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A slice of festive Christmas poke cake with vibrant red, green, and white layers sits invitingly on a plate, topped with cheerful sprinkles. In the background, two glass bottles filled with milk complete the delightful holiday scene.
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Christmas Poke Cake

Bake this festive make-ahead layered Christmas poke cake recipe for your holiday dessert table.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cake, Christmas
Servings: 8
Author: Bella Bucchiotti

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 cake mix vanilla or white, 15¼ Ounce box, plus the ingredients to make the cake
  • 1 Box strawberry jello 3 Ounce box, or cherry
  • 1 Box lime jello 3 Ounce box
  • 2 Cups boiling water
  • 3 Cups vanilla frosting approximately 2 containers
  • sprinkles Christmas colors to decorate

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a pair of 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
  • In the stand mixer bowl, beat the cake mix with the eggs, water and vegetable oil on high for 2 to 3 mins or until no lumps remain.
  • Divide the batter between the 2 prepared pans (approximately 2 cups of batter per pan).
  • Bake for the time that is stated on the box (it took me 25 minutes to bake). Cool completely in the pan.
  • In a small mixing bowl, combine the lime jello with a cup of boiling water. Whisk until the powder completely dissolves. Repeat the process with the strawberry jello. Cool the jello mixture for approximately 15 minutes.
  • Use a wooden dowel or chopstick to poke holes into the cooled cake. Keep at least 1 inch between each hole.
  • Pour half of the red jello mixture over the top of the cake. Try to get as much of the mixture into the holes as you can.
  • Repeat the process on the second cake using the green jello.
  • Place the cakes into the fridge to chill and set. This will take at least 1 hour but can be in there for up to 24 hours.
  • Once the cakes have chilled, run a butter knife around the edge of the pan just to loosen the cake. Place the red jello cake right side up onto a cake stand or platter. Cover the cake with an even layer of frosting.
  • Place the lime cake upside down over the frosting. Lightly push down to make sure the two cakes adhere. Cover the top and sides with an even layer of vanilla frosting.
  • If you have any frosting left, use a piping bag to add a decorative edge and top with some fun Christmas sprinkles and serve immediately.

Notes

The frosting: Most poke cakes use a whipped topping, not a frosting. However, because we are stacking this cake, we need a more stable topping that can handle the weight. Toppings like homemade whipped cream or Cool Whip will cause the cakes to slide. 
Store leftover jello for later: You will only need half of the prepared boxes of jello. You can refrigerate the leftovers to enjoy later or only use half of the powder. If just using half of the powder, you must adjust the amount of water.
Make ahead for best results: Due to the chilling time, it is best to make this cake the day before you wish to serve it.
Try it with homemade jello: Just make sure it has the same consistency as store-bought jello so it can properly fill the holes in the cake.

Nutrition

Calories: 676kcal | Carbohydrates: 129g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Sodium: 703mg | Potassium: 70mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 99g | Calcium: 145mg | Iron: 1mg

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