Red, White, and Blue Patriotic Poke Cake
This easy patriotic poke cake is a fun and festive Jell-O cake for the 4th of July!
Red, white, and blue patriotic poke cake feeds a crowd and comes together easily with some cake mix and Jell-O!
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One of my favorite ways to add some festive flair to a holiday is with the food–especially the dessert!
I’ve learned that sometimes it’s the little things that make the biggest difference, and that it doesn’t take a lot of effort to make something tasty and celebratory.
To make cakes easy, I often use a doctored up cake mix. That’s what I do with all of my Instant Pot cake recipes as well as my most popular triple chocolate bundt cake.
So it was only natural to use a cake mix as the base of this patriotic cake!
If you’re looking for a fun 4th of July dessert idea, this easy poke cake made with red and blue Jell-O is just the ticket!
More Cake Recipes that Serve a Crowd:
4th of July Cake Made with Jell-O
If you aren’t familiar with what a poke cake is, it’s essentially where you bake a cake in a rectangular pan, then after it’s cooled a bit, you poke holes in it.
Then, something sweet is poured into the holes of the cake. Sometimes it’s caramel, sometimes it’s sweetened condensed milk, and in this case, it’s red and blue Jell-O!
The Jell-O pulls double-duty and adds both flavor and color, which is what creates the pretty contrast with the white cake, creating the red, white, and blue pattern.
How to Make a Red, White, and Blue Poke Cake
It’s really easy to make this simple 4th of July dessert!
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- Box of white cake mix
- Eggs, oil, and water for the cake
- Red Jell-O (I used strawberry, but you could also use cherry)
- Blue Jell-O (I used Berry Blue)
- Water and ice for preparing Jell-O
- Whipped topping
- Optional: Sprinkles
How to Make this Red, White, and Blue Cake:
(Full printable recipe is available below)
Make the Cake. First, you’ll prepare the cake batter by combining the cake mix, egg whites, egg, oil, and water.
Pour the batter into a prepared 13×9″ pan and bake. I love this pan because the cake bakes evenly, plus it has a lid for easy storage and transportation–perfect if you’re planning to take this cake to a 4th of July party!
Cool and Poke Holes. Next, after the cake has cooled a bit, you’ll use a skewer or chopstick or the end of a wooden spoon to poke holes in the cake, in fairly uniform rows.
Pour Jell-O and Chill. Then, you’ll prepare the red Jell-O and pour it over alternating rows of holes in the cake, allowing it to soak down into the holes.
I used a 5mL kitchen dropper for this, but you can also just carefully pour it or use a squeeze bottle.
Next, repeat the process, using the blue Jell-O. Don’t worry if it isn’t perfect–it’s okay if colors drip or run a bit.
Allow the cake to chill in the fridge for a few hours, which will help the Jell-O to set.
Top with Cream. Top with some whipped topping (such as Cool Whip) and red, white, and blue sprinkles, if desired.
Store it in the refrigerator and keep it cold.
Notes and Adaptations for Your Patriotic Poke Cake:
- If desired, you can make a white cake from scratch instead of using a cake mix.
- You may not need all of the prepared Jell-O for this cake–once you’ve filled the holes, you can pop the leftover Jell-O into the fridge to chill or discard the excess.
- I used regular Jell-O, but you should be able to substitute sugar-free Jell-O as well.
Recommended Equipment:
- Stand mixer (I love my KitchenAid) or electric hand mixer
- 9×13″ Cake Pan (I love this classic pan and lid set for even baking, easy storage and transportation to get-togethers)
- Dropper or squeeze bottle
- Patriotic red, white, and blue sprinkles of your choice
Red, White, and Blue Patriotic Poke Cake
This red, white, and blue cake is the perfect 4th of July dessert!
Ingredients
- 1 box white cake mix
- 2 egg whites
- 1 whole egg
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 3-oz box strawberry Jello-O mix
- 3-oz box blue raspberry Jell-O mix
- 8-oz whipped topping, such as Cool Whip
- Optional: Red, white and blue sprinkles
Instructions
- Grease and lightly flour a 9x13" baking pan. Preheat the oven to 350F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine cake mix, egg whites, egg, water, and vegetable oil. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase to high speed for 2 minutes.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 23-25 minutes.
- Allow cake to cool for about 20 minutes. Using a chopstick, skewer, or the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes in even rows across the cake.
- Prepare strawberry Jell-O by combining with 3/4 cup boiling water, stirring until dissolved. Add 1/2 cup cold water.
- Using a dropper or squeeze bottle, add the strawberry Jell-O to alternate rows of holes in the cake (you may not need all of the red Jell-O).
- Repeat steps 5 and 6 with the blue raspberry Jell-O (you may not need all of the blue Jell-O).
- Cover the cake and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to allow the Jell-O to begin to set.
- Top with whipped topping and sprinkles, if desired, then serve.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
20Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 98Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 33mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 0gSugar: 6gProtein: 1g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.
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