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Red, White and Blue Poke Cake

Red, White and Blue Poke Cake is a patriotic Jell-O poke cake made with a white sheet cake sliced to reveal vivid red and blue stripes soaked all the way through. Bake, poke, soak with strawberry and berry-blue Jell-O, then chill until fully set and finish with whipped topping and star sprinkles.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 15 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

White cake base
  • 1 box white cake mix, plus ingredients on box Use the eggs, oil, and water called for on the box.
Jell-O soak
  • 3 oz strawberry Jell-O
  • 3 oz berry blue Jell-O
  • 2 cup boiling water, divided
  • 1 cup cold water, divided
Topping
  • 8 oz whipped topping (Cool Whip), thawed
  • 1 Red and blue star sprinkles for garnish
  • 1 Fresh strawberries and blueberries for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 9x13 baking pan

Method
 

Bake the cake
  1. Preheat the oven and bake the white cake in a 9x13 pan according to package directions. Bake until done and let it cool for 15 minutes.
Poke holes
  1. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes all over the cake about 1 inch apart. Keep the holes evenly spaced so the Jell-O soaks through the whole cake.
Soak with red strawberry Jell-O
  1. Dissolve the strawberry Jell-O in 1 cup boiling water, then stir in 1/2 cup cold water until smooth. Slowly pour over the left half of the cake so it soaks into the holes.
Soak with blue berry Jell-O
  1. Dissolve the berry blue Jell-O in 1 cup boiling water, then stir in 1/2 cup cold water until smooth. Slowly pour over the right half of the cake so the blue Jell-O fills the holes.
Chill to set
  1. Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours until the Jell-O is fully set inside. The surface should feel firm and the stripes should look vivid when cut.
Top and serve
  1. Spread the whipped topping evenly over the top of the chilled cake. Garnish with red and blue star sprinkles and fresh strawberries and blueberries before serving.

Notes

For clean, vivid red-and-blue layers, pour the strawberry Jell-O over only the left half and the blue Jell-O over only the right half, then chill without moving the pan for at least 2 hours. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freeze unfrosted cake pieces is not recommended because the Jell-O texture can change. For a lighter option, use a reduced-fat whipped topping instead of Cool Whip.