Strawberry Poke Cake

Incredibly light and tasty, this strawberry poke cake will be the star of any gathering! It’s airy, soft, and brings that fresh strawberry taste into every single bite!

Delicious and easy cake recipes are always a good idea! Try out my favorites like this Oatmeal Cake, this Mississippi Mud Cake, and this super delicious Honey Bun Cake! They will all be a hit with your entire family!

The side view of a slice of poke cake on a plate.

What is Strawberry Poke Cake?

Strawberry poke cake is a unique cake that is cooked, poked, and then filled with… JELLO! It’s so delicious! The combination of the light and airy cake and then the delicious and sweet flavor of strawberry jello. It is topped with some whipped cream and fresh strawberries! It makes a fantastic dessert!

This strawberry poke cake recipe is unique enough that you will probably be the only one bringing it to the party but easy enough that everyone will be asking for the recipe! My kids love baking this cake with me because they think poking all of the holes in the cake is so much fun!

Ingredients in Strawberry Jello Poke Cake

Would you believe me if I told you that this cake has only a few ingredients?! That’s how easy it is! Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.

White Cake Mix: Prepare this according to the package
Strawberry Jell-O: You can always switch up this flavor!
Boiling Water: You mix the boiling water with the jello powder before adding it to the cake.
Cool Whip: You will want to make sure that your cool whip is thawed so that it can spread easily on the top of the cake.
Strawberries: Fresh strawberries garnish the top so that you can have that delicious and fresh flavor in every bite!

How Do You Make a Poke Cake?

Making a strawberry poke cake is so simple. It’s the perfect make-ahead dessert! You just need to make sure to leave some time to let the jello set!

Bake the Cake: Prepare the cake mix according to the package and bake according to the instructions for a 9×13 baking dish. Let cool completely.
Make the Jello: In a small bowl, combine the jello and boiling water until all the jell-o has been dissolved.
Add Jello to Cake: Use the back of a wooden spoon or a wooden skewer to poke holes in the cake. Pour the jello mixture over the top of the cake. Cover and chill in your fridge for at least 4 hours.
Add Toppings: Before serving, slice up the strawberries, spread the thawed whipped topping over the top and top with sliced strawberries.

4 pictures showing how to make the cake, add the jello and then spread on the topping.

Do I Have to Use White Cake Mix?

No, not at all! You can use any cake flavor that you want as the base instead of just making this a strawberry poke cake with white cake every time. I just like to use white because then the color of the jello shows and looks so nice! But any cake mix flavor that you love will work.

The top view of a strawberry poke cake in the cake pan, topped with cool whip and sliced strawberries.

Change up the Flavor

You can not only change up the flavor of the cake mix but you can change up the flavor of the jello! Try any other fruit flavors like raspberry or blueberry. Top the cake with those fruits to go with the jello flavor and you have a whole new cake!

The side view of a slice of strawberry poke cake being taken out of the pan with a silver cake server.

How to Store Leftovers

Strawberry poke cake tastes great as leftovers! Cover your cake with some plastic wrap or slice it up and put it in an airtight container. Then, store it in your refrigerator. It will last up to 3 days!