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Red, White and Blue Poke Cake

Red, white and blue poke cake is a patriotic Jell-O sheet cake with vivid red and blue stripes soaked into a white cake. Bake a classic 9x13 white cake, poke holes, pour two Jell-O mixtures, then top with whipped topping, star sprinkles, and fresh berries.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
chilling 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 15 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 340
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

White cake base
  • 1 box white cake mix Use the ingredients on the box (eggs, water, and oil).
  • 1 ingredients on box Eggs and water/oil as listed for your cake mix.
Jell-O layers
  • 3 oz strawberry Jell-O
  • 3 oz berry blue Jell-O
  • 2 cup boiling water Divide into 1 cup for strawberry and 1 cup for blue.
  • 1 cup cold water Divide into 1/2 cup for strawberry and 1/2 cup for blue.
Topping
  • 8 oz whipped topping (Cool Whip) Thawed.
  • 1 Red and blue star sprinkles For garnish.
  • 1 fresh strawberries For garnish.
  • 1 fresh blueberries For garnish.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Bake the cake
  1. Heat oven to the temperature listed on your white cake mix box and bake the cake in a 9x13 pan following package directions. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean.
  2. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes in the pan. Keep it warm enough to poke but not hot.
Poke and soak
  1. Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes all over the cake about 1 inch apart. Make sure the holes go deep enough to reach the bottom.
  2. Dissolve the strawberry Jell-O in 1 cup boiling water, then stir in 1/2 cup cold water until smooth. Pour slowly over the left half of the cake so it soaks into the holes.
  3. Dissolve the blue Jell-O in 1 cup boiling water, then stir in 1/2 cup cold water until smooth. Pour over the right half of the cake and let it soak evenly.
Chill and top
  1. Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours until the Jell-O is fully set inside the cake. It should look firm when you gently press the surface.
  2. Spread the whipped topping evenly over the top of the chilled cake. Garnish with red and blue star sprinkles and fresh strawberries and blueberries before serving.

Notes

For clean slices with sharp red-and-blue lines, chill until fully set (at least 2 hours) and serve cold. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 3 days; freezing is not recommended because the Jell-O texture can soften. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat whipped topping (or whipped cream) instead of Cool Whip.