Strawberry Poke Cake

5 from 1 vote

This easy Strawberry Poke Cake recipe is a perfect for a summer party or a quick dessert on a hot day. A homemade vanilla sheet cake that after baking gets poked with holes and some strawberry Jell-O poured over it. Then top it with buttercream icing and fresh strawberries, and you're good to go! This cake takes about 15 minutes to mix up!

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 519kcal

Author: Heather Perine

Ingredients

For the cake

2 cup (200 g) white granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks, 226 g) salted butter room temperature
3 large eggs room temperature
1 cup (240 ml) whole milk room temperature
3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
⅔ cup (160 ml) water
⅓ cup strawberry Jell-O powder

For the frosting:

1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks, 283 g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
2 1/2 cups (283 g) confectioners sugar
2 Tablespoons heavy cream or milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup sliced strawberries for garnish

Instructions

Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180oC). Grease with nonstick cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed, until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the milk and mix until homogeneous. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
On low speed, beat in the baking powder, baking soda, and flour until the last of the flour has been incorporated. Do not overmix.
Pour the cake batter into a 9x13 inch baking dish and bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick or skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
Use the handle of a wooden spoon or a large skewer to poke holes scattered throughout the top of the cake.
In a small bowl, whisk together the Jell-O powder and water. Pour the Jell-O mixture over the top of the cake.
Make the frosting. Combine the butter and confectioners sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix on low speed at first, then increase to medium until combined and smooth. About 2-3 minutes. Add in your heavy cream, salt, and vanilla extract, and mix on medium to high speed for 8 minutes until light and creamy.
Once the cake has cooled, use a spatula to spread the frosting evenly over the top.
Decorate the top of the cake with the sliced strawberries. Slice, serve, and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Storage: You can store your leftover cake in the fridge for up to 4 days covered with plastic wrap. Alternatively, you can store it on the counter for 3 days covered with plastic wrap. Or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Strawberries: It is best to use fresh strawberries to top your cake. Frozen strawberry slices will add too much liquid to the frosting as they thaw.
Jell-O - When adding the Jell-O mixture, pour slowly to give the liquid time to absorb evenly into the cake. Make sure that each hole you poke absorbs some of the liquid.
Salted butter - You can also use unsalted butter with a pinch of salt.

Nutrition