Looking for the perfect dessert to celebrate the 4th of July (or any summer holiday)?
This Patriotic Jello Poke Cake is not only gorgeous but also incredibly easy to make! With vibrant red, white, and blue colors, a whipped white chocolate pudding topping, and easy-to-make white chocolate stars, this cake is sure to be a hit with your family and friends.
Plus, it's a delicious treat that everyone will love!
Table of Contents
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🗝️ Key takeaways
- Easy: I love how easy this cake is! It's moist, delicious, and bursting with patriotic colors. It's an eye-catching dessert that tastes as good as it looks.
- Perfect for Summer: Ideal for 4th of July, Memorial Day, Labor Day, or any potluck or gathering where you want to show your patriotic spirit and baking talents!
White cake is infused with strawberry and blue raspberry gelatin then covered with a creamy whipped white chocolate frosting and garnished with fresh berries.
This patriotic Jello poke cake recipe is quick and easy to make, plus it's make-ahead! You can spend your time enjoying the day right along with family and friends.
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Variations
Lots of ways to change this up! You can use other flavor combinations of gelatin to create Jello poke cakes for almost any occasion!
- Different flavors: Use any red and blue Jello flavors you prefer, such as raspberry or blue raspberry.
- Homemade cake: Substitute the cake mix with your favorite homemade white cake recipe for an extra touch.
- Additional layers: Add a layer of pudding between the cake and the whipped topping for a creamier texture.
- Frosting: Try a whipped cream cheese frosting instead of the pudding frosting.
- Easy: Just cover the top with Cool Whip frosting.
- Cherry and lime: With vanilla whipped topping for Christmas.
- Black cherry: For Valentine's day with white chocolate or chocolate whipped topping.
- Lime: For a St. Patrick's Day green Jello poke cake.
- Lemon: Make a lemon cake and poke with lemon, or lemon and lime, Jello.
- Strawberry: Strawberry sheet cake with strawberry gelatin.
There are so many different flavors of jello that there are ALL kinds of possibilities!
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page. Click on the image to see it full size.
Poke holes in the baked cake. Carefully pour the liquid Jell-O randomly in the holes and refrigerate.
Mix the powdered sugar, pudding mix, & cream to mixer. Beat until fluffy. Refrigerate.
Melt the white chocolate candy melts. Pipe into star shapes. Refrigerate to harden.
Spread the cream mixture on the chilled cake. Top with berries to look like a US flag. Add the star shapes.
🤫 Cook's secrets -
You can make this even quicker and easier by buying an unfrosted white cake at the bakery or bakery section of your store.
🍴 Equipment
- 9x13 inch baking pan
- mixing bowls
- skewer or wooden spoon with round end
- measuring cup
🥫 How to store leftover Jello poke cake
You can make this a day ahead of time if you wish.
Keep it in the refrigerator. Be sure to cover it tightly with plastic wrap because the whipped frosting will take on refrigerator odors and weird flavors.
Store leftover poke cake in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. After that it will tend to get soggy and have a weird texture.
I don't suggest freezing leftovers.
Marye's Tip
Use a measuring cup with a lip or a spout to pour the Jello mixtures for better control.
💭 Things to know
- Be sure not to go all the way through the cake with the wooden spoon but vary the depth of the holes from about half way to about ¾ths of the way down.
- Twisting the dowel (or spoon handle) a little will help the cake hold more of the filling.
- Make the holes when the cake is still a little warm.
- Make sure the holes aren't too close together - keep them even all over the cake.
- Using a clear baking dish will show off the beautiful layers and colors of the cake.
- Be sure to allow plenty of time for the cake to chill or it will be soggy. Give it at least 3 to 4 hours.
👩🍳 FAQs
Have other questions? Ask me in the comments!
A poke cake is any cake that you poke holes into to allow pudding, fruit puree, or gelatin to seep into the cake. This isn't the same as poking a cake with a thin toothpick so that it will soak up condensed milk or other liquid. The holes in a poke cake tend to retain some of what you've put in it making pockets of filling throughout the cake.
A small dowel or handle of a wooden spoon is used to poke holes in the cake.
Most poke cakes need to be refrigerated whether they are covered in pudding, Jello, or something else.
📚 Related recipes
🍽️ Repurpose leftovers
- Cut the leftover cake into cubes and layer them with more whipped topping and berries for a quick trifle.
- Soften a gallon of vanilla ice cream and fold in crumbled cake. Refreeze.
- Use leftover cake as a fun topping for vanilla ice cream sundaes.
- Use leftover cake to make cake milkshakes.
📞 The last word
What's a 4th of July celebration (or Memorial Day) without a gorgeous red, white, and blue dessert? Can you have a summer party without one?
This easy summer dessert is extra yummy because of the whipped white chocolate topping. You can make white chocolate stars for decoration freehand or in star shaped chocolate molds
You may also like this Boston cream poke cake.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Patriotic Jello Poke Cake
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
Cake
- white cake, baked in a 13x9-inch pan
- 4 ounces red Jell-O, 4 serving size
- 4 ounces blue Jell-O
Frosting
- 1 quart heavy cream
- ¼ cup Confectioner's sugar
- 3.9 ounces white chocolate instant pudding
- 1 pint ripe strawberries, hulled and halved
- 1 pint blueberries
- ½ pint raspberries, optional
- ½ pint blackberries, optional
White Chocolate Stars
- 6 ounces white chocolate, or white candy melts
Instructions
Cake
- Poke holes in cooled cake at ½-inch intervals, poking about halfway through the cake and twisting gently with a small dowel.
- Put the red Jell-O in one bowl and the blue in another.
- Pour ½ cup of boiling water in each and stir until gelatin dissolves.
- Pour the red Jell-O in some of the holes in the cake randomly and finish filling the other holes with the blue Jell-O.
- Chill overnight.
Frosting
- Add the heavy cream, pudding mix, and Confectioner's sugar to the bowl of a mixer.
- Using the whisk attachment beat until light and fluffy - with the texture of thick whipped cream.
- Cover the chilled cake thickly with the topping.
- Add the fruit in any design you prefer.
White Chocolate Stars
- Melt white chocolate and either fill star shaped candy molds or create stars freehand on waxed paper.
- Chill until firm.
- Use to decorate cake.
- Store in the refrigerator
Notes
- Be sure not to go all the way through the cake but vary the depth of the holes from about half way to about ¾ths of the way down.
- Twisting the dowel a little will help the cake hold more of the filling.
- Make the holes when the cake is still a little warm.
- Make sure the holes aren't too close together - keep them even all over the cake.
- Be sure to allow plenty of time for the cake to chill or it will be soggy. Give it at least 3 to 4 hours.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
✍🏻 A note from Marye...
I know y'all don't always like the stories bloggers tell so when I have one I try to put it at the very bottom so you can read or skip as you like.
My parents always celebrated big on 4th of July with themed pool parties that ended with watching fireworks explode and spew color across the nighttime sky.
I have so many great memories!
Once they did Christmas in July and strung Christmas lights over the landscaping around the pool deck. They served holiday treats and had gifts for all the guests.
Even Santa showed up for that one!
I have never entertained on a grand scale like that but I still like to celebrate with all of the traditional foods! Macaroni salad, potato salad, burgers, and easy desserts like this patriotic Jello Poke Cake.
First published June 28, 2018. Last updated June 8, 2024 for readability, updated images, and more tips.
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Jello Poke Cake
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