4th of July Poke Cake
Celebrate the USA with a delicious and beautiful festive 4th of July Poke Cake and put a little red, white, and blue on your table!
You just have to try this beautiful 4th of July dessert!! It is easier than you can imagine and adds so much fun to eat! Your friends and family will be in awe of the colors that pop out when you cut into each piece and wonder how you did it!
This cake a staple at our Four of July celebrations, just like my other must-have dish – 7 layer Salad. There’s a little something for everyone and every bite is full of delicious flavor!
Why We Love 4th of July Jello Poke Cake
I will take any chance to surprise my guests with dessert, and this unassuming cake does just that. At first glance, it is just a white cake with white frosting, but as soon as you slice into it and serve up a piece it is an eye-popping colorful surprise! Red and blue pops of color and delicious berry flavor dot this white fluffy cake. Adding some red and blue sprinkles, I love the star-shaped sprinkles the most, adds even more patriotic fun!
Ingredients
Cake Mix: You will be preparing the cake mix as instructed on the box, so you will also need the other ingredients the cake mix calls for.
Jello: you won’t actually make jello, you will use the jello powder to add color and a little flavor to the cake in the holes you create
Whipped Cream: I like to top this cake with homemade whipped cream, but you could absolutely use Cool Whip or stabilized whipped cream if you prefer. Cool Whip is the better option if you want to freeze this cake for later.
Sprinkles: Adding sprinkles always adds more fun! Pick your favorite red, white, and blue blend!
Variations
- You can use any flavor of red and blue jello, so have some fun! Usually, the reds are where you can have some variety, there is only one blue jello flavor I have found so far, but it is tasty!
- Add some flavor with your whipped cream, frosting, or whipped topping by adding a tablespoon of instant pudding. If you want to keep a white color on top use vanilla or white chocolate or coconut creme pudding.
How to Make 4th of July Poke Cake
CAKE bake cake according to the box instructions and added ingredients listed.
POKE holes in your cake to have fun jello colors added
POUR jello liquid over the cake so it drips into the holes
WHIP your topping/frosting
SPRINKLE fun patriotic sprinkles over the topping
Tips & Tricks
- The goal when you are filling the holes with jello is not to fill the holes. The jello dyes the cake. Do not pour the jello into the holes directly, it will overdue the cake and you won’t be left with any white cake
How do I store this Red, White, and Blue Poke Cake?
You will need to store this in the refrigerator because of the frosting. Cover the cake and store it for 3-4 days. You can also freeze this for a couple of months and thaw it in the refrigerator when ready to eat.
What should I use to poke holes into my cake?
One of the best tools for poking holes would be the thicker side of a chopstick. However, make sure your chopstick or whatever you use will make round holes. I used the back end of a stirring spoon for the holes in my cake.
You also don’t have to poke the holes all the way through the bottom of the cake, as that can lead to it falling apart when you serve it. Vary the depth of the holes to make the appearance more random when you slice the pieces.
The best size of holes is about the diameter of your pinky finger, so the end of a wooden spoon handle or a chopstick works well.
How do you decorate a 4th of July Cake?
You can use sprinkles as I did here for a quick and easy decoration on top of the whipped cream frosting.
Another option is to make a pattern using sliced strawberries or raspberries and blueberries.
Rhubarb would be another option for the red/pinkish color to decorate for the 4th of July.
Red and blue M&M’s are a great idea too!
You could do your patterns like stripes, an American Flag, in the shape of stars, fireworks bursting, or even spell out USA easily with raspberries and blueberries.
More delicious 4th of July recipes
- Bomb Pop Jello Shots
- Homemade Hawaiian Punch
- BLT Salad
- Loaded Bacon Ranch Potato Salad
- Strawberry Pie
- Dry Rub for Ribs
- Deviled Eggs
- 4th of July Party Recipes & Printables
4th of July Poke Cake
Ingredients
- 15.25 ounces white cake mix plus ingredients to prepare (1 box)
- 1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 ounces berry blue gelatin mix
- 2 ounces cherry gelatin mix
- 1 cup water divided
- 3 cups heavy cream
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and coat inside of a 9-inch x 13inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Prepare cake batter according to the package directions. Stir in the maple syrup and lemon juice.
- Pour cake batter into the prepared baking dish and bake according to the package directions.
- Once the cake is done cooking, poke round holes into the cake every inch or so with the back of a spoon or cooking utensil. Set aside. (The holes should be about 1/4-inch in diameter and go nearly to the bottom of the cake.)
- Prepare the blue Jello by adding 1/2 cup of boiling water to the Jello mix in a bowl. Stir together until the jello dissolves. Repeat with the red Jello in a separate bowl.
- With a spoon, pour each jello color into separate holes on the cake, making sure the colors don’t mix. DO NOT overfill the holes. Alternate between colors and holes to create a fun variation in colors.
- Place cake in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to cool.
- In the meantime, use a stand mixer or hand mixer to beat the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla together until stiff peaks form.
- Once the cake is cool, spread the whipped cream over the cake. Top with sprinkles and then cut into 12 slices before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods and portion sizes per household.