This lemon poke cake is a refreshing treat for any occasion, but especially during warm summer months—it’s almost like eating lemonade!
This recipe is so easy to make, and it’s fun to slice into it and find ribbons of lemon jello streaming through the white cake.
Lemon Poke Cake: A Fun Dessert, The Whole Family Will Enjoy
This is a great dessert to have kids help make. Even my youngest grandkids enjoy poking the holes in a just-baked cake. Then they can help drizzle the jello into the holes. It’s so much fun for them to cut a slice of cake for dessert and see all the jello ribbons they helped create.
Poke Cakes get their name because they’re literally full of holes! By taking a cake tester or fork to a cooled cake, you create lots of little pockets for your filling to go into. Just like a sponge, the cake soaks up the lemon Jell-O, getting super soft, moist, and even more flavorful—plus, you get a delicious leomon filling in every bite!
This poke cake recipe is so easy to make, especially if you start with a boxed cake mix. There’s no need to worry about measuring out the right amounts of flour and sugar! When I bake for my family and want to speed up the process a little bit, I love having a few boxes of cake mix on hand for recipes like this one and my Cherry Dump Cake.
It’s also a great make-ahead cake! Since the Jell-O needs at least three hours of chill time to set, you can make it up to a day in advance, cover it with plastic wrap, and bring it to your next family get-together or potluck.
Check out more of my Yummy Desserts whenever you need a little sweet pick-me-up or an easy dessert to take to a dinner party.
Ingredients For Lemon Poke Cake
A few simple ingredients, a little time, a hot oven, and a cool fridge are all you need to whip up a delicious lemon cake.
- White Cake Mix: 1 box white cake mix (plus vegetable oil, water, and egg whites or whatever ingredients are listed on the back of your cake mix)
- Water: Believe it or not, you need both boiling and cold water to make the Jell-O.
- Lemon Jell-O: You can use store-brand gelatin or name-brand.
- Fresh Lemon: Lightly zest and slice a lemon for decoration.
- Mint Leaves: These are optional, but I love the way the bright green looks against the white frosting and yellow lemon slices.
📝 Note: You can find the full recipe with ingredients and measurements in the recipe card located at the bottom of this post.
How To Make A Great Poke Cake
Grab your whisk and a few big bowls, and let’s get started!
Prepare The Cake
- Make your cake mix per the box instructions.
- Pour into a cake pan or baking dish.
- Bake until a toothpick comes out clean.
Prepare the Lemon Jell-O
- Make the Jell-O as the cake cools.
- Pour boiling water over the Jell-O mix and whisk until completely dissolved. No pieces of jello mix here!
- Add one cup of cold water to the mixture and whisk.
Poke, Poke, Poke
- Here comes the fun part! Once the cake has cooled, use a fork to poke holes halfway down into the cake all through the cake.
Chill and Set
- Gently and evenly pour the liquid Jell-O over the entire cake so it fills all the holes.
- Refrigerate the cake for at least three hours so the Jell-O can set!
Frost the Cake
- The final touch for this yummy cake is my Creamy Cool Whip Frosting.
- Made with prepared instant pudding mix, cream cheese, and Cool Whip, this frosting takes just a few minutes to make.
- For full instructions, visit the post!
- Once you’ve frosted the cake, garnish with small slices of lemon and mint leaves.
Gina’s Tips For Recipe Success
- Let the cake cool completely before pouring liquid jello on top. A cake that is too warm will soak up more liquid and become soggy.
- Use egg whites instead of the whole egg to keep the cake pure white. This helps make the yellow ribbons of jello more noticeable.
- If you want a punch of lemon taste to your cake, add a teaspoon of lemon extract to the cake batter for a more robust lemon flavor.
Variation Ideas
This cake is so easy to switch up depending on your mood! You can use any Jell-O flavor for this cake and change the toppings accordingly.
- Use Strawberry Jell-O and top with fresh strawberries for a summer treat.
- If you like citrus, try this with lime or orange jelly. Don’t forget to use some grated peel for a garnish!
Storing Leftovers
If there are any leftovers, cover them with plastic wrap or foil and keep them refrigerated. The cake will remain fresh for several days.
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Decadent Lemon Jello Poke Cake
Note: Be sure to read through the recipe’s post for tips and details about this recipe.
Ingredients
Poke Cake
- 1 box white cake mix, plus vegetable oil, water, and egg whites or whatever ingredients are listed on the back of your cake mix.
- 3 ounce lemon jello box
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 cup cold water
Frosting
- 1 cup cold milk, whole milk or 2% low-fat milk
- 3.4 ounce lemon instant pudding mix, be sure it's a box of instant pudding
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 8 ounces Cool Whip, thawed in the refrigerator over night
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel, optional for decoration
- small slices of lemon, optional for decoration
- mint leaves, optional for decoration
Instructions
Prepare Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Lightly spray a 9×13-inch pan with cooking spray or spread butter on the bottom and sides of the pan.
- Prepare the cake mix according to the instructions on the box. This usually involves mixing the cake mix with water, vegetable oil, and egg whites.1 box white cake mix
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake according to the box directions, usually for about 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Once the cake is done, remove it from the oven and let it cool to room temperature.
Prepare Lemon Jello
- While the cake is cooling, bring 1 cup of water to a boil.
- In a medium bowl, add the lemon jello powder.3 ounce lemon jello box
- Pour the boiling water over the jello powder and whisk for 1 to 2 minutes until the jello is completely dissolved.1 cup boiling water
- Add 1 cup of very cold water to the jello mixture and whisk together.1 cup cold water
Poke and Pour
- Once the cake has cooled, use a fork to poke holes halfway down all over the cake. Make sure the holes are evenly distributed.
- Slowly and evenly pour the jello mixture over the entire cake, allowing it to soak into the holes.
Chill To Set Jello
- Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours to allow the jello to set.
Frosting
- For easy step-by-step image instructions, visit my Creamy Cool Whip Frosting recipe. www.intentionalhospitality.com/cool-whip-frosting
- Combine the instant pudding mix in a small mixing bowl with 1 cup of cold milk.3.4 ounce lemon instant pudding mix, 1 cup cold milk
- Whisk the mixture until it thickens, then set it aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the softened cream cheese.8 ounces cream cheese
- Using a hand mixer (or a stand mixer) on slow speed, whip the cream cheese until it is smooth and creamy.
- Gradually add the thickened pudding mixture to the cream cheese, starting with about 2 heaping spoonfuls at a time.
- Mix on low until smooth. Then repeat, adding more pudding mixture. Continue adding the pudding gradually to avoid clumps, mixing on low until fully incorporated.
- Gently add half of the Cool Whip in to the pudding and cream cheese mixture using a mixer on the lowest setting.8 ounces Cool Whip
- Once incorporated, add the remaingn Cool Whip and mix on low until the frosting is light and fluffy. It’s ready to be spread on your cooled sheet cakes or cupcakes.
- For added decoration, sprinkle grated lemon peel on top of the frosting. Garnish with small slices of lemon and mint leaves if desired.2 teaspoons grated lemon peel, small slices of lemon, mint leaves
Notes
- Let the cake cool completely before pouring liquid jello on top. A cake that is too warm will soak up more liquid and become soggy.
- To keep the cake pure white, use egg whites instead of the whole egg. This helps make the yellow ribbons of jello more noticeable.