We make this beloved dessert with not-too-sweet buttermilk cake and very lightly sweetened whipped cream. The cake tastes best just slightly chilled, so let it sit out to warm up a bit while you whip the cream for the topping.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 3 hr 5 min |
| Prep: | 5 min |
| Inactive: | 2 hr 30 min |
| Cook: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 15 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk, well shaken
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
- One 3-ounce box strawberry gelatin
- 2 pounds strawberries
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 cups heavy cream, cold
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- For the cake: Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch pan.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Whisk the buttermilk and vanilla in a spouted measuring cup; set aside.
- Beat the sugar and butter in a stand mixer (or a large bowl if using a hand mixer) at medium speed until very light in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping down the side of the bowl as needed. Slowly add the eggs and beat until fully incorporated. Reduce the speed to the lowest setting; with the mixer running, alternate beating in the flour mixture in three additions and the buttermilk mixture in two, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the side of the bowl, and beat until the batter is well mixed. Spread into the prepared pan.
- Bake the cake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Let cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Using a fork, poke holes in the top and all the way through the cake.
- Bring 1 cup water to a boil, pour over the gelatin in a small bowl and stir until completely dissolved, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup cold water. Pour the mixture evenly over the cooled cake. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Put a large bowl (for whipping the cream) in the refrigerator.
- For the sweetened berries: While the cake chills, hull and quarter the strawberries. Toss with the granulated sugar in a medium bowl, and set aside until soft and juicy, about 1 hour.
- For the topping: Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla in the chilled bowl until fluffy. Spread it over the cake, slice the cake and serve with the strawberries.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 15 servings |
| Calories | 472 |
| Total Fat | 25 g |
| Saturated Fat | 15 g |
| Carbohydrates | 53 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 35 g |
| Protein | 10 g |
| Cholesterol | 106 mg |
| Sodium | 199 mg |
Reviews
This cake was really good. Not too sweet and easy to make. I had to bake the cake longer than the recipe said by 10 minutes. The middle of the cake was jiggly at 30 minutes. The cake was tender and light. Personally, I would have liked a slightly sweeter whipped cream but my family loved it the way it was.
This Strawberry Poke Cake recipe is an absolute delight! The combination of moist cake, luscious strawberry filling, and creamy whipped topping is a match made in dessert heaven. I recently paired this heavenly treat with my favorite boba tea – https://www.yuchafood.com/tapioca-boba, and let me tell you, it took my taste buds on a journey of pure bliss! The fruity sweetness of the strawberry poke cake perfectly complemented the rich, indulgent flavors of my boba tea. It’s a match made in dessert and beverage paradise! I highly recommend trying this duo for a delightful and satisfying treat.
i like it
My dad and I made this recipe last night, and it was very fun to make. We followed the recipe exact, with an exception of adding a teaspoon of almond extract with the vanilla extract. The cake was very moist and sweet, but not a sugar rush. The strawberries really put the cake together, and if you refrigerate it for 1 hour instead of two, it is still good and edible. Also, it tastes just as good the next day if you chill it. All in all, this was very tasty and I loved it.
I was so looking forward to this recipe, as strawberries are my favorite fruit. Unfortunately, after following the recipe exactly, it came out with the density of cheesecake, and was inedible.
Do we have to use buttermilk??
why would you make a poke cake and not have the any liquid to pour over it? the batter is denser to absorb the liquid jello and remain somewhat firm
Amanda cooking is an art baking is a science and you can’t fool mother nature FOLLOW THE RECIPE OR DON’T BAKE IT!!!
Pretty poke cake but extremely dense! I only used 1/2 of the gelatin to spread over the poke holes. Using all of it would have drowned the cake and made it even more dense and soggy. It wasn’t an awful cake, but if you like a light, airy cake, this is not the one. The whipped cream topping needed to be sweeter too.
My family’s favourite and most requested cake! Very moist, flavorful, and not too sweet. It’s also super easy to make!
Didn’t have a chance to copy it