This simple recipe combines strawberry cake with creamy pudding. The strawberry cake is really simple because you can make it using a boxed mix. As for the cheesecake pudding, that’s easy to make as well because you can use instant pudding mix to make it. Feel free to make both from scratch if you prefer, but the packaged mixes do give perfect results and they certainly save time and elbow grease!
The great thing about this delicious dessert it’s not just a layered cake or a frosted cake, but a poke cake. Once the strawberry cake is cooled, you poke holes in it using a wooden spoon handle (or a chopstick) and then fill the holes completely with the prepared pudding before spreading the rest over and on top of the cake. Finally all that’s left to do is garnish it with fresh strawberries. Everyone will adore this special cake.
This unusual poke cake recipe brings together strawberry cake and cheesecake pudding. The resulting cake tastes juicy, creamy and delicious, and is special enough to be a nice birthday cake.
Why You’ll Love the Recipe:
This cake has an inbuilt surprise. Although it might resemble a frosted cake when first seen, the holes you poke and fill with the instant pudding mixture give it a nice element of surprise and make it deliciously different.
How to Serve It:
Serve the cake chilled and in slices.
Ingredients:
For the Strawberry Cake:
- Water
- Vegetable oil
- Strawberry cake mix
- Eggs
For the Cheesecake Pudding:
- Cool Whip
- Whole milk
- Cheesecake flavor instant pudding
- Strawberries
How to make Strawberry Cheesecake Poke Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 13×9-inch baking dish.
Whisk the cake mix with the oil and water, using a handheld mixer.
Whisk in the eggs, one at a time.
Pour this batter into the baking dish.
Then bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Let the cake cool for 15 minutes then poke holes all over it using a wooden spoon handle, making them about an inch apart.
Bet the cold milk with both packages of instant pudding with a handheld mixer.
Put 1½ cups of the mixture in a piping bag with a large decorating tip or in a large Ziploc bag with a snipped-off corner.
When the cake is completely cool, pipe the pudding into the holes.
Then smoothing the remaining pudding over the cake with an offset spatula.
Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Spread the Cool Whip over the pudding layer and decorate with the sliced strawberries.
Now, ready to serve, enjoy!
STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE POKE CAKE
Ingredients
For the Strawberry Cake:
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 15¼ ounce box strawberry cake mix
- 3 large eggs room temperature
For the Cheesecake Pudding:
- 8 ounces thawed Cool Whip
- 3½ cups cold whole milk
- 2 x 3½-ounce packages cheesecake flavor instant pudding
- 1 cup sliced strawberries for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 13x9-inch baking dish.
- Whisk the cake mix with the oil and water, using a handheld mixer.
- Whisk in the eggs, one at a time.
- Pour this batter into the baking dish and bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool for 15 minutes then poke holes all over it using a wooden spoon handle, making them about an inch apart.
- Bet the cold milk with both packages of instant pudding with a handheld mixer.
- Put 1½ cups of the mixture in a piping bag with a large decorating tip or in a large Ziploc bag with a snipped off corner.
- When the cake is completely cool, pipe the pudding into the holes, smoothing the remaining pudding over the cake with an offset spatula.
- Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Spread the Cool Whip over the pudding layer and decorate with the sliced strawberries.
Can You Make It Ahead?
Yes, you can, so long as you keep it chilled.
Storage Instructions:
This cake should be kept covered and refrigerated. Eat it within 4 days.
Variations and Substitutions:
Any flavor of cake mix would work here, as would any flavor of instant pudding. You can also swap a different fruit for the strawberries.
