Description
A festive and refreshing poke cake featuring white cake infused with strawberry and berry blue gelatin, topped with whipped cream and fresh berries.
Ingredients
- 1 box white cake mix
- 1 cup boiling water, divided
- 1 (3 oz) box berry blue Jello
- 1 cup cold water, divided
- 1 (3 oz) box strawberry Jello
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- 8 oz whipped topping, thawed
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
Instructions
- Bake the white cake in a 9×13 inch pan according to the package directions. Once it comes out of the oven, let it cool completely on a wire rack. This step is crucial because if the cake is too hot when you add the gelatin, it can become mushy rather than moist.
- Take a wooden skewer or the handle of a wooden spoon and poke holes all over the surface of the cooled cake. I space them about an inch apart and push down about halfway through the height of the cake. These channels will guide the Jello Poke Cake filling deep into the crumb for maximum flavor distribution.
- In a small bowl, whisk the strawberry gelatin powder with half a cup of boiling water until fully dissolved, then stir in half a cup of cold water. Carefully spoon this red mixture over the cake, aiming for the holes you created. I like to drizzle it in random patches or stripes, leaving plenty of plain white cake visible for the next color.
- Repeat the mixing process with the berry blue gelatin, using half a cup of boiling water followed by half a cup of cold water. Spoon the blue liquid over the remaining white sections of the cake and fill in any empty holes. You should end up with a colorful patchwork of red and blue soaking into the white sponge.
- Cover the pan with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator to chill. I recommend letting it set for at least one hour, though leaving it longer allows the gelatin to firm up properly within the cake texture. This waiting period ensures clean, distinct stripes when you eventually slice into it.
- Just before you are ready to serve, spread the thawed whipped topping evenly over the entire surface of the cake. Arrange your fresh strawberries and blueberries on top in a decorative pattern, such as a flag design or a random berry scatter. Slice into squares and enjoy the cool, fruity flavors immediately.
Notes
Ensure you do not use too much water for the gelatin; the ratio of 1/2 cup boiling to 1/2 cup cold per box keeps the flavor concentrated and prevents the cake from becoming soggy.
- Prep Time: 35 min
- Chilling Time: 1 hr
- Cook Time: 30 min
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 245
- Sugar: 30g
- Sodium: 335mg
- Fat: 4g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1g
- Trans Fat: 0.2g
- Carbohydrates: 49g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 0.5mg
Keywords: Jello Poke Cake, 4th of July cake, patriotic dessert, summer cake recipe