Cherry Limeade Poke Cake is made with cherry jello, whipped cream, lime zest, and maraschino cherries. This cake is cool and refreshing and tastes like a tall, icy glass of cherry limeade.
We love pudding poke cakes and this one is a sweet and tart blend of perfection. It’s ready to hit the dessert table at your next BBQ, potluck, or holiday family gathering. Made with a few simple ingredients and kept chilled in the fridge, it’s the perfect way to cool down after a hot day in the sun!
WHAT IS A POKE CAKE?
A poke cake is a cake that has been baked in a large pan (usually a 9×13 baking dish) then after cooling, the whole cake is poked with the back end of a wooden spoon, a toothpick, or even a clean finger. After that, a liquid (usually pudding or jello) is poured over the top so that it can soak into the cake. Topped off with some whipped cream spread over the top and chilled for a few hours before serving. This cake is a wonderful blend of easy instructions, tasty goodness, and versatility.
Ingredients in Cherry Limeade Poke Cake
White cake mix – A box of white cake mix is the base of this dessert. You can use a gluten-free white cake mix if you prefer.
Soda – Lemon-lime soda (like Sprite) provides most of the liquid necessary for the cake. For best results, do NOT use diet soda.
Oil – You will also need ⅓ cup of oil to mix with the cake mix. You can use vegetable or canola oil, or even coconut oil. If you use coconut oil, make sure to melt it first.
Egg whites – Use 3 egg whites to bind everything together.
Lime zest – The zest of one lime is mixed into the cake batter to provide more lime flavor.
Jello – You will need one 3-ounce box of cherry Jello for this cake recipe. If you want a strawberry limeade cake, use strawberry instead. Raspberry is delicious too!
Water – Mix the jello with one cup of boiling water.
Cool Whip – Non-dairy whipped topping that is light and delicious and makes for the easiest topping ever! If you don’t like Cool Whip or can’t find it, you can make a sweetened whipped cream to use instead. Eight ounces of Cool Whip (thawed) should be just the right amount to “frost” the cake.
Lime – Zest another lime to garnish the top of the cake.
Maraschino cherries – Maraschino cherries make the perfect garnish. You can use them whole or you can chop them in tiny pieces if you prefer.
Lime slices – Thin slices of lime are perfect for topping each slice of cake just before serving.
How to make Cherry Limeade Poke Cake
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9×13-inch pan.
In a large bowl, beat cake mix, soda, oil, egg whites, and zest of one lime until combined.
Pour batter into pan and bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Cool cake completely.
When the cake is almost cooled, combine the boiling water with the cherry gelatin and whisk until dissolved.
Use a straw or the end of a wooden spoon to poke holes all over the cake.
Pour the cherry gelatin mix into the holes.
Spread the whipped topping all over the top of the cake.
Garnish with cherries and the zest of a lime.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and then slice and serve!
Cherry Limeade Poke Cake
Ingredients
- 1 15.25 ounce box of white cake mix
- 1 ¼ cups lemon-lime soda such as Sprite don’t use diet soda
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 3 egg whites
- Zest of 1 lime
- 3 ounces cherry-flavored Jello
- 1 cup boiling water
- 8 ounces Cool Whip thawed
- Zest of 1 lime
- Maraschino cherries for garnish
- Lime slices for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9×13-inch pan.
- In a large bowl, beat cake mix, soda, oil, egg whites, and zest of one lime until combined.
- Pour batter into pan and bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool cake completely.
- When the cake is almost cooled, combine the boiling water with the cherry gelatin and whisk until dissolved.
- Use a straw or the end of a wooden spoon to poke holes all over the cake. Pour the cherry gelatin mix into the holes.
- Spread the whipped topping all over the top of the cake.
- Garnish with cherries and the zest of a lime.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and then slice and serve!
Nutrition
📫 Save this recipe! Send it to your email! 📩
I consent to receiving emails from this site.
HOW LONG IS CHERRY LIMEADE POKE CAKE GOOD FOR?
This poke can last up to 5 days in the fridge if stored in an airtight container. This means you can easily make it the day before any event.
CAN YOU FREEZE POKE CAKE?
You can freeze poke cake! You can freeze the entire cake, or freeze slices in airtight containers. Just thaw it in the fridge for 2-3 hours before serving.
WHEN SHOULD YOU POKE A POKE CAKE?
You should aim to poke the cake after it has cooled enough that if you touch the pan with your hands it won’t hurt. While the cake may be warm for a few hours after baking, about 1-2 hours after being pulled from the oven is fine for continuing with the poking and decorating.
CAN YOU REPLACE THE COOL WHIP IN POKE CAKE?
Cool Whip is the best “whipped topping” to use in this recipe. However, if you can’t find Cool Whip where you live or you prefer not to use it in recipes, you can use stabilized whipped cream instead. This will be a little bit thicker and more substantial than just plain whipped cream. It’s very simple to make your own stabilized whipped cream and it just takes a few minutes!
HOW DO YOU MAKE STABILIZED WHIPPED CREAM?
TO MAKE STABILIZED WHIPPED CREAM, YOU WILL NEED THE FOLLOWING INGREDIENTS:
-4 ounces of cream cheese (softened to room temperature)
-1/3 cup powdered sugar
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1 cup heavy whipping cream
HOW TO MAKE STABILIZED WHIPPED CREAM
Start by beating the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla extract until soft and smooth.
In a separate bowl, beat the whipping cream just until soft peaks form.
Add the cream cheese mixture to the whipped cream and beat until stiff peaks are formed. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
A little tip for making whipped cream faster. Use a metal bowl for whipping the cream and place the bowl in the freezer for about 30 minutes before you make the whipped cream. This will significantly decrease the amount of time that you will need to beat the whipped cream – the process will go much faster!
MORE POKE CAKE RECIPES
- OREO POKE CAKE
- CHOCOLATE CARAMEL PEANUT BUTTER POKE CAKE
- COCOA PUFFS PUDDING POKE CAKE
- STRAWBERRIES & CREAM POKE CAKE
- CHRISTMAS JELLO POKE CAKE
- RASPBERRY JELLO POKE CAKE
- MINT CHOCOLATE POKE CAKE
- PEPPERMINT OREO POKE CAKE
- LEMON POKE CAKE RECIPE
- FRUITY PEBBLES POKE CAKE
- PUMPKIN POKE CAKE
- PEACHES AND CREAM POKE CAKE
- S’MORES POKE CAKE
- PINA COLADA POKE CAKE
- BOSTON CREAM PIE POKE CAKE
Cherry Limeade Poke Cake is made with cherry jello, whipped cream, lime zest, and maraschino cherries. This cake is cool and refreshing and tastes like a tall, icy glass of cherry limeade.
Leave a Reply