Strawberry Jello Poke Cake
This Strawberry Jello Poke Cake has moist white cake filled with pockets of strawberry jello and covered with whipped topping. A very simple recipe, thanks to the help of a box cake mix.

I love poke cake recipes such as Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake, our Old Fashioned Lemon Poke Cake and this yummy Rolo Poke Cake. They are an easy way fancy up the look and taste of ordinary cake. Just like this Pumpkin Spice Poke Cake!
Yet ummer brings more berries – and with it, more baking with berries like this Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Cake. YUM! Almost every week I’m scouring the farmers market, hoping for the freshest homegrown berries – and right now, all the strawberries!
This easy strawberry poke cake recipe is the perfect summertime indulgence, because it’s cool and light. Most of the sweetness of this wonderful dessert comes from the berries with a little flavor of jello infused throughout.
Plus, this delicious cake is also a very simple recipe to make. Strawberry Jello Poke Cake with Cool Whip takes few ingredients, and is a great one to enjoy at home or take along to potlucks, family gatherings, and backyard barbecues.
The look and taste of this easy dessert recipe are true symbols of summer. It’s a great red and white Canada Day dessert and so pretty for birthday parties! In my experience this cake has always been a crowd favorite.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Total Time: 2.5 hours
- Serves: 10
Ingredients and Notes

As always, the full ingredients and recipe is on the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
Recipe Variations
How to Make Strawberry Poke Cake
STEP 1 (Not Pictured) – Preheat oven to 350°. Spray the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan with a nonstick coating and set aside.

STEP 2 – Combine the cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil and water in a mixing bowl and stir until all of the ingredients are wet. Mix the batter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes.
STEP 3 – Pour cake batter into the 9×13 pan and bake for 25-28 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
STEP 4 (Not Pictured) – Place cake pan on a wire rack and cool for 45 minutes.
STEP 5 – Using the back of a wooden spoon, gently poke holes all over the top of the cake, about 1 inch apart.
STEP 6 – Pour the powdered strawberry JELLO mix into a mixing bowl. Add 1 cup boiling water and whisk until combined.

STEP 7 – Pour the jello mixture all over the top of the cake.
STEP 8 – Cover and refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours.
STEP 9 – Before serving, spread Cool Whip on top of the cake. If desired, garnish with whole sliced fresh strawberries either on the whole cake or on top of each cake slice. Enjoy!
Storage
Place leftover cake into an airtight container or cover well with plastic wrap. Refrigerate this strawberry jello cake for up to 4 days.
I could almost eat the entire cake, so don’t be surprised if you don’t have any leftover though.
The easy recipe for Strawberry Jello Poke Cake is below, and don’t forget to check out my other Strawberry Desserts recipes. If this recipe is your style, you might want to try our Strawberry Jello Pie recipe.

Recipe FAQ
If you pour the Jello mixture into the holes too fast or add too much, there is a chance. Yet jello solidifies quickly so you really don’t have to worry too much about that.
A Jello poke cake is when Jello is poured into the poked holes in an already baked cake. This is compared to a poke cake filled with pudding, or even a homemade lemon curd.
Yes, and I suggest doing so because it’s best when good and chilled. You can make it up to the day before, and just frost the cake and garnish right before serving.
More Cake Recipes
If you’ve tried this Strawberry Poke Cake with Jello or any other recipe on my blog please let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you. Finally, consider leaving a 🌟 star rating while you’re here. Thanks!

Strawberry Jello Poke Cake
Ingredients
- 1 box white cake mix
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1 cup water
- 1 3 oz strawberry JELLO
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 8 oz Cool Whip (thawed)
- Strawberries (for garnish)
Instructions
-  Preheat oven to 350°. Spray the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan with a nonstick coating and set aside.
- Combine the cake mix, eggs, oil and water in a mixing bowl and stir until all of the ingredients are wet. Mix the batter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Pour into the 9×13 pan and bake for 25-28 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Place cake pan on a wire rack and cool for 45 minutes.
- Using the end of a wooden spoon, gently poke holes all over the top of the cake, about 1 inch apart.
- Pour the powdered strawberry JELLO mix into a mixing bowl. Add 1 cup boiling water and whisk until combined.
- Pour the jello mixture all over the top of the cake.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours.
- Before serving, spread Cool Whip on top of the cake. If desired, garnish with whole sliced fresh strawberries either on the whole cake or on top of each cake slice. Enjoy!
This is such an easy strawberry poke cake with cool whip. It’s a quick cake to make, and so light and fresh for spring and summer.
Making with sugar free ingredients for my diabetic friends!
For the holiday weekend, to get the red-white-and blue look, I’m topping with blueberry pie filling then the whip cream and cutting up strawberries for the top! We shall see!!!
FANTASTIC idea! Have a great weekend! 🙂
I wonder what it would taste like made with a Strawberry cake mix? I guess I’m going to find out since that’s the only one I have . I’m making Fluffy white icing unless I’ve got some Cool whip stashed in the freezer too. If it works I’ll let you know.
Yes please let me know, that sounds good!
How was your cake?
I make poke cakes all the time I switch it up I do a peach poke cake with peach yogurt whip on top it’s delicious
This reminds me of something my grandma used to make! Plus I love strawberry desserts in the summer!
This sounds delicious for a bbq!
oh this looks tasty! and fairly easy for me to handle!
Looks like an easy and yummy summer recipe, thanks!
What an easy recipe and it looks so good and sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing.
We used to make poke cakes regularly in summertime while i was growing up. I would love to make this beautiful cake with my own girls as our summer tradition. Yum!