Strawberry Jello Cake
Light and sweet, Strawberry Jello Cake is the ultimate summer dessert, full of fluffy cake, strawberry jello, and delicious whipped cream!
Summer and strawberries go hand in hand so when picking out the perfect potluck dessert, Strawberry Jello Cake is the must-have cake that makes everyone’s eyes light up! This airy combination of moist white cake, sweet strawberry jello, whipped cream, and bright fresh strawberries is the absolute hit of every summer party!
Sweet Celebrations
Birthdays, holidays, and awesome get-togethers with family and friends all deserve a great dessert and during the summer, there’s no better berry to pair with cake than strawberries! Strawberry Jello Cake is a classic poke cake with light sweet flavors that are perfect for warm-weather parties. Each summer I try to change up the desserts I make but there are just too many people, including myself, who can’t get enough of this easy-to-make and deliciously bright cake!
Poke cakes are always a crowd favorite and with so many different flavor combinations, from RumChata Poke Cake to Lemon Poke Cake, you can make a poke cake for every occasion and season!
Other Recipes to Serve with Strawberry Jello Cake
- Pick up more fresh strawberries to make incredibly refreshing Strawberry Sorbet to keep everyone cool all summer!
- Nothing screams “summer patio party” like a tall glass of sweet frozen Strawberry Mango Daiquiri!
Ingredients
Cake: Pick up a box of your favorite white cake mix. Be sure to purchase the additional ingredients listed on the back of the box, usually water, oil, and eggs.
Jello: For this recipe, you will need a box of strawberry-flavored jello and water.
Whipped Cream: Easily make your Homemade Cool Whip or purchase a tub of whipped topping.
Strawberries: As the star ingredient, pick up beautiful fresh strawberries at the store or from your local farmers market.
How to Make Strawberry Jello Cake
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 baking dish with butter and flour or non-stick spray. Prepare and bake the cake according to the directions on the box of cake mix.
STEP TWO: Once the cake has finished baking, allow it to cool, and then poke holes in the cake using a fork or the end of a thin wooden spoon.
STEP THREE: Boil one cup of water in a medium saucepan. Add the jello powder to a bowl and pour the boiling water over the jello, stirring for about 2 minutes. When the jello has dissolved, pour 1/2 cup of cold water into the jello and continue to stir.
STEP FOUR: Pour the jello over the entire cake, allowing it to soak into the holes. Refrigerate the cake for at least 3 hours to let the cake set.
STEP FIVE: Once the cake has set, cover the top with whipped topping and sliced strawberries, and enjoy!
Tips for Success
- Any white cake mix is perfect for this recipe so purchase your favorite brand, just don’t forget to check the back for the additional ingredients you need!
- When slicing the strawberries to top the cake, you can leave the stems on for a more colorful presentation or hull and slice the strawberries for more coverage- the choice is yours!
- The cake needs at least three hours in the fridge for the jello to set properly, so it’s a great make-ahead cake.
- Keep this jello cake covered in the fridge for up to four days.
What does adding Jello to the cake do?
Jello flavors are made to be more intense and concentrated, so each bite is a big burst of flavor. When you add jello to the cake mix, you create a more flavorful cake, and when you add liquid jello to a baked cake, you make flavor punch pockets. Besides the ease of making a poke cake, these bites of intense flavor are the other reason poke cakes are so amazing!
Why is my poke cake soggy?
If you’ve never made a poke cake before or haven’t been entirely successful when making one, the problem usually lies in the holes. If the holes are too close together, it can create a soggy situation because too much liquid has pooled. If you’re making large-ish holes using something like the end of a wooden spoon, try to space the holes about an inch apart. If using something smaller, like a fork, you can make the holes in a row closer together, but try leaving space between rows.
More Summer Strawberry Bites!
- Strawberry Lemon Cupcakes
- Strawberry Shortcake
- Easy Strawberry Pie Recipe
- Strawberries and Cream Poke Cake
- Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
*This post originally posted on 07/27/2018.
Strawberry Jello Cake
Ingredients
- 15.25 ounces white cake mix (1 package)
- 1 ¼ cup water
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 3 egg whites
- 3 ounces strawberry gelatin mix (1 box)
- 1 ½ cup water (divided)
- 8 ounces Cool Whip (store-bought or homemade)
- 2 cups strawberries sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
- Prepare the cake mix with water, vegetable oil, and egg whites according to package directions.
- Pour the batter into the prepared dish and bake according to the package directions for a 9×13 pan. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.
- After the cake has cooled, poke holes all over the cake with a fork or the back of a thin wooden spoon. Set aside.
- Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from the heat. Pour in the gelatin mix and whisk for about 2 minutes until well dissolved. Add 1/2 cup of cold water and whisk to combine.
- Pour the strawberry gelatin into the holes in the cake. Then pour any remaining gelatin all over the cake. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours to let the gelatin set up and soak into the cake.
- Remove the cake from the fridge and top with an even layer of Cool Whip. Add the sliced strawberries on top for garnish before slicing and serving.
This is a great all around cake for any occasion. Children and adults alike both love it. I have made this several times and it’s a hit every time. I make my own whipping cream. It’s best to leave overnite in fridge after pouring the jello in, then put the cream and strawberries on the next day. I am actually making this today for a bridal shower tomorrow night. Will put cream and strawberries on tomorrow. Love this cake. So easy to make. Hint: I also make this cake using lemon or lime jello and decorate with candied sprinkles over the whipping cream. Yum.
Love this cake but forgot part of it ….I maye à double layer round cake add vanilla pudding or strawberry glace and sliced strawberries in between thé layer…but yours is so pretty that I am going to try your receipe . Thank you for this!
My family has been making this for years. It’s easy, cheap and a great dessert if you’re on a budget.
I would suggest that you let your Jell-O harden a little bit in the fridge before you pour it into the cake. This prevents the cake from becoming soggy. You can also control exactly where you want the Jell-O to go.
Once you’re finished you cover the entire cake and put it in the fridge to harden. Cover in cool whip and your choice of toppings (optional).
Thank you for the tips!
I had the cake in the oven but l just wanted to make sure how to finish it.
I looked here and made sure l was
doing the right thing. Yep l am doing fine. This was a big help. You would
think at my age…72…that l could do this alone but it never hurts to check.
I’ve learned that double checking saves a lot of heartaches and disappointments!