This strawberry poke cake is the perfect summer dessert! A white cake gets filled with strawberry flavoring then topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries for the ultimate summer dessert. It’s filled with so much strawberry flavor, both inside and out!
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The Best Strawberry Poke Cake Recipe
I’ve been making this cake since college with just a few slight updates as I’ve done more baking than my college age self. But even back then, this cake was good enough that it convinced my husband to go on a date with me.
Who knew that Kool Aid cake would end up being a part of our love story? While I can’t promise you hat this cake will make anyone fall in love with you, I can promise that it’ll be a crowd-pleaser.
I’ve brought it to so many backyard BBQs and summer parties over the years and always get rave reviews. There’s just something about the combination of the moist strawberry flavored cake, whipped cream, and fresh strawberries on top that tastes like summer.
This is a seriously blurry photo of my husband and me from college, but aren’t we cute? Good thing I made this cake!
Why you’ll Love this poke cake
- Semi-homemade – this is just a box cake made fancier with the addition of filling and topping, but it’s a showstopper!
- Great to make ahead – you can make the entire base of the cake ahead of time (it’s even better than way) then just top with whipped cream and strawberries right before serving!
- Moist cake – this cake is kept super moist with the addition of the strawberry simple syrup right into the cake!
Strawberry poke cake ingredients
Ingredient notes & substitutions
- Whipped topping – you can either use pre-made like Cool Whip or make your own whipped cream with this whipped cream recipe. Or if you really want to mix it up, you could even try it with blueberry whipped cream.
- White cake mix – I really like the Duncan Hines extra moist cake, but you can grab whatever white cake mix you prefer. You’ll also need the ingredients to make that particular cake. If it calls for egg whites or whole eggs, stick to egg whites to give this the brightest red coloring!
- Fresh strawberries – I highly recommend using fresh strawberries for this cake rather than frozen ones because frozen ones tend to be a little mushier once thawed. Save the frozen ones for things like this strawberry soup instead!
- Kool-Aid – I used this strawberry Kool-Aid flavor. You’ll just need the powder, not the actual Kool-Aid! It’s similar to how I made my Jello poke cake, just with Kool-Aid instead of Jello!
How to make a strawberry poke cake
This is seriously one of the easiest cakes ever, probably why I made it when I was in college! I’ve included quick instructions below but make sure to read the recipe card at the bottom of the post for full details and measurements!
Make the strawberry cake
- Follow the instructions on the cake mix to bake the cake in a 9×13 pan, then let it cool completely. If it gives you an option, use all egg whites rather than whole eggs.
- Combine the sugar, Kool-Aid powder, and water together in a bowl and whisk together until combined.
- Poke holes all over the top of the cooled cake using a fork or chopstick.
- Pour the strawberry Kool-Aid mixture over the entire surface of the cake, making sure to get it in all of the holes.
- Let cool in the fridge for an hour to let the strawberry Kool-Aid soak into the cake.
Tip!
Don’t go crazy poking holes! You can look at my picture above to see how far apart to space the holes, but I recommend doing pretty straight lines of holes, about 1/2 inch apart. This will let you fill in the entire cake without the cake totally falling apart because you put too many holes in it!
Frost and Top the Strawberry Poke Cake
Top with whipped topping and sliced strawberries then put back into the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.
Tip!
Slice all of your strawberries in the same manner, so they look similar when you put them on the cake. I like to just cover it with the larger full slices and snack on the small ends of the strawberries as I go!
You can either serve the cake by itself or serve it with additional whipped cream and strawberries on the size in case people are like me with strawberry shortcake and want strawberries on every single bite!
Slice with a sharp knife then take out individual pieces using a spatula, making sure to take all of those strawberry slices with it!
How to store a kool aid cake
If you have leftovers or you want to store the cake before you serve it, either put it in an airtight container or wrap the cake pan tightly with plastic wrap, then place the whole thing in the refrigerator and keep chilled until you’re ready to serve it again. If you leave it out, the whipped topping will quickly lose its whip.
Enjoy within five days! And I personally don’t recommend freezing this cake because it just doesn’t thaw that well, and it’s so easy to make that I would just make it fresh!
How to make the poke cake ahead of time
You can definitely make this strawberry poke cake ahead of time! Make the cake with the strawberry poke cake filling up to one day before you want to serve the cake. Chill it in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap. Then right before you are ready to serve, add the whipped cream and strawberries on top.
I don’t recommend making it any earlier than one day before so the cake doesn’t get too soggy before you serve it.
Turn it into cupcakes!
Simply follow the cake mix recipe to make cupcakes and instead of making one poke cake – you’re basically going to make 24 individual strawberry poke cake cupcakes instead.
Follow the exact same process – poke, pour, and top with whipped cream and strawberries. Or if you want with the cupcakes, you could actually pipe on whipped cream frosting and just top with one individual strawberry as well.
And if you’re doing cupcakes, I highly recommend these non-stick cupcake liners instead of the regular ones so you don’t lose as much cake!
More Kool Aid Poke Cake Variations
You can use this same method to make all sorts of other cakes! These are a few of my personal favorites!
- Blue raspberry poke cake – Blue raspberry Kool-Aid with fresh blueberries and blueberry whipped cream
- Cherry poke cake – cherry Kool-Aid with fresh cherries and whipped cream, this one is kind of like our cherry cake but in poke cake form!
- Peach poke cake – peach mango Kool-Aid with fresh peaches on top, this one’s similar to our peach cake!
- Triple berry poke cake – strawberry Kool-Aid with fresh blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries on top!
Recipe FAQs
What else can you use to decorate the poke cake?
This is definitely best decorated with fresh strawberries, but if you want to add other things you could shave on some chocolate pieces, add a chocolate sauce glaze (this hot fudge would be great), or even caramel!
How many strawberries do I need?
This really depends on the size of the strawberries, but I typically end up using about 12 ounces of strawberries, sliced. That’s equal to about a pint.
Can I use a different kind of cake mix?
I recommend using a white cake mix because it really makes the bright red color of the Kool-Aid pop, but you can also use a vanilla cake mix or an almond cake mix as well.
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Strawberry Poke Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 box white cake mix
- 3 egg whites
- ½ cup oil
- ¾ cup water
- 2 tsp strawberry Kool-Aid powder
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 cups water
- 8 ounces Cool Whip or homemade whipped cream
- 12 ounces strawberries sliced
Instructions
- Bake your cake according to directions and let cool for a few minutes.1 box white cake mix, 3 egg whites, 1/2 cup oil, 3/4 cup water
- Poke cake with a chopstick or back of a fork all over.
- Mix strawberry Kool-Aid, two cups water, and 1/2 cup sugar together in a bowl. Whisk until completely combined.2 tsp strawberry Kool-Aid powder, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 cups water
- Pour strawberry Kool-Aid mixture over top of the cake, making sure to cover the entire cake.
- Let cool for an hour in the refrigerator.
- Top with whipped topping and sliced strawberries.8 ounces Cool Whip or homemade whipped cream, 12 ounces strawberries
- Slice and serve chilled.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Info
More Strawberry Desserts
Need more easy ways to use all those summer strawberries? Here are some of our favorites!
- No bake strawberry jello bake pie – a fresh strawberry pie made using Jello and whipped cream!
- Strawberry cheesecake bars – layers of strawberry, cheesecake, and an oat crumble topping!
- Strawberry lemon sorbet – this frozen summer treat combines strawberries with lemon for a bright and refreshing dessert!
- Strawberry ice cream cake recipe – the perfect frozen dessert for summer that combines vanilla ice cream, fresh strawberries, and Oreos!
- Homemade strawberry danishes – a quick and easy semi homemade recipe that uses puff pastry and strawberry cream cheese!
- Easy strawberry freezer jam – the perfect way to save extra strawberries!
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