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Red, White and Blue Poke Cake

Red, white and blue poke cake is a white frosted sheet cake soaked with red-and-blue Jell-O stripes for a vivid slice. Bake a tender white cake, poke evenly spaced holes, then pour strawberry Jell-O over the left and berry blue Jell-O over the right for patriotic layers.
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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
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

White cake base
  • 1 box white cake mix Use the eggs/oil/water listed on the box for the cake.
Red and blue Jell-O layer
  • 3 oz box strawberry Jell-O
  • 3 oz box berry blue Jell-O
  • 2 cup boiling water Divide into 1 cup + 1 cup.
  • 1 cup cold water Divide into 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup.
Topping
  • 8 oz whipped topping (Cool Whip) Thaw if needed before spreading.
  • 1 Red and blue star sprinkles Use for garnish.
  • 1 Fresh strawberries and blueberries Use for garnish, sliced/halved as desired.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 9x13 baking dish
  • 1 wooden spoon

Method
 

Bake and cool
  1. Bake the white cake in a 9x13 pan according to package directions. Let cool for 15 minutes so the cake can be poked without tearing.
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 both colors soak consistently.
Add red Jell-O
  1. Dissolve strawberry Jell-O in 1 cup boiling water, then stir in 1/2 cup cold water. Pour slowly over the left half of the cake so the mixture soaks into the holes.
Add blue Jell-O
  1. Dissolve berry blue Jell-O in 1 cup boiling water, then stir in 1/2 cup cold water. Pour over the right half of the cake, aiming to fill the holes without mixing the colors.
Chill to set
  1. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours until the Jell-O is fully set inside the cake. The surface should look firm when pressed gently with a finger.
Top and serve
  1. Spread 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

Pro tip: pour the Jell-O slowly right after dissolving so it flows into the holes before it begins to thicken, and use a light touch when spreading whipped topping so you don’t smear the red/blue stripes. Refrigerate covered up to 3 days; freeze is not recommended for best texture. For a lighter option, swap whipped topping (Cool Whip) for whipped cream folded with a small amount of Greek yogurt.