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piece of strawberry jello poke cake with a strawberry on top
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4.62 from 13 votes

Strawberry Jello Cake

This old fashioned strawberry jello cake is made easily with boxed cake mix and jello, but has a homemade cream cheese whipped topping that makes it extra special!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Chill Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 45 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: comfort food, easy summer dinner recipe, old fashioned recipe, picnic
Servings: 15
Calories: 316kcal
Author: Julie Clark

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 1 box white cake mix 15.25 ounces (plus ingredients on the back of the box)

For the jello:

  • 3 ounces strawberry gelatin (one small box)
  • 1 cup boiling water

For the topping:

  • 8 ounces cream cheese (softened to room temperature)
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream (very cold)
  • fresh strawberries for decorating

Instructions

  • Prepare cake mix in a 9x13 inch pan and bake in the oven according to package directions.
  • Allow cake to cool for 20-30 minutes.
  • Poke holes halfway through cake with the back of a round wooden spoon about 1-2 inches apart from each other. Set aside.
  • While cake is cooling prepare strawberry gelatin.
  • Pour boiling water over gelatin and whisk/stir the mixture until combined and gelatin is completely dissolved.
  • Carefully pour gelatin evenly over cake. The cake will soak up the gelatin. The gelatin will not fill the holes up completely which is completely normal.
  • Cool in the fridge for 1 hour or until the gelatin has set and the cake is only slightly tacky.
  • Once cake is set and cooled, prepare the topping.
  • Beat together cream cheese, powder sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Slowly add in heavy whipping cream until fully incorporated.
  • Beat topping until it thickens and forms soft peaks, about 3-5 minutes.
  • Spread topping over cake.
  • Slice cake into squares and garnish with fresh strawberries. Serve cold.
  • Cover any leftovers with plastic wrap and store in the fridge. This cake also freezes well.

Video

Notes

The calories shown are based on the cake being cut into 15 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 slice of cake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information.**

Nutrition

Calories: 316kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 49mg | Sodium: 323mg | Potassium: 60mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 553IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 1mg