A poke cake is exactly what it sounds like, a cake with holes poked into it. Also known as poke and pour cake or jello poke cake, the whole idea of the poke cake recipe is to let the cake absorb whatever liquid you pour on it. Much of the time, it is liquid jello but it could also be chocolate sauce, fruit sauce, caramel sauce, or pudding poke cake.
There are literally hundreds of different combinations of cake mix and liquids to use for a poke cake recipe. In some poke cake recipes, sweetened condensed milk is poured over the top of a cake for an extra sweet and creamy flavor. It can be a yellow cake mix with strawberry jello or a chocolate cake with chocolate pudding. You can even add homemade whipped cream.
Some of my family’s favorite desserts are poke cakes. What makes poke cake so popular is how easy it is. By using a boxed cake mix and simple pureed fruit or sauce, you can have a super moist dessert in minutes. There are so many variations to try, the choices are unlimited. You do not even have to use frosting if you do not want to.
Different kinds of poke cake
Strawberry poke cake is one of the most popular poke cake recipes. Made with white cake mix and a yummy and tangy strawberry pie filling, strawberry sauce, and whipped topping, it is not just an easy poke cake, but it is also a great recipe full of delicious fresh fruit flavor and white chocolate. My family gives it 5 stars!
Chocolate cake with any kind of pour over from chocolate cream to vanilla pudding will make an easy dessert taste 10 times better than a regular cake. Just poke holes in whatever cake you are making and pour on whatever you have from black cherry jello to cream cheese sauce. Add some cool whip and chocolate chips and you have an instant celebration. Here are some popular recipes that you can try:
- Very berry: Yellow cake with strawberry jello and fresh berries.
- White raspberry: White cake with raspberry jello and cream cheese frosting.
- Chocolate peanut butter: Chocolate with peanut butter sauce and Nutella frosting.
- Banana split: Yellow cake with chocolate sauce and whipped cream, bananas, and cherries on top.
- Chocolate Baileys: Chocolate with Baileys Irish cream poured on top and frosted with chocolate ganache.
- Oreo cake: Dark chocolate cake batter with cookies and cream pudding and crushed cookie topping.
- Chocolate turtle: Chocolate cake with caramel sauce and crushed pecans.
- Coconut cream: White cake mix with coconut cream soaked in and topped with whipped cream and coconut.
- Smores cake: Chocolate cake with marshmallow cream and covered in a layer of melted chocolate and crushed graham crackers.
- Tres Leches: White cake with sweetened condensed milk, heavy cream, and evaporated milk.
- Funfetti: Confetti cake mix with whipped cream topping and sprinkles.
- Flag cake: White cake with cherry jello topped with blueberries, strawberries, and white frosting.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my poke cake soggy?
You may have used too much liquid or made too many holes. Make fewer holes that are just a bit bigger, so they hold more liquid but do not get soggy all over. It is best to use a pudding-based cake mix so it does not absorb so much of the liquid. You also have to make sure it is cool before poking and be sure to cool it right away after poking and filling.
How many holes should there be in poke cake?
The number of holes to poke in your cake depends on the size of the cake. Usually, a 9×13-inch cake will have about 20 to 24 holes in it to cover the entire cake. Make sure they are big enough. Use the end of a wooden spoon or a chopstick. Also, do not poke it all the way through. Just about 3/4 of the way.
Why are these so popular?
Any kind of dessert you can make in one pan that includes cake filled with some kind of sweet jell o or sauce that you make in one pan is perfect. It is so easy, and you never have to worry about it being too dry. You do not even have to worry about frosting it. And there are so many varieties, you can serve them year-round.
Tips and tricks
- Always preheat your oven before baking. Otherwise, your cake will not bake properly.
- Let the cake cool completely before you poke the holes.
- Only poke the holes about 3/4 of the way through. Not all the way to the bottom.
- Use a large enough wooden spoon or chopstick to poke the holes.
- Make sure your liquid is thin enough to go into the holes but not too thin to soak through the rest of the cake.
- Stir the liquid thoroughly before pouring so it is evenly distributed.
- If you are using boiling water for your jello poke cake, make sure you let it cool before pouring. Or just add some cold water to cool it off.
- To store, cover with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil or an airtight cake container.
- When in doubt, just follow the cake mix box instructions.
- Any cake goes great with a large bowl of ice cream.
Leave a Reply