Strawberry Poke Cake happens to be one of my new favorite cakes! Every hole in this cake is filled with creamy and decadent sweetened condensed milk and strawberry sauce! Then there’s a layer of whipped topping! It’s made with a cake mix, which means it’s super easy, and it’s best if it’s made ahead of time!
Today has been a crazy day of being stuck in the office. I have no idea what I’ll come up with for a quick dinner idea. It has to be something easy…I’m looking at you Pizza Sliders or Microwave Beef Burritos! Who cares what we are having for dinner anyway, the important question is what are we having for dessert?
This strawberry poke cake recipe is what on tap for dessert and I couldn’t be more excited!
Usually, I’m a chocolate dessert-only kind of girl. Let’s be honest for a minute if a dessert has fruit it should really be called breakfast! Please don’t judge me!
There really is something magical about a strawberry poke cake with sweetened condensed milk! Think along the lines of tres leches cake!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
How to make poke cakes video
Strawberry Poke Cake with Cake Mix Ingredients:
- Strawberry Cake Mix + Ingredients to Make It– any brand, if you don’t have a strawberry cake mix use vanilla or white cake mix. Chocolate cake mix would make a delicious Chocolate Strawberry Poke Cake! I use Duncan Hines or Pillsbury {affiliate link}
- Sweetened Condensed Milk – be sure to use sweetened condensed milk and not evaporated milk. I used Eagle Brand
- Strawberry Topping – find it near the ice cream toppings or from Amazon {affiliate link}. You can also use strawberry pie filling {affiliate link}
- Heavy Whipping Cream – I’m a dairy farmer so I always use fresh whipped cream. If you really need to you can use cool whip.
Little Dairy on the Prairie Pro Tip: This strawberry poke cake doesn’t have strawberry gelatin or strawberry Jell-O in it. This sauce is really creamy and decadent!
How to make a strawberry poke cake
STEP 1: Make and bake the cake in a 9 x 13 pan according to directions on the box.
STEP 2: While the cake is still warm, poke holes about an inch apart with the end of a wooden spoon. Some people poke holes with a fork, but I like using something a little bigger so there’s more room for the sweetened condensed milk really settle down in the cake!
STEP 3: Mix sweetened condensed milk and strawberry topping together. It will be runny.
STEP 4: Pour sweetened condensed milk mixture over the cake. Make sure it fills the holes as much as possible.
STEP 5: Cool. In the fridge or at room temperature.
STEP 6: Whip cream with sugar until stiff peaks form. Spread whipped topping over cake.
STEP 7: Refrigerate for 2 or more hours. My family likes this cake best the next day.
Tips for making and storing poke cakes
- Poke cakes are best if they are made ahead of time! Yay! The sauce has time to do its thing and helps make the cake extra moist!
- Use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke holes in the top of the cake. Make sure the handle of the spoon is thick, at least 1/4 inch in diameter. I’m not exactly sure what happened to my wooden spoon so I use a plastic one. It works fine too. Just make sure it’s a fat one!
- Poke holes in the cake while it’s still warm. Pour the sweetened condensed milk, Jello, or pudding over the cake while it’s still warm.
- For sweetened condensed milk poke cakes, let the cake sit at room temperature while it continues to cool. The runny mixture will set up as it cools and if you put the cake in the fridge it will cool too quickly before the runny mixture has a chance to settle in all the little nooks and crannies. Jell-O poke cakes need to be refrigerated to set up properly.
- Always use real whipped cream. That frozen stuff isn’t really cream! It’s worth the little extra effort in my opinion!
- Keep leftovers in the refrigerator.
- I’ve never tried freezing a poke cake. It’s so quick and easy to make I think it’s worth making fresh!
Toppings for poke cakes
If you want to customize your own poke cake here are some fun suggestions!
Topping
- Whipped Cream – easy and delicious
- Pudding – mix prepared pudding with whipped cream
- Cream Cheese – for a cheesecake version mix 8 ounces softened cream cheese, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, and 2 cups whipped cream together
Garnishes
- Chocolate curls – use a vegetable peeler to make curls, white or milk chocolate
- Chocolate shavings – grate on the fine side of a cheese grater
- Sprinkles – red, white, and blue for the 4th of July, heart-shaped sprinkles for Valentines Day, or red ones for Christmas
- Fresh Fruit – fresh strawberries, raspberries, lemon slice, etc.
- Chopped Nuts – match them to the flavor of your cake (almonds, pistachios, walnuts, peanuts, pecans)
- Candy Pieces – toffee chips, mini candy-coated chocolate pieces, mini chocolate chips, chopped candy bars
- Chopped Cookies – chocolate sandwich cookies, chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, etc.
- Dessert Sauce – drizzle chocolate hot fudge sauce, homemade raspberry sauce, or caramel sauce
More Easy Dessert Recipes:
Like I said earlier, who cares what’s for dinner. The important thing to know is what is for dessert! Here are a few more recipes that are as easy as poke cake.
Other Cake Mix Recipes
- Peppermint Bark Poke Cake – A Christmas favorite
- Raspberry Filled Chocolate Cupcakes – easy and impressive
- Ganache Filled Chocolate Cupcakes – three kinds of chocolate
- Red Velvet Cream Cheese Cupcakes – a cupcake stuffed with cheesecake filling
- Red Velvet Bar Cookies – gooey and decadent
- Rhubarb Cobbler – the best of cake and cobbler
Easy Strawberry Recipes
- Strawberry Cookies – with cream cheese
- Cake Mix Strawberry Banana Bread – use it for strawberry shortcake
- Virgin Strawberry Sangria – it’s a mocktail
- Strawberry and Cream Bark – cute candy treat
I love it when you make my recipes and give me feedback! If you have a minute please comment below and leave a star ranking! Also, be sure to follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook!
Recipe for Strawberry Poke Cake:
Strawberry Poke Cake
Ingredients
- 1 15.25 ounce strawberry cake mix Made according to package directions
- 14 ounce sweetened condensed milk
- 11.75 ounce strawberry topping (it’s by the ice cream toppings in the grocery store)
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tbsp sugar
Garnish
- Sprinkles, chocolate curls, strawberries, etc.
Instructions
- Make and bake the cake in a 9 x 13 pan according to directions on the box.
- Mix sweetened condensed milk and strawberry topping together.
- While cake is still warm, poke holes in it every inch with the end of a wooden spoon.
- Pour sweetened condensed milk mixture over the cake making sure it fills the holes as much as possible.
- Let the cake cool.
- Whip cream with sugar until stiff peaks form. Spread whipped topping over cake.
- Garnish as desired.
- Refrigerate for 2 or more hours. My family likes this cake best the next day.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Vertyce Key says
I thought it was good. Maybe i should not have put so much whipped cream. But letting it sit over night is a great idea for this recipe. I almost think i could half the sweetened condense milk and strawberry sauce. I will make it again for sure!
Amy Engberson says
This cake recipe is easy to adjust to your liking! More or less whipped cream, more or less sauce! I agree. Letting it sit in the fridge makes it even better!
anna jackson says
Cake is even better the next day! The Condensed Milk and Strawberry Topping seemed to disappear.! But we loved the taste!!
Amy Engberson says
Yes! It is better the next day! The cake soaks up the sweetened condensed milk so you don’t see it, but it’s there!
Dottie says
Can the cake be made and decorated the day before and put in fridge overnight p?
Amy Engberson says
Yes! This cake is even better if it’s made ahead of time. So the day before will be perfect!
M Muehleisen says
This was a HUGE hit! My family loved it! My daughter asked me to make this again for her cheer Christmas party. It was super simple to make!
Amy Engberson says
Yay! I’m so happy you loved it! You must be a super fun mom to host a cheer Christmas party! Good luck!
Jessica @FitnessEquipmentsLab says
Hello Amy, Everyone really enjoyed this cake. People kept requesting this cake and it was my first time. Very easy to make and delicious yum !
Amy Engberson says
Yay! It sounds like the cake was a hit! So happy you enjoyed it!