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Home » Recipes » Dessert » 4th of July Poke Cake

4th of July Poke Cake

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Recipe Cost $9.41
Recipe Serving Cost $0.79
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This 4th of July Poke Cake is a festive addition to your Independence Day spread. It’s easy to make and really delicious. It serves 12 and costs $9.41 to make, that’s just 79¢ per serving! via @easybudgetrecipesThis 4th of July Poke Cake is a festive addition to your Independence Day spread. It’s easy to make and really delicious. It serves 12 and costs $9.41 to make, that’s just 79¢ per serving! via @easybudgetrecipesThis 4th of July Poke Cake is a festive addition to your Independence Day spread. It’s easy to make and really delicious. It serves 12 and costs $9.41 to make, that’s just 79¢ per serving! via @easybudgetrecipesThis 4th of July Poke Cake is a festive addition to your Independence Day spread. It’s easy to make and really delicious. It serves 12 and costs $9.41 to make, that’s just 79¢ per serving! via @easybudgetrecipesThis 4th of July Poke Cake is a festive addition to your Independence Day spread. It’s easy to make and really delicious. It serves 12 and costs $9.41 to make, that’s just 79¢ per serving! via @easybudgetrecipesThis 4th of July Poke Cake is a festive addition to your Independence Day spread. It’s easy to make and really delicious. It serves 12 and costs $9.41 to make, that’s just 79¢ per serving! via @easybudgetrecipesThis 4th of July Poke Cake is a festive addition to your Independence Day spread. It’s easy to make and really delicious. It serves 12 and costs $9.41 to make, that’s just 79¢ per serving! via @easybudgetrecipes

This 4th of July Poke Cake is a festive addition to your Independence Day spread. It’s easy to make and delicious. It serves 12 and costs $9.41 to make; that’s just 79¢ per serving!

Finished 4th of July Poke Cake with text overlay for Pinterest.

Easy desserts are one of my favorite things ever! With everything going on in our lives, can we just use the easy button for one thing?

Just look at our Death by Chocolate Poke Cake. It is so easy and delicious that we wanted to create a new variety. We took the same concept of our chocolate poke cake and mixed up the flavors. 

4th of July Poke Cake

Fourth of July is a busy time. Pool parties, family time, and fireworks! It is all so fun, it is even Beth’s favorite holiday, but sometimes it can be plain exhausting.

We are here to help save you some time and energy to enjoy the holiday. Our Jell-O poke cake recipe is light and refreshing and even patriotic in its design. This dessert is perfect for the 4th of July, Memorial Day, and even Labor Day! 

A slice of 4th of July poke cake on a white plate with red, white, and blue sprinkles.

If you have been with us for a while now, you know we love getting our kids involved in the kitchen. We do this because it teaches them life skills and creates fun memories. This Jello poke cake is the perfect recipe to involve your kids!

My kids span from 5-15, and this recipe is one they can all help make. My youngest loves poking the holes in the cake; she gets a kick out of it. My oldest can make it all on his own, and I get a kick out of that! 

My ten and twelve-year-old daughters love getting to make the stars and stripes with the fruit. It’s a recipe that can involve the whole family. 

Pin this recipe to save for later. We think you will find that you will want to make our Jell-O Poke Cake not only for the 4th of July but also for birthdays, celebrations, and just because! It might become your new favorite summertime dessert because of its fresh flavor and creamy texture. Don’t just take our word for it. Make it and find out for yourself!

Close up picture of the finished 4th of July Poke Cake.

What is a poke cake?

A poke cake is just as it sounds! It’s a cake that has holes poked into them after baking it. You then fill the holes with a filling mixture such as pudding or fruit.

What do you use to poke holes in a cake?

Using the end of a wooden spoon is the perfect size for poking holes in a cake. It leaves just enough room for filling the cake holes with the Jell-O mixture.

Where did poke cake originate?

I kind of thought poke cake was invented by a toddler getting into the cake when her mom wasn’t looking! But upon further research, it appears as though the Jell-O company first created this cake.

After making a Watergate cake in the 1970s after the infamous presidential scandal, they took their creation one step further. With the creation of the poke cake, they wanted to show the world that Jell-O could fill any void, literally! Make a hole in a cake and fill the void with Jell-O. Genius, right?!

The inside of a 4th of July Poke Cake where you can see where Jell-o has been poured into the holes.

 

How to Make 4th of July Poke Cake Recipe:

  1. First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9×13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. 
  2. Next, mix cake mix, water, sour cream, vegetable oil, and eggs, then pour into prepared pan and smooth into an even layer.
  3. Bake for about 29 minutes and then move the cake to a wire rack to cool. 
  4. Use a wooden spoon to poke holes all over the cake. 
  5. Then make the filling in a small bowl and pour the Jell-O mixture into every other poked hole in the cake. Repeat the process with the remaining Jell-O mix. 
  6. Cover the cake and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight. 
  7. Before serving, make the frosting and spread it evenly over the cake. 
  8. Finally, arrange the strawberries and blueberries in a flag pattern on the cake. Use the blueberries as the stars and the strawberries as the stripes. Serve and enjoy!

How to get the kids involved with this recipe:

Ages 2-3: They love poking the holes in the cake! 

Ages 4-5: Let them help make the Jell-o mixture and pour it into the holes. They can also help mix together and spread the frosting. 

Ages 6-8: Let them use their artistic skills to create the stars and stripes with the strawberries and blueberries. 

Ages 9-11: Supervise them while they prepare the entire recipe. Remember to have them read it twice before beginning the recipe. 

Ages 12+: Let them prepare the entire recipe, unsupervised, while you do the happy dance in the corner!

Discover why we love getting the kids involved in the kitchen and more tips in our How to Get Kids Involved In Cooking article.

Overhead picture of a slice of Jello poke cake on a white plate.

The flavor and Recipe Variations:

If you don’t like the flavor of Jell-o, then you can use pureed fruit instead. To do this, add about 1 cup of strawberries to a blender with 1-2 Tablespoons of orange juice. Blend until smooth, and then spoon the berry mixture into every other hole poked into the cake. Repeat the process with blueberries. 

More sweet desserts:

  • Brownie Cookies
  • Chocolate Dipped Gingerbread Cookies
  • Chocolate Dipped Sugar Cookies
  • Dark Chocolate Pecan Pie
  • Chocolate Glazed Biscuit Donuts
  • Chocolate Peanut Butter Bon Bons
  • Mom’s Lemon Lush
  • Chocolate Wacky Cake
  • Death by Chocolate Poke Cake
  • Quick Monkey Bread from Scratch

How long is this good for:

Serve: As with most recipes with dairy products in them, you shouldn’t leave this 4th of July Poke Cake out for longer than 2 hours. 

Store: Cover the cake with plastic wrap or foil and store in the refrigerator. The cake will keep for about 2-3 days. 

Freeze: Because of the dairy in the frosting, we do not recommend freezing this cake. 

A close up picture of a slice of Jello Poke Cake.

How much will this 4th of July Poke Cake cost:

RECIPE COST: $9.41

PRICE PER SERVING: $0.79

  • 15 oz white cake mix – $1.00
  • 3 1/2 cups water – $0.00
  • 1/2 cup sour cream – $0.72
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil – $0.16
  • 3 large eggs – $0.10
  • 3 oz package raspberry Jell-O mix – $0.92
  • 1 box white chocolate or cheesecake flavored instant pudding – $1.19
  • 3 oz package berry blue Jell-O mix – $0.92
  • 2/3 cup milk – $0.11
  • 8-ounce tub Cool Whip – $1.84
  • 1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries – $1.82
  • 1/2 cup blueberries – $0.63

To find out more about how we price our recipes, check out Budget Recipes Explained.

Cook’s Tools:

  • 9 x 13-inch pan
  • wire rack
  • wooden spoon
  • small bowl
  • medium bowl
  • whisk
  • measuring cups
  • liquid measuring cup
A close up picture of a slice of Jello Poke Cake.
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5 from 2 votes

4th of July Poke Cake

Recipe Cost $9.41
Recipe Serving Cost $0.79
This 4th of July Poke Cake is a festive addition to your Independence Day spread. It’s easy to make and really delicious. It serves 12 and costs $9.41 to make, that’s just 79¢ per serving!
Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Cooling and Chilling Time2 hrs 30 mins
Total Time3 hrs 30 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cake
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 307kcal
Author: Easy Budget Recipes Original!

Equipment

  • 9 x 13-inch pan
  • wire rack
  • Wooden spoon
  • small bowl
  • Medium bowl
  • whisk
  • measuring cups
  • Liquid measuring cup

Ingredients

CAKE:

  • 15 oz white cake mix
  • ½ cup water
  • ½ cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
  • 3 large eggs

FILLING:

  • 3 oz package raspberry Jell-O mix or any red color flavor
  • 3 oz package berry blue Jell-O mix or any blue color flavor
  • 2 cups boiling water divided
  • 1 cup cold water divided

FROSTING:

  • 1 box white chocolate instant pudding
  • ⅔ cup milk anything but skim
  • 8 ounce tub Cool Whip

TOPPING:

  • 1 ½ cup sliced strawberries
  • ½ cup blueberries
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

PREPARE OVEN:

  • Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 9x13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

BAKE CAKE:

  • Whisk together cake mix, water, sour cream, vegetable oil, and eggs in a large bowl. Whisk rapidly for 1 minute, or until no flour pockets remain. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer.
  • Bake for 29-34 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
  • Use the handle of a wooden spoon or the handle of a butter knife to poke holes all over the cake.

MAKE FILLING:

  • Add the red Jell-o mix and 1 cup of boiling water to a small bowl. Whisk until combined, and then whisk in ½ cup of cold water.
  • Use a tablespoon to pour the Jello-o into every other poked hole.
    Red jello being poured into the poked holes of the cake.
  • Repeat the process with the remaining Jello-o mix.
    The cake with poked holes and red and blue jello poured into the holes.
  • Cover the cake with foil or plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.

MAKE FROSTING:

  • In a medium bowl whisk together pudding mix and milk until smooth. Fold in the Cool Whip.

FINISH CAKE:

  • In an even layer, spread the frosting over the cake.
  • Arrange the strawberries and blueberries in a flag pattern on the cake using the blueberries as the stars and the strawberries as the stripes. Serve immediately.
    Close up picture of the finished 4th of July Poke Cake.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 307kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 356mg | Potassium: 122mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 123IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 134mg | Iron: 1mg
Did you love this recipe?We'd love to hear from you follow us on Instagram @EasyBudgetRecipes and let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
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Filed Under: $10 Recipes, Dessert Tagged With: blue Jell-O, blueberries, cool whip, eggs, milk, raspberry Jell-O, sour cream, strawberries, vegetable oil, water, white cake mix, white chocolate instant pudding

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. bn100

    June 18, 2020 at 10:04 pm

    festive cake

    Reply
    • Jess Jankowski

      June 18, 2020 at 11:03 pm

      It is so fun to make!

  2. wilhelmina

    June 22, 2020 at 10:09 am

    5 stars
    This is such a versatile cake! It’s always a hit and it’s perfect for any occasion!

    Reply
    • Jess Jankowski

      June 23, 2020 at 12:30 pm

      We love how versatile it is!

  3. Suzy

    June 22, 2020 at 12:28 pm

    5 stars
    Such a fun dessert to make! Its so moist and tasty and festive too!

    Reply
    • Jess Jankowski

      June 23, 2020 at 12:30 pm

      It’s so fun to make! And even better to eat!

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Beth, Jill, and Jess of Easy Budget Recipes

We’re Beth, Jill, and Jess, and we’re the team of sisters-in-law behind Easy Budget Recipes!

Combined, we have over 50 years of cooking, meal planning, and budgeting experience. Each of our recipes serves at least six people, and we have broken down the cost of every recipe for you so that it’s easier to budget your shopping list every week!

We’re so glad that you’re here. Find out more ABOUT US!

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