Our Strawberry Poke Cake (Strawberries and Cream) is an incredibly light and super refreshing dessert. It’s a moist vanilla cake that’s oozing with delicious white chocolate and strawberry filling in every bite. Topped off with creamy whipped topping and fresh strawberries for the perfect fruity summer dessert.
Strawberry Poke Cake Recipe
I made this delicious Strawberry Poke Cake for a family gathering a few weeks ago, and it was a total hit with everyone from the kiddos to grandma and grandpa. The light and fresh strawberry flavors are irresistible and the delicious filling made of white chocolate chips, sweet and condensed milk, and strawberry jello is so good!
If you’re looking for a quick and easy dessert for your next get-together or special occasion, I can’t recommend this one enough. It only takes about 30 minutes to prep, and then you simply leave it to chill until you are ready to serve. It’s so simple and delicious, and your family or friends will love it.
Why we love Strawberry Poke Cake
- Easy to make using a box cake mix base
- Oozing with white chocolate strawberry filling in every bite
- Light and refreshing strawberry dessert
- Can be made ahead and stored in the fridge until serving
- Poke cake filling keeps cake super moist
- Great way to use up strawberries in the fridge
- Can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months
Strawberry Jello Poke Cake ingredients
- 1 box vanilla or white cake mix
- 4 egg whites
- Vegetable oil
- White chocolate chips
- Sweetened condensed milk
- 1 box strawberry gelatin
- Strawberry pie filling
- Whipped topping
- Fresh strawberries
Strawberry Jello Cake variations
- FOOD COLORING: If you want a darker red strawberry filling, you can add 4 – 6 drops of red food coloring.
- GELATIN: You can use any flavored gelatin.
- FRUIT TOPPING: You could also swap out the fruit topping! For example, if you’re going to use raspberry-flavored gelatin, you can use raspberry fruit as the topping.
- PIE FILLING: You can omit the strawberry pie filling, or you can use a premade strawberry glaze.
SEE FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD BELOW
How to Make Strawberry Poke Cake with sweetened condensed milk
- Bake the cake according to the instructions on the box. Using a fork or wooden spoon handle poke holes in the warm cake.
Pro-tip: It’s best to make the holes in the cake while it is still slightly warm because as it cools the crust on top of the cake will crumble more easily.
- Microwave the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk until smooth.
- Combine strawberry gelatin and water and stir until dissolved. Pour gelatin over the white chocolate mixture and mix.
- Evenly pour this mixture over the cake and allow the cake to chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Pro-tip: When you’re pouring the mixture into the holes, tap the pan on the counter a few times to get rid of any air bubbles and make sure the sauce fills the holes completely. - Spread the strawberry pie filling over the cake and chill for 4 hours or overnight.
- Spread the whipped topping over the cake.
- Lay the sliced strawberries over the top of the whipped topping.
How to store this Strawberry Poke Cake with Sweetened Condensed Milk
Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the cake without the sliced strawberries. Tightly cover with plastic wrap and then cover with aluminum foil for up to 3 months. Allow the cake to thaw, then top with the sliced strawberries.
Strawberry Poke Cake with Jello FAQs
Poke cakes are made using a box cake, poking it with holes after it comes out of the oven, and filling the holes with a liquid such as pudding or jello. In this case, the filling is made of white chocolate and condensed milk mixed with strawberry jello. The poke cake technique creates a cake where every bite is oozing with a delicious flavor.
Using the back of a wooden spoon works well to make holes that are a bit bigger, but you could also use a fork. If using a fork you will want to make more pokes since the holes are much smaller.
To keep strawberries fresh on a cake, it’s best to add them shortly before serving. You can slice the strawberries and arrange them on top of the cake just before serving to ensure they stay fresh. Alternatively, you can keep the strawberries refrigerated separately and add them individually to each slice of cake as it is served.
More Poke Cake Recipes
Strawberry Poke Cake
Ingredients
Vanilla Cake
- 1 15.25 ounce box vanilla or white cake mix
- 4 egg whites
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup vegetable oil
Strawberry Filling
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
- 3 ounce box strawberry flavored gelatin
- ⅓ cup boiling water
- 21 ounce can strawberry pie filling
Topping
- 12 ounce tub whipped topping thawed
- 12 fresh strawberries washed, capped and sliced thin
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 baking pan with Baker’s Joy or a generic baking spray. Set it aside.
- Using a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the boxed cake mix, water, vegetable oil and egg whites until completely combined.
- Evenly pour the cake batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 28 – 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven. Using either a fork or the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes in the warm cake, spacing 1 inch apart. Allow the cake to completely cool.
Strawberry Filling
- Using a medium-size heat-safe bowl, add the white chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Microwave for 40 seconds. Stir the mixture until the chips are melted and smooth.
- Using a small heat-safe bowl, combine the boiling water and the strawberry flavored gelatin. Stir until all the sugar in the gelatin is dissolved.
- Pour the gelatin over the white chocolate mixture. Stir until completely combined.
- Evenly pour the white chocolate mixture over the cake, smoothing with a silicone spatula.
- Allow the cake to chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
- Remove the cake from the refrigerator and spread the strawberry pie filling over the top of the white chocolate topping. Tightly cover and chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours to overnight.
Topping
- Remove the cake from the refrigerator, evenly spread the whipped topping over the cake.
- Lay the sliced strawberries on top of the whipped topping. Slice the cake in 2×2 slices.
Jenn’s Notes
- It’s best to make the holes in the cake while it is still slightly warm because as it cools the crust on top of the cake will crumble more easily.
- When you’re pouring the mixture into the holes, tap the pan on the counter a few times to get rid of any air bubbles and make sure the sauce fills the holes completely.
Absolutely Marvelous 💯 ❤️
So glad it was a hit!
I am looking forward to making this cake.
Loved making this easy and so good
This will my new desert for over the Christmas Holidays as it is so quick and easy to make also nice and light after everything else we will be eating.🎄
I see a lot of great and yummy recipes!