Strawberry Crunch Poke Cake
If you were a fan of strawberry shortcake ice cream bars during your childhood, then you'll adore this delectable strawberry crunch poke cake. Inspired by the classic strawberry shortcake, this dessert takes it up a notch by incorporating the irresistible crunchy coating. Our recipe begins with a convenient boxed cake mix, infused with delightful strawberry flavor. The cake is then adorned with fluffy cream cheese frosting and crowned with a delectable strawberry-and-cookie topping. It's the ideal treat for a summer indulgence.If you're unfamiliar with poke cakes, now is the perfect opportunity to discover the easiest and most delightful desserts. They start with a cake mix (as you can see, simplicity at its finest!). Once the cake has cooled, the fun begins by adding your chosen flavors. Using a bamboo skewer or a chopstick, create holes all over the cake, ensuring not to penetrate all the way through to the bottom of the pan to retain the flavor within the cake.Next, it's time to add the filling. For this particular dessert, we're utilizing strawberry Jell-O. Simply heat up some water, mix in the Jell-O powder, and pour it into the prepared holes. Allow the cake to chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of a few hours or even overnight. This soaking period will ensure that when you slice into the cake, you'll reveal lovely white and pink swirls.
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 1 (15.25-oz.) box white cake mix, plus ingredients called for on box
- 1 (3-oz.) box strawberry Jell-O
FROSTING
- 1 1/2 c. heavy cream
- 1 (8-oz.) block cream cheese, room temperature
- 2/3 c. (75 g.) confectioners' sugar
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp. kosher salt
TOPPING
- 24 vanilla sandwich cookies, such as Golden Oreos
- 4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 (3-oz.) box strawberry Jell-O
- Fresh strawberries, halved lengthwise, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 13"-x-9" baking pan with cooking spray. Prepare cake according to package directions.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake cake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool.
- Using a bamboo skewer or chopstick, poke holes all over cake, making sure not to go through to the bottom and spacing 1/2" to 1" apart.
- In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup water to a boil. Add Jell-O powder; whisk until dissolved. Remove from heat and whisk in 1/2 cup cold water.
- Pour gelatin mixture evenly over holes on cake. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
FROSTING
- In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat cream on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
- In another large bowl, using handheld mixer, beat cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy. Add confectioners' sugar and beat until smooth, then add in vanilla and salt. Fold in whipped cream until just combined.
- Spread frosting over top of cake; reserve remaining frosting for topping (optional).
TOPPING
- In a food processor, pulse cookies to pea-sized crumbs. Transfer to a medium bowl. Pour butter over crumbs, sprinkle with Jell-O powder, and stir to combine.
- Sprinkle crumb mixture over frosting, then lightly press down on crumbs to adhere.
- Dollop or pipe reserved frosting over crumbs (if using). Top dollops with strawberries.
Nutrition
Calories: 456kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 5gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 63mgSodium: 378mgPotassium: 119mgFiber: 1gSugar: 41gCalcium: 111mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!