Indulge in the ultimate dessert delight with our Strawberry Crunch Poke Cake—a heavenly combination of moist strawberry-infused cake, luscious cream filling, and a delightful crunchy topping that will satisfy your sweet cravings.
Looking for a hassle-free yet delicious dessert to beat the summer heat? Look no further than the luscious Strawberry Crunch Poke Cake – a perfect blend of freshness, sweetness, and crunchiness in every bite. With its refreshing flavors and creamy texture, this dessert is a crowd-pleaser and will elevate your summer gathering.
In this blog post, we’ll walk through the ingredients, step-by-step instructions, tips for success, delicious variations, and some common FAQs. This is the ultimate guide for making the best strawberry poke cake recipe that will have everyone coming back for seconds!
What is Strawbery Crunch Cake made of?
To create this scrumptious strawberry jello poke cake, you will need the following ingredients:
- Strawberry cake mix (or white cake mix for a lighter base)
- Strawberry gelatin (Jell-O)
- Whipped topping (homemade or store-bought like Cool Whip)
- Dried strawberries
- Cream cheese instant pudding mix
- Vanilla sandwich cookies (such as Golden Oreos)
All of these ingredients are easy to find at your local grocery store. Now that you’ve gathered everything, let’s move on to making the cake.g dessert.
How to Make Strawberry Crunch Poke Cake
This strawberry poke cake is simple and straightforward. Here’s how to put it all together:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, oil, and water. Mix until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared dish and bake for 25–30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- While the cake bakes, mix the instant pudding with cold milk. Stir until just thickened.
- Once the cake is baked, poke holes all over the top with a fork or skewer.
- Pour the pudding mix evenly over the cake, ensuring it seeps into the holes.
- Let the cake cool completely before spreading the whipped topping across the surface.
- For the crunch topping: crush dried strawberries and vanilla cookies, then mix in melted butter and a tablespoon of strawberry gelatin powder.
- Sprinkle the strawberry crunch mixture generously over the whipped topping.
- Chill the cake for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve cold and enjoy!
Tips for Success
Make your strawberry poke cake foolproof with these expert tips:
Make the topping fresh – For that signature crunch, prepare the topping right before serving.
Poke deeply and generously – This ensures the pudding fills the cake for a moist texture.
Use cold whole milk for a thick, creamy pudding.
Homemade whipped cream can elevate flavor, but store-bought works in a pinch.
Don’t skip the chill time – It helps all the flavors settle and the cake hold together.
By following these tips, you’ll impress your family and friends with a delicious and beautiful dessert.
Crunch Cake Variations
Ready to elevate your Strawberry Crunch Poke Cake game? Here are a few variations to try:
1. Chocolate-covered Strawberry Crunch Poke Cake: Add a layer of melted chocolate over the cake before filling. Top with fresh strawberries and crushed chocolate sandwich cookies.
2. Lemon Strawberry Crunch Poke Cake: Substitute lemon cake mix for the yellow cake mix and add lemon zest to the filling. Top with fresh lemon slices and crushed lemon cookies.
3. Raspberry Almond Crunch Poke Cake: Swap out the strawberries for fresh raspberries and use almond extract instead of vanilla in the filling. Top with sliced almonds and crushed almond biscotti.
4. Blueberry Cream Cheese Crunch Poke Cake: Mix fresh blueberries into the filling and swirl in a layer of cream cheese. Top with fresh blueberries and crushed graham crackers.
You can create a unique and delicious dessert that your guests will love by experimenting with different flavor combinations. Whether you stick with the classic strawberry version or try one of these variations, this cake recipe will surely be a crowd-pleaser.
Seasonal Strawberry Twist (NEW!)
When fresh strawberries are in season, take your poke cake to the next level by incorporating them:
- Strawberry puree drizzle: Blend fresh strawberries with a little sugar and lemon juice and drizzle over the whipped topping for extra strawberry flavor.
- Fresh strawberry slices: Decorate the top of the cake with sliced strawberries right before serving.
- Strawberry compote swirl: Create a simple strawberry compote and swirl into the pudding before pouring it into the cake holes.
These additions not only enhance flavor but give your cake a stunning presentation for potlucks, holidays, or baby showers.
The strawberry crunch poke cake is the perfect dessert to impress your summer guests. Combining sweet and tangy flavors, fluffy whipped cream, and delectable crunch creates a unique and mouth-watering treat. Remember to follow the simple instructions and experiment with your variations to make it your own.
Commonly Asked Questions
You can make a poke cake up to 2 days in advance. The cake’s moistness and flavor improve over time as the liquid from the filling or syrup seeps into the cake layers.
Yes, you can make a gluten-free version of Strawberry Crunch Cake by using a gluten-free cake mix and ensuring all the other ingredients are also gluten-free. Various gluten-free cake mixes are available in stores, or you can make your own using gluten-free flour and ingredients.
A Strawberry Crunch Cake can be frozen in the freezer for 2-3 months without significant loss in taste or texture. Labeling the cake with the date of freezing is recommended to keep track of its freshness.
After thawing it, it’s generally best to add the crunchy topping to the Strawberry Crunch Cake. Freezing and thawing may affect the texture of the topping, making it lose its crunchiness. Therefore, adding the topping just before serving is recommended to ensure the best texture and flavor.
Similar Recipes
If you like this Strawberry Crunch Poke Cake recipe, you will like the ones below:
- Strawberry Crunch Pound Cake
- Strawberry Crunch Bars
- Louisiana Crunch Cake Recipe
- Strawberry Moscato Tiramisu
- Easy Strawberry Crumble
Delicious Strawberry Crunch Poke Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
Description
Discover the irresistible delight of a Strawberry Crunch Poke Cake. Moist cake, fruity fillings, and a satisfying crunch combine in this must-try dessert!
Ingredients
- 1 Strawberry Cake Mix or White Cake Mix (including the required content of eggs, oil, and water)
- 8 oz. Whipped Topping
- 3.5 oz. Cream Cheese flavored instant pudding
- 2 c. cold whole milk
- 20 vanilla sandwich cookies
- 1 c. dried strawberries
- 2 tbsp. Unsalted Butter
- 1 tbsp. Strawberry gelatin
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees. Spray a 9X13 baking dish with baking spray and set aside.
- Combine the cake mix, vegetable oil, water, and eggs in a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer or electric mixer. Pour the cake batter in the baking pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool.
- Poke the cake with the end of a wooden spoon or chopstick around the cake.
- In a large measure cup or bowl, add the instant pudding and cold milk and mix until smooth. Once the pudding is smooth and slightly thickened but can still be poured, pour over the cake and allow it to sit in the refrigerator for an hour, covered in plastic wrap.
- Meanwhile, using a food processor, combine the vanilla cookies, dried strawberries, strawberry gelatin, and butter and pulse until it looks like coarse crumbs.
- Spread the whipped topping on top of the cake and sprinkle the cookie topping on top of the cake. Cut into squares and serve.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
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