This easy Cranberry Poke Cake recipe is a favorite at family gatherings. Everyone loves the sweet deliciousness of a simple jello poke cake. This one blends the flavor of tart cranberries in to create the perfect cake to serve at the holidays.
Whether you are looking to serve up something new at your Thanksgiving dinner, add in more Christmas desserts to feed a crowd or want something tasty to serve to your family this cake is a winner.
Cranberry Poke Cake Recipe
This poke cake uses flavored jello as well as cranberry sauce to make this tasty cake with its sweet frosting. The cranberries make it a perfect dessert for the holiday season.
What is a poke cake?
A poke cake gets its name from the holes that are poked into the cake after baking, usually with the handle of a wooden spoon. Liquid is poured over the top of the baked, cooled cake and soaks into the holes of the cake.
The liquid poured over the cake can be flavored, colored jello, caramel, condensed milk, pudding, jelly or some other type of flavored syrup. The liquid adds color and flavor to the cake.
Ingredients for Cranberry Poke Cake:
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this cake:
White Cake Mix – you will need 2 boxes of cake mix (at least 15.25 ounces each). Use your favorite box mix for this easy recipe.
Large Eggs
Vegetable Oil – use your favorite type of vegetable oil
Water – you will need 1 cup cold water for the cake and 1 cup boiling water to prepare the jello
Milk – use whole milk or your favorite type of non dairy milk
Cranberry Jello – one 3 ounce box
Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce – one 15 ounce can. You can also use 3/4 cup of homemade cranberry sauce made from fresh cranberries in place of canned sauce
Cool Whip – you will need one container about 8 ounces
Nonstick Cooking Spray
You will also need a 9 X 13 baking dish, large mixing bowl, as well as a stand mixer or hand held mixer.
How to make this Cranberry Poke Cake:
To make the cake:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the two cake mixes, eggs, oil, milk, and 1 cup water. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat low speed to medium speed until no lumps appear. The cake batter will seem thin, but this is what you want.
Pour into your prepared baking dish and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean and the top of the cake is golden brown.
Remove the cake from the oven and place the baking pan on a wire rack. Do not remove the baked cake from the pan.
Let the cake cool in the pan for about 20 minutes.
Using a wooden spoon with a round handle to poke holes in rows about 1 inch apart in the cake. You want to push the handle about 3/4 of the way through the cake.
Add the jello and boiling water to a medium mixing bowl and stir until the jello is dissolved. Place the jello in a pourable container such as a glass or plastic measuring cup.
Slowly pour the jello over the top of the cake. First pour it into each of the holes and then pour any remaining liquid over the surface of the cake.
Cover the cake with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 4 hours or until the jello is set.
To make the frosting:
Place the cranberry sauce in a medium mixing bowl and use a fork or other utensil to break it up until no large chunks remain.
Add the cool whip to the bowl with the cranberry sauce and fold it together until fully combined.
Spread the frosting over the top of the cake. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Poke Cake Tips:
Use your favorite white or yellow cake mix or your own homemade cake.
Don’t bake the cake at a temperature over 325 F. If it cooks too quickly the edges will burn while the center will not be cooked enough.
Don’t want to make a thick cake? Then use one cake mix, 3 eggs, 1/2 cup of vegetable oil, 1/2 cup of water to make a cake that isn’t as thick in height. You will also want to bake the cake at 350 F for 20-30 minutes and then test to see if it is done.
Make sure the cake is cool before poking it with holes. If the cake is too warm then the holes don’t stay open once they have been poked.
Swap out the cranberry sauce in the frosting for another package of cranberry jello. Mixing the jello into the whipped topping will create a lightly colored, flavored topping.
Wipe your knife between slices to keep the cake from sticking to it. This leaves each of the cake slices looking neatly cut and ready for serving to guests.
How to store Cranberry Poke Cake:
Store leftover poke cake in a plastic wrapped or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
You can freeze the prepared poke cake without frosting for up to 3 months. If I’m going to freeze the cake I like to make it in a aluminum foil or disposable cake pan. Once the cake has been made and topped with jello allow it to fully cool. Then wrap the whole pan in several layers of plastic wrap making sure to seal all the edges.
When ready to serve remove the cake from the freezer and allow it to thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature. Prepare the frosting and frost the cake when ready to serve.
Can I use a different flavor Jell-o?
Yes you can swap out the cranberry jello for another flavor of jello. Try using strawberry, cherry, raspberry or black raspberry flavor. These all taste great with the cranberry sauce in the topping.
Other delicious dessert recipes you may like:
Pineapple Coconut Dump Cake – this 3 ingredient cake takes 5 minutes to whip up. It’s so easy to make and can be quickly dressed up with a bit of whipped topping and a cherry.
Easy Pistachio Cake – pistachio pudding mix adds flavor to the box of cake mix as well as the frosting. Another cake that can be quickly mixed up in a few minutes but tastes like it came from the bakery.
Try this recipe and love it? Review it by clicking the star rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ on the recipe card! This helps other readers to find this recipe since the recipe rating will encourage search engines, such as Google, to suggest it to others. This helps support Remake My Plate as we are a reader supported publication.
Cranberry Poke Cake Recipe (Christmas)
Equipment
- Baking dish 9 X 13
- Large mixing bowl
- Hand held mixer
Ingredients
- 2 boxes Cake Mix white or yellow
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup water cold
- 1 cup water hot
- 1 cup milk
- 3 ouces Cranberry Jello
- 15 ounces Cranberry Sauce whole berry
- 8 ounces whipped topping
Instructions
To make the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the two cake mixes, eggs, oil, milk, and 1 cup of cold water. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat until no lumps appear. It will seem thin, but this is what you want.2 boxes Cake Mix, 6 large eggs, 1 cup vegetable oil, 1 cup water, 1 cup milk
- Pour into your prepared baking pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean and the top of the cake is golden brown.
- Remove the cake from the oven and place the baking pan on a wire rack. Do not remove the cake from the pan. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 20 minutes.
- Using a wooden spoon with a round handle to poke holes in rows about 1 inch apart in the cake. You want to push the handle about 3/4 of the way through the cake.
- Add the jello and boiling water to a medium mixing bowl and stir until the jello is dissolved. Place the jello in a pourable container such as a glass or plastic measuring cup. Slowly pour the jello over the top of the cake. First pour it into each of the holes and then pour any remaining liquid over the surface of the cake.1 cup water, 3 ouces Cranberry Jello
- Cover the cake with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 4 hours or until the jello is set.
To make the frosting:
- Place the cranberry sauce in a medium mixing bowl and use a fork or other utensil to break it up until no large chunks remain.15 ounces Cranberry Sauce, 8 ounces whipped topping
- Add the cool whip to the bowl with the cranberry sauce and fold it together until fully combined. Spread the frosting over the top of the cake. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Want to get new recipes sent directly to your inbox? Then subscribe to our newsletter (see below) and be the first to know when we post a new recipe as well as get weekly shopping, cooking and meal planning tips. Follow me on Pinterest where you can find links to our recipes as well as other recipes you and your family will enjoy.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy. If you click on the banner below you will be taken directly to my Etsy shop to see the digital items currently listed.
