My go-to strawberry jello cake recipe that just as fun to make as it is to eat! My kids as for this all year round and it’s easy to put together!
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My Favorite Easy Strawberry Poke Cake with Jello
I love going strawberry picking with my kids every year and this year we ended up with our usual way-too-many strawberries. That’s when I decided to create this strawberry jello cake!
My son loves to join in and help me make this recipe and he loves poking the holes and watching as I filled them with Jello. Now, it’s his most requested dessert, and it makes me smile every time he brags about how he helped make it!
I designed my recipe to be easy by using cake mix and to highlight the strawberry flavor with the Jell-O and fresh strawberries.
And if you love a good recipe with jello, try my recipes for jello with fruit, cranberry jello salad, jello lemon meringue pie and jello salad.
Ingredients for Strawberry Jello Cake
- Box white cake mix — golden butter cake mix and yellow cake mix can work too
- Eggs
- Water
- Vegetable oil
- Box strawberry Jello
- Cool Whip
- Strawberries
How to Make Jello Cake
A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.

STEP TWO: Empty the contents of the cake mix into a large bowl. Add the eggs, cold water, and vegetable oil, then blend with a hand mixer until the ingredients are well combined.
STEP THREE: Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cake springs back when touched.
STEP FOUR: Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes on a wire rack.
STEP FIVE: Once the cake has cooled, poke several holes halfway into the cake with the end of a wooden spoon, spacing the holes approximately ½ -inch apart.
STEP SIX: In a medium-sized bowl, combine the Jello powder and boiling water, then whisk until completely dissolved.

STEP SEVEN: Spoon the Jello liquid over the cake, making sure the Jello gets into the holes, then pouring any remaining liquid over the cake.
STEP EIGHT: Place the cake in the refrigerator and chill for 1 hour to allow the Jello to set.

STEP NINE: Remove the cake from the refrigerator and, using an offset spatula, spread on the Cool Whip.
STEP TEN: Top with sliced strawberries and serve immediately.
Variations and Substitutions for Strawberry Jello Poke Cake
- Use another Jello flavor. I’ve used raspberry and cherry jello instead while the fruit is in season and I lime, lemon, and orange Jell-O would be great too.
- Try a different cake mix to create new layers of delicious flavor in your summer dessert. I’ve used yellow cake, golden butter cake, and chocolate cake. It alters the colors, but it’s still delicious.
- Add more fresh fruit on top for added texture and a burst of freshness.
- Use homemade whipped cream instead of Cool Whip on top for a richer finish.
- Add crushed nuts like almonds or pecans on top to add a delightful bit of crunch.
What to Serve with Jello Cake
I like to keep my strawberry Jello cake recipe pretty simple, but feel free to play around with more decadent toppings like my homemade whipped cream, Cool Whip frosting, Cool Whip cream cheese frosting, or even strawberry cream cheese frosting!
Of course, you can never go wrong serving strawberry poke cake with more strawberries, other fresh fruit, or even some extra Jello on the side!
Strawberry Jello Cake FAQs
Can I Make This Strawberry Poke Cake Ahead of Time?
I actually love making this poke cake ahead of time! I recommend prepping it up until the Cool Whip step, then covering it and storing in the refrigerator.
When you’re ready to serve, add the Cool Whip and fresh strawberries, then dive in!
How to Store This Strawberry Jello Cake Recipe
This Jello cake keeps very well in the fridge for up to 4 days. Just make sure it’s tightly wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container to maintain its best quality.
Why is It Called Poke Cake?
Poke cakes are an old fashioned dessert that get their name because you literally poke holes in the baked cake base. This is where you pour in the liquid Jello before letting it set to create pockets of sweet, delicious flavor in every slice!
More Easy Dessert Recipes
- Pineapple upside down cake
- Banana pudding cake
- Strawberry shortcake crumble
- Peanut butter balls
- Fruit dip
- Hershey kiss cookies
- Peanut butter frosting
- 3 ingredient no bake cheesecake
Easy Strawberry Jello Cake
Ingredients
- 1 15.25 ounce box white cake mix
- 3 eggs or as noted on cake mix box
- 1 cup water or as noted on cake mix box
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil or as noted on cake mix box
- 1 3 ounce box strawberry gelatin
- 1 cup boiling water
- 8 ounces Cool Whip thawed
- 2 cups sliced strawberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. Set aside.
- Empty the contents of the cake mix into a large bowl. Add the eggs, water, and vegetable oil and blend with a hand mixer until the ingredients are well combined.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cake springs back when touched. Remove the baking dish from the oven and allow the cake to cool for 20 minutes on a wire rack.
- Once the cake has cooled, poke several holes halfway into the cake with the end of a wooden spoon, (spacing the holes approximately ½ -inch apart).
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the gelatin powder and boiling water, and whisk until completely dissolved.
- Spoon the Jello liquid over the cake, ensuring it gets into the holes. (Any remaining liquid can be poured over the cake). Place the cake in the refrigerator and chill for 1 hour to allow the gelatin to set.
- Remove the cake from the refrigerator, and using an offset spatula, spread on the Cool Whip.
- Top with sliced strawberries and serve immediately.
Notes
- When poking holes into the cake, make sure you only poke halfway through the cake. Otherwise, the Jell-O will settle mainly at the bottom of the cake.
- I like to use the Duncan Hines brand when buying cake mix, as the box contains 15.25 ounces, while Betty Crocker cake mixes only contain 14.25 ounces. If you aren’t using Duncan Hines cake mix, check the back of the box for the exact quantities of water, vegetable oil, and eggs needed, as some brands might have different measurements.
Nutrition
This nutrition information is based on the exact products I used in this recipe. Brands and sizes of products could alter exact nutrition and should always be calculated independently.
