Easter Poke Cake with Vanilla Gelatin (Printable Version)

Moist vanilla cake infused with strawberry and lemon gelatin, topped with homemade whipped cream and pastel sprinkles for Easter celebrations.

# What You Need:

→ Cake

01 - 1 box (15.25 oz) vanilla cake mix
02 - 1 cup water
03 - 1/3 cup vegetable oil
04 - 3 large eggs

→ Gelatin

05 - 1 box (3 oz) strawberry gelatin
06 - 1 box (3 oz) lemon gelatin
07 - 2 cups boiling water, divided
08 - 2 cups cold water, divided

→ Topping

09 - 2 cups heavy whipping cream, chilled
10 - 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
11 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 - Assorted pastel sprinkles or jelly beans (optional)

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan thoroughly with cooking spray or butter.
02 - Prepare the vanilla cake batter according to package instructions using water, oil, and eggs. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 28–32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
03 - Let the cake cool for 15 minutes. Using a wooden spoon handle or skewer, poke holes evenly across the entire cake, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
04 - In two separate bowls, dissolve each gelatin flavor in 1 cup boiling water. Stir until completely dissolved, then add 1 cup cold water to each bowl.
05 - Carefully pour or spoon the gelatins into separate halves of the cake, alternating colors for a marbled effect if desired. Use all the liquid.
06 - Cover and refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours, allowing the gelatin to set completely.
07 - Whip the heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form.
08 - Spread the whipped cream evenly over the chilled cake. Decorate with pastel sprinkles or jelly beans if desired. Slice and serve chilled.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The contrast between creamy whipped topping and jiggly fruity pockets makes every bite surprising and fun
  • Kids go absolutely wild for the bright colors poking through the white frosting
  • You can make it entirely ahead of time which means zero stress when guests arrive
02 -
  • If you pour gelatin into a hot cake it will soak in too much and make the texture soggy
  • Let the cake cool 15 minutes and not a minute longer—the cake needs to be slightly warm to absorb the gelatin properly
  • The whipped cream layer will weep if left at room temperature too long, so keep this chilled until serving
03 -
  • Use the handle of a wooden spoon rather than a fork for poking holes—forks make ragged tears that show through the whipped cream
  • Chill your mixing bowl and whisk before whipping the cream for faster, more stable results

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