Strawberry Cake With Strawberry Sauce (Poke Cake!)

This strawberry gelatin cake recipe is the ultimate summer dessert. Packed full of sweet strawberries and cool cream with a fun red and white swirl inside this delicious cake! This dessert is perfect for cookouts, picnics, summer parties and other family gatherings.

 

Ingredients For Strawberry Gelatin Poke Cake

Ingredients For The Cake

• white cake mix– yellow box mix can work also, or you could use homemade cake.
• oil vegetable, canola or your favorite cooking oil
• eggs – egg whites only
• water
• strawberry gelatin mix – can use sugar free gelatin too, but you want a flavored gelatin
• whipped topping like Cool Whip. Whipped cream typically doesn’t hold up as well on top of the cake as a frosting but could be added to the plate as you serve if you prefer to leave the cake without the topping.
• strawberries one pint

Ingredients For The Strawberry Sauce

• strawberries fresh or frozen, about a cup
• white sugar
• lemon juice

How To Make Strawberry Gelatin Cake

Making a poke cake isn’t very hard, but it does require adding a few layers. Luckily with a poke cake you don’t have to be as neat and precise as you would for a layer cake or even cupcakes.

Try to spread your payers evenly so every slice gets a bite of everything. Once the layers are all on there, the cake will look (and taste) delicious once chilled. We loved this cake so much, I made a creamy banana pudding poke cake for a summer pool party and it was a hit!

Making And Baking The Cake

1. Grease a 9×13 inch pan. Prepare the cake mix according to the package directions, mixing in the egg whites (or whole eggs), oil and water as listed on the package. I’ve listed the most common egg, oil and water amounts in the ingredients but use the amounts listed on your package.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees for a metal pan and 325 degrees for a glass pan. Pour the batter into a 9×13 pan and bake according to the package directions, usually 28-35 minutes.
3. Let the cake cool for at least 15-20 minutes or until cool to the touch.

Making The Strawberry Sauce

1. In a medium sauce pan add 7 ounces strawberries (1 cup), sugar and lemon juice. Cook until the sauce begins to thicken, about 6 minutes.
2. Once the cake is cool, poke holes in the cake in rows for the gelatin, about 9-10 rows down the longer side of the pan. Use the handle of a wooden spoon or a similar tool to poke holes in even lines all the way down the cake.

Add Gelatin And Strawberry Sauce Layers

1. Prepare the gelatin in a pourable container. Add 1 cup of boiling water to the mix and stir until the gelatin dissolves. Add 1/2 cup of cold water and continue stirring for a minute.
2. Carefully pour the prepared gelatin evenly over top of the cake. Pour evenly so all of the holes are filled with gelatin.

3. Spread the strawberry sauce evenly over the top of the entire cake. Chill the entire cake for at least 4 hours (or overnight) so the gelatin and the strawberry sauce both have plenty of time to set.

Decorate The Cake

1. Top the cake with the whipped topping and decorate with sliced strawberries. Place in the refrigerator until you are ready to enjoy!

Why Is This Easy Dessert Called A Poke Cake?

A poke cake is made by taking a mostly cooled cake and using a spoon handle or some other tool to poke holes all over the cake. You then create some kind of filling that you add to the holes before frosting.

In this gelatin poke cake recipe, we are filling the holes with strawberry gelatin. Poke cake recipes can use gelatin, vanilla pudding or other flavors of pudding, pastry cream, sweet condensed milk, caramel, or just pureed fruit to fill the holes in the cake.

When you slice into a poke cake, you get these fun layers all throughout the cake. This adds a ton of flavor to a regular ol’ boxed cake mix.

Do I Have To Add The Strawberry Sauce?

The strawberry sauce gives this poke cake just a little something special. It really takes the “boxed cake” flavor out of this cake and brings it up a level.

But you can make this cake without the strawberry sauce and this strawberry gelatin cake will still be delicious.

Can I Use Another Flavor Of Gelatin?

Really you can substitute any flavor of gelatin you like in this cake. Just keep in mind that the gelatin does add flavor and color to the cake.

I recommend picking a red gelatin to go with the strawberry. Flavors like raspberry, strawberry banana and cherry gelatin are delicious and still give the cake the beautiful red and white swirl.

I have seen people use a mix of red and blue gelatin for a poke cake for holidays like Memorial Day or Fourth of July. I’ve found that making a cake like this can be hit or miss. If you poke the holes too close together the blue gelatin and the red gelatin can sometimes run together, and the red color tends to take over the cake. I would also leave off the strawberry sauce for a red and blue cake. Or try the flag fruit pizza for another patriotic way to make a fun dessert with fruit.

Can I Use Another Flavor Of Cake Mix Other Then White Cake Mix?

The cake mix flavor can be swapped out easily for other flavors such as yellow cake mix, strawberry cake mix or even cherry chip cake mix. Chocolate cake or other darker-colored cakes don’t typically work as well because it’s then harder to see the red gelatin in the cake, but they will taste delicious.

Follow the directions on your box of cake mix to know how much water, oil and eggs to add to your cake and how long to bake it. You can use any cake mix that has instructions for making the cake in a 9 x13 inch pan.

Can I Use Buttercream Frosting?

Yes you could use buttercream frosting instead of the Cool Whip on top of the cake. Buttercream is a little heavier but will hold up well on top of this cake. You could also use a cream cheese frosting.

Can You Freeze The Cake?

You can freeze your strawberry gelatin cake but these tricks will help so your cake is still tasty. First off when you are ready to freeze the cake, stop after you add the strawberry sauce and freeze the cake then. This allows all of the layers to set really well without it getting watery later when you defrost the cake. Wrap the cake tightly is plastic wrap before putting the strawberry poke cake into the freezer.

When you are ready to enjoy the cake, place it in the fridge for 24 hours before you want to eat the cake. This will allow the cake to defrost so it isn’t too hard when you go to take a bite.

Once the cake has defrosted, add the cool whip and fresh strawberries and your cake is ready to eat!

How Long Does Gelatin Cake Last In The Fridge?

I mean, this cake is so good it won’t last long! Strawberry gelatin cake is best if eaten within 2-3 days. Make sure when you store it that you refrigerate it and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or an airtight container.