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Jello Poke Cake is the easiest cake recipe you can make! This is a recipe for Strawberry Jello Poke Cake, but you can easily use your favorite jello flavor. The BEST part about this classic recipe is the frosting: no canned icing here: I’m adding a delicious whipped cream frosting to the top!

A slice of strawberry poke cake with white frosting and a whole strawberry on top, sitting on a white plate. The cake has visible red strawberry gelatin throughout and fresh strawberries beside it.

I love poke cakes (chocolate poke cake is favorite) but this one is a jello cake that is so easy and fast and tastes amazing. Poke cakes have been around forever and they are just what the name implies – cakes with holes poked in them and then you fill the holes with so many different things – pie filling, syrup, glazes, pudding and even liquid jello! The filling seeps into the cake creating unique flavor depending on what you use. It’s a really great way to dress up a regular boxed yellow or white cake mix. 

This strawberry jello poke cake version is one of my favorites: With a homemade whipped cream frosting, strawberry jello flavor, and fresh strawberries – it’s absolutely delicious and screams summer.

A rectangular Jello Poke Cake rests in a parchment-lined pan, with bowls of white frosting and red jello nearby on a white surface. Labels indicate each component for easy assembly.

Jello Poke Cake Ingredients

  • 1 box of yellow cake mix (or use white cake mix)
  • You’ll need the ingredients called for on the box to make the cake
  • 1 small box of strawberry jello or strawberry gelatin (or really any flavor, see below the recipe card for ideas)
  • You’re not making actual jello, instead you’ll need boiling water to make the strawberry jell-o powder dissolve and that’s what you’ll pour over the cake.
  • Whipped Cream Frosting which uses cream cheese, sugar, and heavy whipping cream.

Click to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions. See below the recipe card for even more information: process shots, variations, FAQ and more.

A close-up of a slice of strawberry poke cake with white frosting, topped with a fresh strawberry. The cake is moist with red strawberry sauce visible inside and around the slice, and another whole strawberry is on the plate.

Dorothy’s Testing Notes

  • Poke cakes are even better the next day after the jello has time to soak into the cake – frost the chilled cake and it’s better than strawberry icebox cake.
  • You can use regular or sugar-free jello for this recipe, and even sugar free cake mix.
  • I prefer poking the cake with the handle of a wooden spoon, but you can use a long skewer or fork instead.
  • Want to use a homemade cake? Use my funfetti cake recipe and omit the sprinkles.
5 from 3 votes

Strawberry Jello Poke Cake Recipe

By: Dorothy Kern
Jello Poke cake is a classic cake recipe that uses a cake mix and strawberry jell-o, but you can use any flavor! Top it off with your favorite frosting.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Chill Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 3 hours
Servings: 18 servings
square slice of yellow cake with red dye mixed in with white frosting and a strawberry on top.
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Ingredients

  • 1 approx 15 ounce box cake mix, plus ingredients to make the cake
  • 1 (4 serving size) box strawberry Jello, , or any flavor
  • 1 ¼ cups boiling water
  • Whipped Cream Frosting, see note

Instructions 

  • Make the cake as directed on the box using the eggs, water and oil called for. Bake cake in a 9×13-inch pan as directed.
  • Cool cake at least 30 minutes or overnight.
  • Stir the Jello powder into the boiling water until gelatin is dissolved.
  • Using the back of a wooden spoon, poke about 20 holes in the cake, evenly spaced.
  • Carefully pour the liquid Jell-O mixture over the top of the cake.
  • Allow to cool for at least one hour before frosting. Frost as desired, garnishing with fresh berries if you want.
  • Store cake loosely covered in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Notes

For frosting you can use ANY kind you like:
  • Whipped Cream Frosting
  • Buttercream Frosting
  • Cool Whip
  • Fresh whipped cream (won’t last as long; frost right before serving)
  • Canned frosting
Storing and Make Ahead:
  • The cake is best after sitting for several hours, so you can make it the day before.
  • Store covered in the refrigerator for several days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 106kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 210mg | Potassium: 13mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Storing Easy Strawberry Poke Cake

  • Any leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator where they will keep for several days. You should cover the top of the cake with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container.
  • I don’t recommend freezing this cake, it might get soggy. But you can make the cake ahead and freeze it before you poke and fill it.
cake in pan being poked with wooden spoon
cake in pan with holes in it and jello being poured on
cake in pan partially frosted

How to make Jello Poke Cake

  1. How to poke holes in cake: Once the cake has cooled a bit, poke holes all over the cake with the back of a wooden spoon.
  2. Only pour the liquid jello over the cake once the powder is dissolved.
  3. Don’t frost the cake until it’s cooled.

Variations

If strawberry is not your thing you can use pretty much any flavor of jello mixture in its place. Here are some ideas to switch up the fruity flavors and make another delicious poke cake recipe:

  • Orange jello poke cake with a box of orange jello
  • Lime jello poke cake with lime gelatin
  • Lemon jello poke cake with lemon jello
  • Cherry jello poke cake with cherry
  • You can even make this poke cake recipe with strawberry cake mix!
  • Chocolate cake mix with pudding or any cherry jello

There are a few different ways you can dress up your poke cake, but I love to frost it with my homemade whipped cream frosting. It’s a creamy, sweet frosting that holds up really well so you can frost the cake ahead of time. Here are some other options:

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Favorite Poke Cake Recipes

Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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