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Red, White and Blue Poke Cake

Red white blue poke cake with vivid red and blue Jell-O stripes soaked through a white sheet cake, then topped with whipped topping and patriotic sprinkles. This easy summer poke cake bakes, pokes, pours, chills, and slices into a layered Independence Day dessert.
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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: 450
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

white cake base
  • 1 box white cake mix Use the ingredients on the box (typically eggs, oil, and water).
  • ingredients on box Include the package-required ingredients for the cake.
Jell-O layers
  • 3 oz strawberry Jell-O
  • 3 oz berry blue Jell-O
  • 2 cups boiling water Divide as 1 cup + 1 cup.
  • 1 cup cold water Divide as 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup.
topping and garnish
  • 8 oz whipped topping Use thawed Cool Whip.
  • 1 red and blue star sprinkles
  • 1 fresh strawberries
  • 1 fresh blueberries

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake the white sheet cake and cool
  1. Bake the white cake in a 9x13 pan according to package directions, then let cool for 15 minutes.
  2. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes all over the cake about 1 inch apart.
Make and pour the red Jell-O layer
  1. Dissolve strawberry Jell-O in 1 cup boiling water, then stir in 1/2 cup cold water until smooth and glossy.
  2. Pour the strawberry Jell-O slowly over the left half of the cake so it soaks into the holes, filling them evenly with a vivid red look.
Make and pour the blue Jell-O layer
  1. Dissolve berry blue Jell-O in 1 cup boiling water, then stir in 1/2 cup cold water until smooth and glossy.
  2. Pour the blue Jell-O over the right half of the cake, letting it run into the holes for bold blue stripes.
Chill and top
  1. Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours until the Jell-O is fully set inside the cake, with firm red and blue layers visible when sliced.
  2. Spread whipped topping evenly over the top of the chilled cake until covered, then garnish with red and blue star sprinkles and fresh strawberries and blueberries before serving.

Notes

Pro tip: poke holes soon after the 15-minute cooling so the Jell-O penetrates deeply without tearing the crumb. Refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days; freeze is not recommended because the Jell-O texture can soften. For a lighter option, use a lighter whipped topping (or sweetened whipped Greek yogurt) in the same amount.