Description
This festive Christmas Poke Cake is a delightful and colorful dessert perfect for holiday celebrations. A moist white cake is baked, poked with holes, and soaked with vibrant red and green jello flavors. Topped with creamy vanilla pudding and whipped topping, then finished with cheerful holiday sprinkles, this cake is sure to impress and satisfy your sweet tooth.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 1 (15 oz) box white cake mix
- 1 (6 oz) box strawberry jello
- 1 (6 oz) box lime jello
- 1 (3.4 oz) box instant vanilla pudding mix
Wet Ingredients
- Ingredients called for on cake mix box (typically eggs, oil, water — usually 3 eggs, 1/3 cup oil, 1 cup water estimated)
- 2 cups boiling water
- 1 cup milk
- 1 (8 oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
Toppings
- Red and green sprinkles or decorations
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F or follow the temperature instructed on the cake mix box. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray to prevent sticking and set aside.
- Make and Bake Cake: In a mixing bowl, combine the white cake mix with the ingredients called for on the package — typically eggs, oil, and water. Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake according to the package directions, usually about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool and Poke Holes: Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes. Using a fork or the handle-end of a wooden spoon, poke holes evenly across the cake at about 1-inch intervals. This allows the jello to seep in.
- Prepare Jello: In two separate bowls, dissolve each box of jello (strawberry and lime) with 1 cup of boiling water, stirring until fully dissolved. You will have 2 cups of red and 2 cups of green jello mixture.
- Add Jello to Cake: Pour the strawberry and lime jello mixtures in alternating rows over the cake, allowing the liquid to fill the holes. Use enough jello so it fully seeps into the holes but you likely won't use all of it. Place the cake in the refrigerator to chill and set for about 15 minutes.
- Prepare Topping: While the cake chills, whisk together the instant vanilla pudding mix and milk until it starts to thicken. Gently fold in the thawed whipped topping until smooth and combined.
- Finish Cake: Spread the creamy pudding and whipped topping mixture evenly over the chilled cake. Place the cake back in the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours to allow flavors to meld and topping to set.
- Serve: Before serving, decorate the top of the cake with red and green sprinkles or other festive decorations for a cheerful holiday presentation.
Notes
- The festive red and green jello flavors infuse the cake, giving it a unique, colorful, and delicious character all the way through.
- You can substitute homemade cake batter if you prefer, but the boxed mix keeps this recipe quick and easy.
- If you want a lighter option, use sugar-free jello and low-fat whipped topping.
- Ensure the cake is adequately cooled before poking holes to avoid crumbling.
- For best results, serve the cake chilled to enjoy the full effect of the jello pokes and creamy topping.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 220 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 43 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
