Strawberry Jello Pudding Poke Cake with Cheesecake Pudding

One of my all-time favorite go-to desserts for potlucks are poke cakes. They are so easy! I am going to share my collection of what I feel are the very best ones with you, starting with this Strawberry Jello Pudding Poke Cake!

The original recipe for this cake is pretty popular. It’s been circulating for many years, but it’s traditionally made with vanilla pudding. It’s been a tried and true, trusty recipe as is but as I was making it one day I decided to try leveling it up by using cheesecake pudding instead of vanilla. Wowsa! Best idea ever. Well, one of the best! HA!

When you don’t know what to make, make this cake! Some of my other favorite cake recipes are the Best Carrot Cake , Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake , and Blueberry Zucchini Cake!

What You’ll Love About this Recipe

Incredibly Moist – Thanks to the Strawberry Jell-O soaking into every bite!

Simple – Made with simple, shortcut ingredients that keep things easy.

Delightful – Creamy pudding add richness without making the cake feel heavy.

Always a Win – Looks impressive with minimal effort!

Stress Free – Tastes even better after chilling, so it’s stress-free to make ahead!

What You’ll Need

1 box Vanilla Cake Mix + Ingredients on Box

1 (6 oz) box Strawberry Jello

2 cups Water, Boiling

1 (3.4 oz) box Cheesecake Pudding

2 cups Milk

1 (8 oz) Cool Whip

How to Make the Best Strawberry Jello Pudding Poke Cake

Bake cake in a 9 x 13 pan according to the directions on the back of 1 box of white cake mix. Let cool.

Poke holes all over the top of the cake using the back of a wooden spoon.

Whisk 1 (6 oz) box of strawberry Jello into 2 cups boiling water until dissolved. Pour over entire cake.

Beat 1 (3.4 oz) box of cheesecake pudding into 2 cups milk until well combined. Pour over entire cake.

Spread 1 (8 oz) container of Cool Whip over top of cake. Garnish with sliced strawberries if desired.

Keep refrigerated.

Why is it called a poke cake?

After the cake is baked, holes are poked throughout the surface so the strawberry Jell-O and pudding can soak into the cake, making it moist and flavorful.