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Fun, colorful, and delicious, this Raspberry Poke Cake made with Jello is the perfect summertime cake that is super easy, tasty, and the whole family loves.
I love poke cakes! There are so many different flavors and kinds that you can do that it is crazy. I particularly love raspberry so this Raspberry Poke Cake is one of my favorites.
Easy desserts are what I live for, with summer coming really soon I want to spend as much time outside enjoying the weather rather than inside in the kitchen.
That is why I love an easy recipe like this Raspberry Jello Poke Cake. It is made with a boxed cake mix poked and poured with jello and topped with whipped topping.
You really can’t get too much easier with a delicious cake recipe than this one. Plus, poke cakes are just good and such classic recipes that you see them everywhere.
This cake is a perfect dessert to bring to those cookouts and potlucks that you will be having this summer. It is one of the first desserts to go whenever I bring them along.
So that has to tell you something: people love simple and flavorful, and that is exactly what this delicious dessert is! And I’m not ashamed for not making a full homemade cake at all.
So let’s get more into this easy dessert recipe and find out why Raspberry Poke Cake is the best thing since sliced bread! Ha!
Some of our other favorite raspberry desserts we have on our site include Raspberry Icebox Cake, No Bake White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake and Key Lime Raspberry Sandwich Cookies.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- Using a boxed cake mix makes this simple and fast, you can use a homemade cake if you’d like.
- You can use any kind of jello you like to create different flavors.
- You can make your own homemade whipped cream if you like instead of cool whip!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST FOR THE FULL RECIPE CARD):
- White cake mix, + ingredients called for on the box
- Raspberry jello
- Boiling water
- Cold water
- Cool whip
- Raspberries, for garnish
- Sprinkles, optional
HOW TO MAKE RASPBERRY POKE CAKE:
- Prepare and bake the cake according to the box directions of a 9×13-inch cake.
- Whisk together the boiling water and jello mix for 2 minutes, then add the cold water.
- Poke holes all over the cake with a skewer, fork, or wooden spoon handle.
- Use a measuring spoon to add the jello to the holes, it will spread, that’s okay.
- Refrigerate the cake for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
- Top with thawed cool whip and garnish with fresh raspberries and sprinkles if desired.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS RECIPE:
WHAT IS A POKE CAKE?
A poke cake can be a few different things, you can either use jello, pudding, sweetened condensed milk among various other ingredients.
The most popular two fillings are jello and pudding. The purpose is to poke the cake and pour the jello or pudding into the holes of the cake so when you eat it, you will have flavor inside the cake as well as on top.
These cakes have been around for generations and passed down in many families. You really can’t go wrong with having at least one poke cake in your recipe box!
WHAT OTHER FLAVORS CAKE CAN I MAKE?
We love Jello Poke Cake Recipes that we make a variety of them all the time, some other flavors that we have used include:
- Lemon
- Lime
- Strawberry
- Cherry
- Blue Raspberry
Any kind of jello you find you can use for a Jello Poke Cake, you can also flavor the whipped topping to fit the flavor if you like!
ANY ADDITIONS?
- Lemon zest on top of your cake for a burst of citrus, pairing well with lemon jello cake and with this raspberry version
- Lime jello swirled in for a tangy twist, great for Christmas poke cake or a refreshing summer dessert
- Cherry Jell-O for a vibrant, fruity layer, perfect for adding a pop of red to an American flag or birthday parties theme
- A sprinkle of blue colors using blueberries or blue sprinkles to celebrate different holiday events or to create a poke cake variation
- Mix jello with a condiment squeeze bottle for precise filling of the cake holes, adding an extra flavor of gelatin
- Strawberry shortcake twist by topping the cake with sliced strawberries and using strawberry flavor Jell-O
- Angel food cake or egg whites-based cake mix for a lighter, moist cake foundation
- Betty Crocker vanilla or strawberry box mix for easy preparation and delicious strawberry jello poke cake outcome
ANY SUBSTITUTIONS?
- Lime jello in place of raspberry for a citrusy change, adding a little bit of tartness to the moist cake
- Cherry jello or strawberry flavor Jell-O for a sweet and vivid cherry jello addition, especially great for vintage jell-o poke cake or easy strawberry jello poke cake recipes
- Simple ingredients like homemade whipped cream instead of Cool Whip for a fresher and richer topping
- Different flavors of Jell-O, such as blue raspberry or lime, to customize the cake for different holiday themes or to match the top of your cake decorations
- Combine cake mix with a different flavor of gelatin for poke cake variations
- Use a sponge cake batter instead of the box mix for a homemade touch and extra moist cake experience
HOW TO STORE:
Because it contains Jello as well as whipped topping this Jello Poke Cake Recipe needs to be refrigerated. Covered with plastic wrap, any leftover cake should last in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Freeze for up to 3 months.
DANA’S TIPS AND TRICKS:
- You can use homemade whipped cream instead of cool whip.
- You can use any flavor of jello you want with this recipe, see my suggestions above.
- If you want the cake to be less red or not quite as moist, you can reduce the cold water to ½ cup OR you can go as low as ½ cup boiling and ½ cup cold.
- Usually using a white cake mix is best for presentation but you can use a yellow or vanilla flavor as well.
- If you want you can make your own homemade cake as long as it fits in a 9″x13″ pan.
- Get the kids involved! This cake is so much fun for the kiddos. It’s an easy memory maker.
Want a fun and flavorful cake that is perfect for summertime gatherings? This Raspberry Poke Cake needs to be made!
If you like this recipe, you might also like:
If you’ve tried this RASPBERRY POKE CAKE, let me know how it turned out in the comments! You can follow me over on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK to find some more of our mouthwatering recipes!
Raspberry Jello Poke Cake
Ingredients
- box white cake mix + ingredients called for on box
- 3.3 oz box raspberry jello
- 1 cup boiling water
- 3/4 cup cold water
- 8 oz container of cool whip thawed
- Raspberries for garnish
- Sprinkles optional topping
Instructions
- Prepare and bake the cake according to the box directions of a 9×13-inch cake.
- Whisk together the boiling water and jello mix for 2 minutes, then add the cold water.
- Poke holes all over the cake with a skewer, fork, or wooden spoon handle.
- Use a measuring spoon to add the jello to the holes, it will spread, that’s okay.
- Refrigerate the cake for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
- Top with thawed cool whip and garnish with fresh raspberries and sprinkles if desired.
Notes
- You can use homemade whipped cream instead of cool whip.
- You can use any flavor of jello you want with this recipe, see my suggestions above.
- If you want the cake to be less red or not quite as moist, you can reduce the cold water to ½ cup OR you can go as low as ½ cup boiling and ½ cup cold.
- Usually using a white cake mix is best for presentation but you can use a yellow or vanilla flavor as well.
- If you want you can make your own homemade cake as long as it fits in a 9″x13″ pan.
- Get the kids involved! This cake is so much fun for the kiddos. It’s an easy memory maker.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
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I haven’t made this yummy cake in years. Very refreshing for the summer and not super-sweet. Thanks for the reminder.
I bought a large box of raspberry jello. I used half of it to pour over the cake & the rest I added to the whipped cream. It turned it pink & gave a raspberry flavor. Then I added the coconut.