Best Strawberry Poke Cake

Strawberry Poke Cake is made with white cake, soaked with a mixture of white chocolate strawberry sauce, topped with strawberry pie filling and creamy whipped cream.

Poke Cakes are very popular on the blog because they are so easy to make, look stunning and taste delicious. Upon popular demand, we have added few other delicious poke cakes to the collection, like Pumpkin Poke Cake, German Chocolate Poke Cake, and Baileys Poke Dessert.

best strawberry jello poke cake

Best Strawberry Poke Cake that I have ever had, hands-down! This homemade dessert is basically a dream come true, if you allow me to make a cheesy comparison, I would say that’s what probably angels eat!

I mean, this Strawberry Poke Cake is so tender and so fluffy and it melts in your mouth. It’s also moist, yes, I said it, it’s moist! Because it has been filled with the most amazing white chocolate sauce. Topped with a layer of strawberry pie filling and a thick layer of homemade whipped cream, each bite tastes like spring!

Usually, a Jello Poke Cake is infused with a strawberry gelatin mixture, well, I took it to a whole new level and I made a white chocolate strawberry sauce, that has been poured all over the cake and got into all the holes. Full of flavor, airy, sweet and bursting with all the delicious and different strawberry textures, this dessert is fantastic and also very, very easy to make.

what is a poke cake?

A “poke or jello cake” it’s a cake that you poke holes into after baking and then fill it with a liquid or filling to infuse extra flavor into every bite and make it very tender.

how to make strawberry poke cake?

Even though this dessert sounds fancy and complicated, it is quite simple and easy to make. Also, for a quick tutorial, please watch the short recipe video attached above. 

1. Bake the cake mix: Begin by making your cake. Follow the white cake mixture box instruction and bake it accordingly. 
2. Poke it: Once the cake is slightly cooled, poke holes with a fork at about 1/2 inch intervals.
3. Prepare the strawberry mixture: Combine white chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Then, heat in the microwave for about 1 minute, and gently stir until smooth. Add in the gelatin mix into the warm water, and dissolve it. Next, add it to the condensed milk mixture until fully combined and smooth.
4. Pour the mixture: Evenly pour the mixture over the cake, so it fills the holes nicely. 
5. Chill: Refrigerate it for about 1 hour, and top with whipped cream prior to serving. 
6. Garnish and serve: Garnish with freshly sliced strawberries. 

how do you make a jello poke cake?

Instead of using the condensed milk and white chocolate combo to make the liquid that gets infused into the cake you can make a jello mixture.

Mix 1 (3 oz.) JELL-O Strawberry Flavor Gelatin with 1 cup of boiling water until completely dissolved, stir in 1/2 cup of cold water. Pour the mixture over the poked cake and refrigerate immediately for at least 3 hours.

can i use other flavors of jello instead of strawberry?

Absolutely! Feel free to swap the strawberry jello for any flavor you prefer. Some great options are lemon, mango, peach, raspberry, apricot, and cherry jello!

how to freeze the strawberry poke cake?

• If freezing the cake without adding the frosting, first wait for the cake layer to cool completely. Then, fully wrap in plastic wrap tightly. Next, wrap in aluminum foil or place it in freezer bags.
• If freezing a frosted cake, first place it in the fridge, so the frosting isn’t too soft. Fully wrap the cake in plastic wrap tightly. Next, wrap in aluminum foil or place it in freezer bags. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost before slicing.
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strawberry cake recipe tips:

• Using a cake mix will reduce the prep time. A White Cake mix is best for this recipe.
• Also, the strawberry pie filling layer is optional, but it adds a nice flavor and texture to it.
• To save time you can use store-bought whipped cream aka Cool-Whip instead of making your own.
• You can make a Strawberry Jello mixture to fill the poke cake, see instructions above.
• Let the cake chill for at least 8 hours in the fridge before serving, this will make the cake extra tender. However, if you are short on time, you could serve it after about 1 hour of chilling it. 
• Keep the dessert refrigerated as the frosting will soften if kept at room temperature for too long.
• Clean the knife after each cut, otherwise, the slices will be messier, since the frosting may stick to the knife.
• Fresh strawberries add a nice texture and flavor to the cake, so don’t skip them.
• For other colorful cakes, use a different flavor of gelatin for the strawberry gelatin.

Tools/Ingredients I used to make this Recipe:

• 9×13 Cake Pan – I swear by this cake pan, it is non-stick, and of such good quality.
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Ingredients

• 1 box  white cake mix   (plus ingredients to prepare the mix)

Ingredients usually called for the cake mix:

• 3  eggs whites 
• 1 cup  water 
• 1/3 cup  vegetable oil 

Strawberry White Chocolate Mixture:

• 14 oz  sweetened condensed milk 
• 3/4 cups  white chocolate chips 
• 1  package  (3 oz JELL-O strawberry flavor gelatin)
• 1/4 cup  warm water 

Other ingredients:

• 2  cans  (21 oz each strawberry pie filling)
• 2 cups  heavy whipping cream  (full fat and cold)
• 2 tablespoons  sugar 
• 1 teaspoon  vanilla extract 
• 10-15  fresh strawberries  (sliced)

Instructions

Prepare White Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Grease and sprinkle with flour a 9-x-13 inch cake pan.
3. Prepare white cake mix according to box instructions. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes and using the bottom of a wooden spoon, poke holes all over the cake.

Strawberry White Chocolate Mixture:

1. In a medium, microwave safe bowl, combine white chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Heat in the microwave until hot for about 1 minute, stir and heat 30 seconds or more if needed. Stir until fully combined, smooth and shiny.
2. Stir in the strawberry gelatin mix into the warm water. Make sure it dissolves, otherwise it will be gritty. Stir the strawberry mixture into the condensed milk mixture until fully combined and smooth.
3. Pour the strawberry chocolate mixture all over the cake and using a spatula spread it evenly into the holes.
4. Let the cake cool completely and refrigerate for about one hour.

Other layers:

1. Top the cake with the strawberry pie filling if using.

Whipped Cream:

1. In a large bowl, beat heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form.
2. Using a spoon, scoop the whipped cream all over the cake and spread it with a spatula.

Garnish:

1. Garnish the cake with sliced strawberries.
2. Refrigerate the cake for at least 8 hours or better overnight before serving.