Easter Poke Cake with Vanilla Gelatin (Print Version)

Moist vanilla cake infused with fruity gelatin and topped with whipped cream for a festive spring dessert.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cake Components

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

→ Gelatin Layers

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 Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan thoroughly with cooking spray or butter.
02 - Combine vanilla cake mix, water, vegetable oil, and eggs in a large bowl. Beat according to package instructions, typically 2-3 minutes. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 28-32 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
03 - Remove cake from oven and let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Using the handle of a wooden spoon or a skewer, poke holes evenly across the entire surface of the cake, spacing them approximately 1 inch apart.
04 - In two separate bowls, dissolve strawberry gelatin in 1 cup boiling water and lemon gelatin in 1 cup boiling water. Stir each until completely dissolved, then add 1 cup cold water to each bowl.
05 - Carefully pour or spoon the strawberry gelatin over one half of the cake and lemon gelatin over the other half, allowing liquid to seep into the poked holes. Alternate colors in a pattern if desired for a marbled effect. Use all the gelatin liquid.
06 - Cover the pan with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until gelatin is completely set and cake is thoroughly chilled.
07 - In a chilled bowl, whip heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract using an electric mixer or whisk until stiff peaks form, about 3-5 minutes.
08 - Spread whipped cream evenly over the chilled cake. Decorate with pastel sprinkles or jelly beans as desired. Slice into squares and serve cold.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The combination of moist cake and jiggly gelatin creates this incredible texture that keeps people coming back for seconds
  • It's ridiculously simple but looks like you spent hours planning something spectacular
02 -
  • Poking holes while the cake is still slightly warm helps the gelatin absorb better but you must wait the full 15 minutes or the texture becomes mushy
  • The gelatin mixture needs to cool slightly before pouring or it creates weird soggy spots in the cake
03 -
  • Use the handle end of a wooden spoon rather than a fork to make the holes large enough for the gelatin to really soak in
  • Let the gelatin cool for about 5 minutes before pouring so it doesn't make the cake soggy

Go Back