This easy strawberry poke cake starts with a boxed strawberry cake, soaks it with a creamy strawberry pudding filling made with fresh strawberries, and finishes it with fluffy whipped topping, sliced berries and a little lemon zest. It's a make-ahead summer dessert that feeds a crowd, and it's the one we make most often out of all of our easy poke cake recipes.
What makes this one different from most strawberry poke cakes is the filling. Instead of a thin gelatin soak, this strawberry pudding poke cake uses pureed fresh strawberries blended with vanilla pudding mix and milk, so the holes fill with a thick, creamy layer that tastes like strawberries and cream in every bite.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Strawberry cake mix. A box of strawberry cake mix (13.25 to 15.25 ounces) gives you a pink, strawberry-flavored base with almost no effort. You'll also need the eggs, oil and water listed on your box. A white or vanilla cake mix works too if you'd rather let the filling carry all of the strawberry flavor.
- Fresh strawberries. You need about 2 cups for the filling plus extra for the top. Peak strawberry season in the United States runs from April to June, when berries are sweetest and cheapest, but good berries from California and Florida are around most of the year. Thawed frozen strawberries work in the filling; save the fresh ones for the topping.
- Instant vanilla pudding mix. One 3.4-ounce box of instant vanilla pudding thickens the strawberry puree into a filling. It has to be instant, not cook-and-serve. White chocolate or cheesecake instant pudding are both delicious swaps.
- Milk. Whole or 2% milk sets up best. Skim works but makes a softer filling.
- Whipped topping. An 8-ounce tub of frozen whipped topping, thawed in the fridge, holds up well for days. You can use 2 cups of sweetened homemade whipped cream instead, but plan to serve the cake within a day.
- Lemon zest. A little fresh zest on top brightens the berries and keeps the cake from tasting too sweet. A citrus zester takes off just the yellow peel without the bitter pith.
Helpful Tips
Bake in a 9x13 pan. The filling and topping quantities are sized for a standard 9x13 baking dish, and you'll serve the cake right from the pan, so a glass dish with a lid is handy for parties and potlucks.
Use a wooden spoon handle for the holes. A fork makes holes that are too small for a thick pudding filling. The round handle of a wooden spoon makes wider holes that let more filling sink in. Poke all the way down to the bottom, about an inch apart, wiggling the handle a little to open each hole up.
Poke while the cake is still warm. Let the cake cool for about 15 minutes, just until it's firm enough to handle, then poke and fill it. A warm cake soaks up the filling better than a cold one.
Pour the filling right away. Instant pudding starts to set within a few minutes, so blend the strawberries, pudding mix and milk in a food processor only when the cake is poked and ready. Pour it over while it's still pourable, then use an offset spatula to push it into the holes and spread it evenly.
Chill before you top it. Refrigerate the filled cake for at least 3 to 4 hours so the filling sets and the cake is cold. Whipped topping spread on a warm cake will melt and slide. Add the sliced strawberries and lemon zest shortly before serving so the berries stay bright and don't weep into the topping.
Variations
- Strawberry Jell-O poke cake. For the classic gelatin version, bake the cake, poke it, then dissolve a 3-ounce box of strawberry Jell-O in 1 cup of boiling water, stir in ½ cup of cold water, and slowly pour it over the cake. Chill for 4 hours, then top with whipped topping and fresh strawberries. You'll get bright red stripes instead of a creamy filling.
- Strawberries and cream poke cake. Use a white cake mix, swap the vanilla pudding for cheesecake pudding, and fold 4 ounces of softened cream cheese into the whipped topping for a richer, tangier frosting.
- Strawberry lemonade. Use a lemon cake mix and add a tablespoon of lemon juice to the filling. If you love that combination, try our Lemon Lime Poke Cake too.
- Chocolate-covered strawberry. Bake a chocolate cake mix, keep the strawberry pudding filling, and finish with chocolate shavings or a drizzle of melted chocolate over the whipped topping.
- Mixed berry. Replace half of the strawberries in the filling with raspberries, and top the cake with strawberries, blueberries and raspberries for a red, white and blue Fourth of July dessert.
- From scratch. Bake your favorite homemade white or vanilla cake in a 9x13 pan instead of the mix, and use homemade whipped cream on top. The filling works the same way.
Serving Ideas
Strawberry poke cake is made for summer gatherings: cookouts, pool parties, baby and bridal showers, Mother's Day, Memorial Day and the Fourth of July. Cut it into 16 squares right in the pan, and serve it cold with a few extra strawberries and a sprig of mint on each plate.
If you're putting together a dessert table, pair it with something chocolate and something fruity, like our Strawberry Blondies or a batch of Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies made from the same kind of cake mix. A pitcher of lemonade or iced tea on the side is all you need.
Storing & Freezing
Because of the pudding filling and whipped topping, this cake has to stay in the refrigerator. Cover the pan tightly with its lid or plastic wrap and it will keep for 3 to 4 days. The cake itself tastes best on days one and two; after that the fresh strawberries on top start to soften and release juice, so if you're making it ahead, add the sliced berries just before serving.
You can freeze strawberry poke cake before you add the fresh strawberries on top. Freeze the filled, topped cake uncovered for about an hour until the whipped topping is firm, then wrap the pan (or individual squares) well in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and add fresh strawberries and lemon zest before serving. Some people like it straight from the freezer, too, as a cool, ice cream cake-style treat.
To make it ahead for a party, bake and fill the cake the day before, then spread on the whipped topping in the morning and finish with berries and zest when you're ready to serve.
More Poke Cake Recipes
If you loved this strawberry poke cake, here are a few more poke cakes you might enjoy:
- Jolly Rancher Watermelon Poke Cake
- Summer Peach Pie Poke Cake
- Blueberry Poke Cake
- Chocolate Ganache Poke Cake with Berries
- Oreo Poke Cake
Or browse all of our easy poke cake recipes for even more ideas.
Recipe
Strawberry Poke Cake Recipe
Equipment
- wooden spoon for poking the holes
Ingredients
- 1 box Strawberry cake mix (13.25 to 15.25 oz)
- 3 eggs large
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups strawberries hulled
- 3.4 ounce vanilla pudding mix instant, 1 box
- 1 cup milk
- 8 ounces whipped topping such as Cool Whip, thawed
- Additional sliced strawberries and lemon zest for top of cake
Instructions
- Preheat the oven and grease a 9x13 baking pan as directed on the cake mix box. Mix the cake mix, eggs, oil and water according to the package instructions, pour into the pan and bake for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool for about 15 minutes. Using the round handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes all over the cake about 1 inch apart, going all the way to the bottom.
- In a food processor, pulse the 2 cups of strawberries until pureed. Add the instant pudding mix and milk and blend until smooth.
- Right away, pour the strawberry pudding mixture over the cake. Use an offset spatula to spread it evenly and push it down into the holes.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 to 4 hours, until the filling is set and the cake is completely cold.
- Spread the whipped topping over the cake. Just before serving, top with sliced strawberries and lemon zest. Cut into 16 squares and serve cold.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition details are an estimate, per serving.
Leave a Comment