Strawberries and Cream Poke Cake Recipe

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Published: June 15, 2021Updated: June 25, 2022Author: Contributor
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White cake with strawberry jello, whipped cream cheese frosting, and strawberries on top, our Strawberries and Cream Poke Cake Makes the perfect summer dessert.
Strawberries and Cream Poke Cake Recipe

In the summertime making fruity desserts is one of my favorite things to do. When I tasted this strawberries and cream poke cake I knew I would be making this OFTEN! 

This cake is lucky to last two days in my house. My guess is that you will have the same problem. With how light and refreshing it is you won’t even realize how much you’ve eaten until it is too late. 

It is also a very simple recipe to put together for a get-together or the next BBQ. Who doesn’t love a simple and delicious strawberry dessert?! The combination of the poking of the cake and the strawberry jello is what sets this recipe apart.

There are other great poke cake recipes on our website that you have got to try! If you love chocolate then you will love our Boston cream poke cake it is so creamy and delicious and then there’s our Reese’s peanut butter poke cake basically the things dreams are made of. If you like Andes Mints, then you will fall in love with our thin mint poke cake.

Everything you will need for this Strawberries and Cream Poke Cake:

  1. Ingredients for boxed white cake mix
  2. Water
  3. Strawberry flavored Jell-O
  4. Cool-Whip
  5. Cream cheese
  6. Powdered sugar
  7. Vanilla extract
  8. Fresh strawberries

If you would like to make this recipe from scratch as much as possible, check out this white cake recipe from Sugar Spun Run and this homemade whipped cream from the Brown Eyed Baker. 

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Make sure to have these items on hand for this Strawberry Cake:

  • 9×13 inch baking pan
  • Fork
  • Small saucepan (THIS nonstick pan is awesome)
  • Wooden spoon
  • Saran wrap
  • Hand mixer (THIS is a great one)
  • Spatula
  • Pairing knife

If you love this cake, try our Sheet Pan Hawaiian Poke Cake!

Serves: 15

Strawberries and Cream Poke Cake Recipe

White cake with strawberry jello, whipped cream cheese frosting, and strawberries on top, our Strawberries and Cream Poke Cake Makes the perfect summer dessert.
Prep Time 3 hrs 45 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 4 hrs 15 mins
Print Pin

Ingredients

  • 1 box white cake mix 15.25 ounces
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1 3 ounce box strawberry flavored Jell-o
  • 1/2 cup cold water

Frosting

  • 1 8 ounce tub Cool-Whip non-dairy whipped topping
  • 1 8 ounce package cream cheese softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping

  • 1 pound strawberries diced

Instructions

  • Make cake as directed on the back of the box for a 9×13" pan.
  • Let the cake cool for 20 minutes and "poke" the cake with a large fork (I space my pokes about 1/2" apart and do it until the entire surface of the cake is covered).
  • Mix together the boiling water and Jell-o until the Jell-o is completely dissolved. Pour in the cold water and mix well then pour over the cake.
  • Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for three hours.
  • Combine the Cool-Whip, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla and beat until smooth (I have found that it's easiest to use an electric mixer, but you don't have to). Spread on top of cake.
  • Top with strawberries and keep in the fridge until ready to serve.

Notes

  • Make sure your jello is mixed up well to ensure the cake sets well and isn’t mushy.
  • It is best to make this cake the day it’s needed or if you have to make it the day before, hold off on putting it all together. Do the jello and frosting the day of. 
  • This poke cake is best on the first day or two. 
  • Always refrigerate the cake when you are not serving it!
  • Don’t have white cake? No problem! Substitute the base for devil’s food, yellow cake, or even strawberry cake for a delicious twist.

Nutrition

Calories: 42 kcal · Carbohydrates: 10 g · Protein: 1 g · Fat: 1 g · Saturated Fat: 1 g · Cholesterol: 1 mg · Sodium: 2 mg · Potassium: 47 mg · Fiber: 1 g · Sugar: 9 g · Vitamin A: 4 IU · Vitamin C: 18 mg · Calcium: 6 mg · Iron: 1 mg

Equipment

  • 9×13 Inch Baking Dish
  • Small Saucepan
  • Wooden Spoon
  • Saran Wrap
  • Hand mixer

Recipe Details

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

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  1. Lisa Zwerk says:
    May 22, 2013
    Just made this.. YUM!! Followed the directions exactly, the frosting was OH MY GOODNESS DELICIOUS!!! WOW! Thanks!
  2. Claire @ A Little Claireification says:
    May 22, 2013
    Thanks so much for linking this up at my "Best Of The Weekend" party! Featuring this tomorrow on my blog (will link it back to the MyRecipeMagic entry). :) xoxo, Claire http://alittleclaireification.com
  3. Ellen Parlee says:
    May 24, 2013
    If you love strawberries there's nothing like early summer. Strawberry picking is a great activity for family or friends of all ages. There are too many great strawberry recipes out there and fresh fruit is always the best!
  4. Capturing Joy with Kristen Duke says:
    May 26, 2013
    Sounds so delish!
  5. Luv2BakeBrooklyn says:
    May 30, 2013
    Making this for my Mom on her birthday... I know she's gonna love it! Thank you!
  6. CA Girl says:
    July 9, 2013
    Made this over the 4th of July weekend - yummy!!! I couldn't find strawberry jello so I used cherry instead and that worked just fine.
  7. Quilt Lover says:
    July 15, 2013
    This was a delicious cake and the only change that I made was that instead of cold water, I used the juice from a package of frozen strawberries, which gave it more of a strawberry taste. I like the addition of the cream cheese to the frosting, as other recipes just use Cool Whip, and this frosting really adds another dimension of flavor to the cake. I will make this again, and thank you for the recipe.
  8. Violet Wicks says:
    July 20, 2013
    Delicious. Love the frosting.Thanks
  9. Rebecca Woodin says:
    July 25, 2013
    What would be a good non-dairy substitute for the cream cheese? Thanks! Sounds delicious!!
  10. viviane says:
    July 28, 2013
    I juste love the recipe
  11. Natalie says:
    January 19, 2014
    I made this for my papa's 78th birthday party yesterday..except I added pieces of Lindt chocolates strawberries & creme bar on top...let me just say it was a HIT! Thanks for the recipe.. This is now a family favorite. :)
  12. Melissa says:
    January 22, 2014
    This is one of my all-time favorite desserts! I love the chilled sweet-creamy-fruity combination!
  13. Myra says:
    February 19, 2014
    This cake was excellent! I Made for my father's birthday..everyone loved it! Thank you!
  14. Hanna says:
    June 27, 2014
    One of my favorite cakes EVER!!! Thanks so much for sharing!! Gonna make for Mom's birthday ;)
  15. Dennis says:
    May 28, 2015
    I've done this pudding instead of the jello and it is very good also.
  16. Jenna says:
    June 21, 2015
    Found this recipe on Pinterest...finally, a poke cake that doesn't just have cool whip as the "frosting". We're having this for dessert tonight! Thanks for sharing!
  17. Dayna says:
    July 3, 2015
    But it does....
  18. Dayna says:
    July 3, 2015
    Hoping it will turn out all right when I use my whipping cream recipe instead of the Cool Whip.
  19. Jodi says:
    July 5, 2015
    I know your question is a couple years old, but I just made this recipe last night and noticed your post afterward. I made a dairy free version by using So Delicious CocoWhip in place of the Cool Whip and also Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese. Turned out delicious!
  20. Catherine Seifritz says:
    January 28, 2016
    I look forward to trying this recipe. Also wanted to say, what an awesome idea to create a blog for all of you sisters to keep in touch. That is so cool. I am the youngest of 5 and I try to stay in touch with my siblings. Every year its a new years resolutions to call my siblings once a week...I try. :P Not always good at it but I try :P Anyway just thought it was cool that you guys are trying to stay close. :) Thank you for the inspiration. :)
  21. KESHA says:
    March 20, 2016
    I'm sooooo excited about trying this cake for my family tonight!!! I'm sure it will be DELISH! :)
  22. Marina @ A Dancer's Live-It says:
    April 12, 2016
    I've made this recipe before and it turned out amazing!! But I have a question...is it best to bring the Cool Whip to room temperature too for the frosting?
  23. Cristy says:
    April 12, 2016
    I make something like this and chop the stawberries and sugar and pour them and the poked cake. Does the jello add that much to the cake?
  24. Cyd says:
    April 13, 2016
    The jello adds tons of flavor and moistness to the cake. We love this cake!
  25. Cyd says:
    April 13, 2016
    You need to thaw the Cool Whip so it's not frozen. Just keep it in the fridge overnight to thaw or set it out for an hour or so.
  26. justee says:
    April 23, 2016
    i see cake mix and cool whip and resign immediately. can't you use natural ingredients?
  27. Kira says:
    April 23, 2016
    Can't you keep your negativity to yourself? Instead of complaining about it, you could always make your own vanilla cake and whipped cream from scratch and continue with the recipe. You know. Make it "natural" on your own.
  28. Cyd says:
    April 25, 2016
    You can totally make your own cake mix and whip your own cream if desired.
  29. Cindy says:
    May 20, 2016
    Making this right now for a dessert we will be having tomorrow...can't wait to taste it!
  30. Kaleigh says:
    June 4, 2016
    Will this sit well in the fridge overnight? Any suggestions would be appreciated!
  31. P Beaty says:
    July 7, 2016
    Made this for my 4th of July party. Light and refreshing is how my husband described it. He never eats cake.........guess what?? He ate the last piece tonight.! I added blueberries so my cake was red, white and blue. This is a keeper...........will make again before summer's end.
  32. jackie says:
    August 14, 2016
    I hate cool whip, too. Did the Whipped cream work ?
  33. Julie says:
    August 5, 2018
    Can you make this cake the night before you’re going to serve it, or will it get mushy?
  34. Cyd says:
    August 6, 2018
    You could make the cake portion of the recipe. Then add the jello and topping the next day. The frosting will make it a little mushy by the next day. But we still love eating the leftovers on day 2.
  35. Donna Gentile says:
    April 23, 2020
    This cake is excellent !! I suggest that you use the egg white recipe on the cake box because I made it with the whole egg and egg white and the egg white recipe was so fluffy and moist the frosting recipe is great not to sweet just great 😃😃❤️❤️
  36. Lydia says:
    May 26, 2020
    Growing up in rural Iowa in the 80s, this recipe, which we called just plain ol' "Jell-O Cake", was a staple at summer events. :-)
  37. Janice Scott says:
    May 28, 2020
    Yes and I saw one recipe that had the jello poke cake plus on top of cake was a layer of pudding and then a frosting of cool whip.
  38. Janice Scott says:
    May 28, 2020
    I’m putting mine together right now and was thrilled to hear ab the cream cheese and powdered sugar with the cool whip. Someone said it takes the cake to a new level!🍓
  39. Gina says:
    March 1, 2022
    I just made this recipe, I saw it on Facebook reel ,so I made for my husband masonic lodge meeting tonight , looked great, thank you for sharing it,thank you for everyone reply with different info
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