Decadent Lemon Jello Poke Cake
This sweet and citrusy Lemon Poke Cake has a delicious vanilla sponge base soaked with ribbons of lemon Jell-O and topped with decadent lemon Cool Whip Frosting, fresh mint, and lemon slices.
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 9x13-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
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.
- To keep the cake pure white, use egg whites instead of the whole egg. This helps make the yellow ribbons of jello more noticeable.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 388kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 546mg | Potassium: 124mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 35g | Vitamin A: 384IU | Calcium: 192mg | Iron: 1mg
