This Fourth of July Poke Cake is the perfect patriotic dessert! A moist and fluffy vanilla cake is filled with sweet gelatin and then topped with whipped topping and festive sprinkles. Not only is it refreshing but it’s also easy to make.
If you are looking for a new dessert to take to Memorial Day this year, give this Patriotic Poke Cake recipe a try! It’s budget-friendly and so simple to make.
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❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Only a few ingredients are needed to help you keep food costs low.
- It’s perfect for patriotic holidays like Memorial Day and the Fourth of July.
- Can be made ahead of time and it’s easily customizable.
If you are looking for more 4th of July desserts check out this Patriotic Oreo Balls recipe.
🛒Ingredients
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- white cake mix
- vegetable oil
- cold water
- egg whites
- blue gelatin mix
- red gelatin mix
- boiling water, divided
- frozen whipped topping, thawed or Cool Whip
- Red, white, and blue sprinkles
See the recipe card below for quantities.
🔪 How to Make Fourth of July Poke Cake
Mix the cake as directed and pour it into a 9×13 baking dish prepared with nonstick cooking spray.
Bake according to package directions. Cool the cake completely on a wire rack.
Using a bamboo skewer, poke random holes all over the cake.
In a small bowl, carefully mix the blue gelatin with 1 cup of boiling water until completely dissolved.
In a different small bowl, carefully mix the red gelatin with 1 cup of boiling water until completely dissolved.
Using a dropper or small spoon, fill the poked holes in the cake with the colored gelatin, alternating the colors.
Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Prior to serving, spread the whipped topping over the cake and then decorate with sprinkles.
Hint: If you want to pipe the whipped topping on the cake, place it in a piping bag fitted with a star tip and pipe around the border of the cake. Then, fill in the middle.
🥄 Equipment
- 9×13 cake pan
- large bowls
- bamboo skewer or wooden spoon
- rubber spatula
🥫 Storage
Fridge: This 4th of July cake will stay fresh in the fridge for 3-4 days. Be sure to cover the cake with plastic wrap or aluminum foil to keep it fresh in the fridge.
Freezer: I do not recommend freezing poke cakes as the cake will not hold up once assembled.
💭 Tips
- Instead of sprinkles, you can top this cake with sliced strawberries and blueberries for a fresh tough.
- You can bake the cake the day before and then add the red and blue gelatin the next day.
- Try to make sure that your holes go all the way to the bottom of the cake.
- Instead of Cool Whip, you can use vanilla frosting instead if you prefer.
- Be sure to spray your cake pan well with cooking spray or baking spray before adding the batter so that the cake doesn’t stick.
⁉️ FAQs
Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.
Yes, they are the same recipe. I recommend you give them a try because they are delicious.
It’s called a poke cake because you poke holes in the cake and then fill them with a filling like gelatin or pudding.
You poke holes in a poke cake with a large wooden spoon or a bamboo skewer. In a pinch, you can use a butter knife. Try to make sure whatever you poke holes with goes all the way through the cake.
🍽 More July 4th Recipes
Do you enjoy 4th of July desserts, try these delicious recipes:
🧾Fourth of July Poke Cake
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Patriotic Poke Cake
Equipment
- 9×13 cake pan
- large bowls
- bamboo skewer or wooden spoon
- Rubber Spatula
Ingredients
For the cake
- 15.25 ounces white cake mix
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 egg whites
- 1 cup water
For the filling and topping
- 3.3 ounces blue gelatin mix
- 3.3 ounces red gelatin mix
- 2 cups boiling water divided
- 8 ounces frozen whipped topping thawed
- Red white and blue sprinkles
Instructions
- Mix the cake as directed and pour into a 9×13 baking dish prepared with nonstick cooking spray. Bake according to the package directions. Cool the cake completely on a wire rack.
- Using a bamboo skewer, poke random holes all over the cake.
- In a small bowl, carefully mix the blue gelatin with 1 cup of boiling water until completely dissolved.
- In a different small bowl, carefully mix the red gelatin with 1 cup of boiling water until completely dissolved.
- Using a dropper or small spoon, fill the poked holes in the cake with the colored gelatin, alternating the colors.
- Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Prior to serving, spread the whipped topping over the cake and then decorate with sprinkles.
Notes
Nutrition
