamsicle) 
• Vanilla cake with cherry jello. 
• Add lime zest to vanilla cake and use lime jello for a key lime vibe. 

Pro Tips

I love how incredibly easy Jello Poke Cakes are. Here are some of my best tips for poke cakes. 

• Make sure the cake is still warm when you pour the Jell-O over the top. 
• Only poke your holes about halfway through the cake. You don’t want the jello mixture to pool on the bottom of the cake pan. 
• If you’re short on time, you can use a tub of frozen (thawed) whipped topping (ie., Cool Whip) instead of making your own whipped cream to top the Jello cake. 

Serving Suggestions

Strawberry Poke cake is such a fun and easy dessert that goes with anything that reminds you of summer.

• Serve it ice cold straight from the fridge — poke cake is best chilled and the flavor is so much better.
• Top each slice with fresh strawberries (sliced or diced) for extra freshness and pretty color.
• Add a drizzle of strawberry sauce for even more strawberry flavor.
• Garnish with mint leaves for a simple “bakery-style” finish.
• Make it extra “shortcake-style” by serving with extra whipped topping and a handful of crushed vanilla wafers or shortbread cookies.
• Add crunch with a sprinkle of chopped pecans, sliced almonds, or crushed freeze-dried strawberries.
• Serve with vanilla ice cream if you want it extra indulgent (and very summer-party friendly).
• Serve with coffee or cold milk for a simple dessert.
• For parties: cut into small squares and serve on cupcake liners for easy grab-and-go portions.

Storage Directions

Refrigerator: If you have leftover strawberry poke cake, you can store the rest of the cake in the refrigerator for 2-3  days. Either wrap the pan in plastic wrap or transfer the cake to an airtight container. 

Freezer: You can make the cake ahead of time (minus the whipped cream and strawberries), and once it has been refrigerated, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out. Freeze for up to 3 months. Before serving, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, top with whipped cream and strawberries. 

Light, refreshing, and utterly irresistible, this strawberry poke cake is sure to be the talk of the party. With pillowy white cake and bursts of strawberry flavor, this cake tastes nostalgic without being heavy. Serve it at your next outdoor BBQ or picnic and feel confident that everyone will love it. 

More Simple Cake Recipes

• Reese’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Poke Cake
• Easy Coconut Poke Cake with Sour Cream
• Easy Chocolate Eclair Cake (No-Bake Dessert)
• Banana Pudding Poke Cake (coming soon!)
• OREO Poke Cake (coming soon!)
• Fireball Poke Cake (coming soon!)