Strawberries & Cream Poke Cake will be the highlight of all your summer get-togethers with its sweet berry flavors and homemade frosting!
Strawberries and Cream Poke Cake is a simple dessert that is bursting with summer flavors but doesn’t take hours to make. Using a prepared strawberry cake mix and strawberry jam cuts down on time and ingredients and whipping up your own frosting is quick, so everyone can dive into this amazing dessert in no time!
Strawberry Dream
Is there anything better than an easy dessert the whole family just raves about? I’m going to cut to the chase and tell you how amazing the strawberry jam in this poke cake is. Many poke cakes use jello to flavor the cake, which is really delicious, but the strawberry jam creates such a decadent filling that every bite is simply bursting with strawberry flavor! Strawberries and Cream Poke Cake is in our top five favorite desserts we enjoy all summer long.
Other Recipes to Serve with Strawberries & Cream Poke Cake
- Whether the time spent baking is long or short it always seems better with a drink to keep you company, so make yourself a really delicious Spiked Strawberry Shortcake cocktail!
- Break out a fruitastic appetizer ahead of time to tide folks over, like Strawberry Pineapple Salsa! It’s like a dessert pregame for those who love strawberries.
Ingredients
Cake Mix: Grab a box of strawberry-flavored cake mix and check the back to see what you need to make the cake, such as eggs, oil, or water. You’ll want to make sure you have those ingredients as well.
Strawberry Jam: You will need a jar of your favorite strawberry jam. The sugar-free jam will work just fine in this recipe if you prefer.
Frosting: To make the frosting you will need softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, and a tub of whipped topping. Again, you can choose your preferred brand and type of whipped topping – regular, light, or fat-free.
Strawberries: Don’t forget to pick up a pint of fresh strawberries to slice for the top of the cake.
How to Make Strawberries & Cream Poke Cake
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 9×13 cake pan with cooking spray. Prepare the cake according to the directions on the box and then pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for the time specified on the box.
STEP TWO: After the cake comes out of the oven place it on a wire rack. While the cake is still hot, poke holes all over the top with the end of a wooden spoon about 1-inch apart.
STEP THREE: Warm the strawberry jam in the microwave for 30-60 seconds and stir. Spoon the jam into the holes in the cake. Spread any extra jam over the top of the cake. Let the cake cool completely.
STEP FOUR: To make the frosting, add the room temperature cream cheese and powdered sugar to a mixing bowl and beat together with a hand mixer. Add in the milk and beat until everything is smooth. Add the entire tub of whipped topping and fold it in until just combined.
STEP FIVE: Spread the whipped frosting evenly over the cooled cake and then add the sliced strawberries on top. Keep the cake refrigerated until you are ready to serve.
Tips for Success
- Make sure you check the back of the cake mix box that you purchase. You’ll want to pick the additional ingredients listed in the directions since you will be making the cake according to those instructions.
- When heating the strawberry jam, make sure the jam is pretty loose and stirs easily. You want the jam to be able to really sink into the holes of the cake to create those delicious pops of fruit.
- Store any leftover cake in the fridge covered with the baking dish lid or some plastic wrap. It’ll keep for up to 1 week.
Can you use cream cheese icing on a poke cake?
Poke cakes are so versatile when it comes to flavors that you can do almost any combination you like and still come out with an amazing cake. You can use a cream cheese frosting on this cake if you wish, either homemade or store-bought. The wonderful thing about the frosting in this recipe is how light, slightly sweet, and tangy it is.
If you prefer not to make your own frosting, consider buying a container of cream cheese frosting, whipping it with a mixer, and then mixing in a tub of whipped topping so that you get a similar effect to the original frosting.
What do you use to poke holes in a poke cake?
The most widely used instrument to poke holes in poke cake is the end of the wooden spoon. The diameter and depth created in the cake when using a wooden spoon is the perfect amount of space for jams, syrups, or jello to seep into and create delightful pockets of filling.
If you’re filling your poke cake with jello, you can use something smaller, like a chopstick or a grilling fork, where the holes are not as wide but you still get enough depth for the filling to go through the cake.
More strawberries to delight in all year long
- Strawberry Shortcake Kabobs
- Strawberry Pretzel Salad
- Strawberries and Cream Swiss Roll
- Fresh Strawberry Margarita
- Strawberry Mango Daiquiri
*This post was originally posted on 04/21/2016.
Ingredients
- 15.25 ounces strawberry cake mix (1 box)
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup strawberry jam warmed
- 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 8 ounces whipped topping thawed
- 1 pint fresh strawberries hulled and sliced
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish with non-stick baking spray. Set aside.
- Whisk together the cake mix, water, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Bake according to the package directions. (about 30-35 minutes) The cake is done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack.
- While the cake is still hot, use the back of a wooden spoon to poke holes all over the cake about 1-inch apart.
- Warm the strawberry jam in the microwave for 30-60 seconds and stir. Pour the jam into the holes in the cake and then let the cake cool completely.
- Once the cake is cooled, use a hand mixer to beat together the cream cheese and powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the milk and beat until it has a smooth consistency. Add the container of whipped topping and fold it in just until combined.
- Spread the whipped topping mixture in an eve layer over the cake. Add the sliced strawberries to the top of the cake and cut the cake into 15 slices. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Fleur says
This looks so delicious! I didn’t have your recipe when I was at the store, so I don’t have cream cheese or powdered sugar. But I do have Cool whip! Can I just use Cool Whip by itself? Thanks!
Liz says
Thank you Erin for the nice and easy recipe. Sounds great.