Description
This festive Christmas Poke Cake combines moist white cake with vibrant red and green jello flavors soaked into the cake's holes, topped with creamy vanilla pudding and whipped topping, and finished with holiday sprinkles. Perfect for holiday celebrations and easy to prepare ahead of time.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- 1 (15 oz) box white cake mix
- Ingredients called for on cake mix box (usually eggs, oil, water)
Jello
- 1 (6 oz) box strawberry jello
- 1 (6 oz) box lime jello
- 2 cups boiling water
Topping
- 1 (3.4 oz) box instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 cup milk
- 1 (8 oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
- Red and green sprinkles or decorations
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F or the temperature specified on your cake mix box. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray to prevent sticking.
- Mix and Bake Cake: In a mixing bowl, combine the white cake mix with the required ingredients from the cake mix box. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake according to the package directions, approximately 30 minutes.
- Cool and Poke Holes: Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes. Then, using a fork or the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes about 1 inch apart all over the cake's surface. Allow the cake to cool further while preparing the jello.
- Prepare Jello: In two separate bowls, dissolve the strawberry jello and lime jello each in 1 cup of boiling water, stirring well until fully dissolved.
- Pour Jello Over Cake: Alternate pouring the red strawberry and green lime jello in rows over the cake, making sure the liquid seeps into the holes. You likely will not use all the jello mixture. Place the cake in the refrigerator to chill for about 15 minutes.
- Make Topping: Whisk the instant vanilla pudding mix with 1 cup of milk until slightly thickened. Fold in the thawed whipped topping gently until well combined.
- Spread Topping and Chill: Spread the pudding and whipped topping mixture evenly over the chilled cake. Return the cake to the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours to set completely.
- Serve and Decorate: Just before serving, decorate the top of the cake with red and green sprinkles or holiday decorations for a festive touch. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Use a fork or the handle of a wooden spoon to create evenly spaced holes for the jello to seep in well.
- Allow the cake to cool adequately before poking holes to prevent it from crumbling.
- If you want a firmer jello texture inside the cake, chill the jello mixture slightly before pouring.
- For easier slicing, chill the cake thoroughly after adding the topping.
- You can substitute whipped topping with freshly whipped cream for a fresher taste.
- Use red and green sprinkles or small holiday-themed decorations to make the cake visually festive.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 250 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
