I love this strawberry poke cake recipe all year round, but with springtime just around the corner, it’s time to pull out your fruit cake recipes and this recipe is one of the best! Strawberry cake recipes virtually announce spring and all the wonderful things the season brings.
Beautiful warm weather, long lazy days, picnics, potlucks, and poke cake recipes are some of my fondest springtime memories. I can almost hear the birds chirping now.
When it comes to desserts, the flavor of the strawberry is one of my favorites! Like my easy strawberry cake, berry chantilly cake, strawberry sheet cake, and our buttery fresh strawberry pound cake! I promise all of these are showstoppers that will make you look like a baking rockstar!
What I Love About This Recipe
- An easy virtually no-fail recipe
- Lots more strawberry flavor compared to other versions of this recipe
- Picnic and potluck ready
- Always a huge crowd-pleaser
Ingredients For Strawberry Poke Cake
- White Cake Mix: You can use either a white or yellow box mix. This you will prepare according to the box instructions, unlike the Jello, below.
- Strawberry Jello: This is used as an ingredient. Don’t follow box instructions, follow recipe card below instructions.
- Water: Plain tap water.
- Strawberry Pie Filling: I love this ingredient in the cake. It brings so much strawberry flavor to the cake!
- Cool Whip: Be sure to plan ahead and thaw overnight in the fridge.
- Strawberries
How To Make Strawberry Poke Cake Recipe
- Using the end of a wooden spoon, poke holes into the cake.
- Pour the jello mixture over the cake. Refrigerate.
- Spread the pie filling.
- Add the cool whip on top.
- Spread evenly.
- Decorate with fresh strawberries and serve.
***See the full instructions below.
Strawberry Jello Poke Cake Tips
This cake starts with preparing a box cake according to the directions (and, YES, you need to use the other ingredients the box instructions require like eggs, oil, and water) then cooling on a wire rack.
- Making The Holes: I just use the round handle of a wooden spoon to poke the holes. Space about an inch apart all over the top of the cake (see photos above). If you prefer smaller holes, then a fork works fine too. If you use a fork, however, you won’t be able to press any pie filling into the holes, so you will end up with just a layer on top of the cake.
- Cake Mix – I like to use a white cake mix for this recipe because it allows the strawberry flavor to really shine. You can use a yellow cake mix or other flavors if you’re putting your personal spin on things.
- Cool Whip – You’ll want it thawed (overnight in the fridge) but still cold.
- Pie Filling – This gives my recipe a unique twist on a standard poke cake and really gives you tons of strawberry flavor.
- Slicing The Cake: Use my Grandma’s trick of dipping a knife in a tall glass of hot water then wiping off the water with a paper towel, between cuts. This will give you much prettier cake slices.
- Garnish: while this cake can be made ahead of time, it is best to garnish right before you serve. Fresh fruit can weep and water down the frosting
Storing + Freezing + Make-Ahead
Keeping this cake fresh and yummy means storing it in the icebox. It needs to stay chilled because of the cool whip topping. I think it tastes better chilled anyway. Just wrap it tightly with plastic wrap for best results.
- How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? This cake recipe will stay refreshingly scrumptious for up to 4 days in the fridge if it’s stored properly.
- Can You Freeze This? Yes! Make the cake per the instructions without topping with the garnish of whole strawberries. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap then with aluminum foil. I like to let my strawberry poke cake with strawberry cake mix, slow thaw in the fridge overnight and then garnish with strawberries for a beautiful presentation.
- Make-Ahead Tips: Since this strawberry jello poke cake with cool whip freezes nicely, making it ahead of time is a snap. If you’re going to serve this in the next couple of days, then there’s no need to freeze it. Just wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and slide it into the fridge for a day or two. Then add your deliciously gorgeous toppings before serving.
More Fruity Cakes
- Fresh Strawberry Cake
- Strawberry Cream Cake
- Bisquick Strawberry Shortcake
- Caramel Apple Sheet Cake
- Lemon Buttermilk Cake
- Peach Pound Cake
- Grandma’s Fruit Cocktail Cake
- Pineapple Sheet Cake
More Poke Cakes To LOVE
Tried This Recipe?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Strawberry Poke Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box white cake mix PLUS ingredients on the cake box
- 1 (3-ounce) box strawberry jello
- 1 cup boiling water
- 2 (21-ounces) cans strawberry pie filling
- 1 (8-ounce) container cool whip thawed
- 2 pint fresh strawberries sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (177ºC). Spray a 9X13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Prepare the cake according to the box instructions. Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set the pan on the wire baking rack and cool for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together jello and boiling water, until jello is completely dissolved.
- Using the end of a wooden spoon, poke holes into the cake, every inch. Carefully pour the jello mixture evenly over the top of the cake. Wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Spread pie filling evenly over the top of the cooled cake. Using the back of a rubber spatula, gently press the pie filling into the holes. Spread with a cool whip over the top. When ready to serve, top decoratively with sliced strawberries and serve!
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- Making The Holes: I just use the round handle of a wooden spoon to poke the holes. Space about an inch apart all over the top of the cake (see photos above). If you prefer smaller holes, then a fork works fine too. If you use a fork, however, you won't be able to press any pie filling into the holes, so you will end up with just a layer on top of the cake.
- Cake Mix – I like to use a white cake mix for this recipe because it allows the strawberry flavor to really shine. You can use a yellow cake mix or other flavors if you’re putting your personal spin on things.
- Cool Whip – You’ll want it thawed (overnight in the fridge) but still cold.
- Pie Filling – This gives my recipe a unique twist on a standard poke cake and really gives you tons of strawberry flavor.
- Slicing The Cake: Use my Grandma’s trick of dipping a knife in a tall glass of hot water then wiping off the water with a paper towel, between cuts. This will give you much prettier cake slices.
- Garnish: while this cake can be made ahead of time, it is best to garnish right before you serve. Fresh fruit can weep and water down the frosting
Cathy says
Wonderful cake
Kathleen says
Thank you, Cathy! 🙂
Ruth Evelyn Dickinson says
Can you use fresh strawberries instead of canned strawberries???
Kathleen says
Hi, Ruth. I haven’t tried that. Here are some of my strawberry sheet cakes that use fresh strawberries you may want to try:
Strawberry sheet cake
Strawberry jello cake
I hope you like them!