Strawberry Poke Cake Without Jello

featured image for Strawberry Poke Cake Without Gelatin

4.25 from 4 votes

Every slice of this strawberry-licious poke cake 'pokes' a sauce of pureed fresh strawberries in its middle, tastier than strawberry gelatin!

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Cooling/Refrigeration3

Total Time3 45

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Southern

Servings: servings

Author: Jenny DeRemer

Cost: $0.38 per serving

Equipment

10-cup Bundt or a 10 x 2-inch round
baking sheet
parchment paper
food processor or blender
electric mixer
mixing bowls

Ingredients

for cleaning the berries before you slice them

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
4 cups water

for the cake

1 (15.25 ounce box) cake mix white or yellow
1 cup whole milk
4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
3 large eggs room temperature

for the fresh strawberry sauce

2 ½ cups strawberries fresh; divided; cleaned, hulled, and sliced
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 medium lemon half the lemon zested and 1 tablespoon lemon juice reserved

for the cream cheese glaze

1 ounce cream cheese room temperature
2 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
¾ cups Confectioners' sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons whole milk plus additional teaspoons as needed to thin glaze if necessary
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray a 10-cup volume cake pan (Bundt, round, or other) with baking spray. Set aside. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Also set aside.
Empty strawberries into a large bowl and add two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Toss so all are coated in the vinegar. Fill the bowl with cool water, about 4 cups or until submerged, and soak the fruit for 15 minutes. Drain, rinse, and use a pairing knife to hull and slice.
In the barrel of a food processor, add 1 1/2-cups of the berries, sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice. Pulse 6 to 8 times or until the fruit is liquid enough to be drawn up into a turkey baster. Set the puree aside. Save the remaining sliced fruit for garnishing the cake.
In large bowl, add the cake mix, milk, 4 ounces of the softened cream cheese, and the eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for about 1 minute. Scrape your bowl. Increase to medium speed and beat 2 minutes more. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Place the pan on the prepared baking sheet for stability and place into the preheated oven. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a wooden pick pulls out clean. Cool the cake for 12 to 15 minutes.
Using the handle of a wooden spoon in one hand an a wet paper towel in the other, poke staggered holes in the cake at 1/2-inch intervals going almost to bottom. Use the wet paper towel to wipe the handle of your spoon after each poke.
Use a baster to draw the puree. Insert the baster into each hole filling it and allowing it to settle while you fill another. Set aside any remaining puree to serve alongside the cake. Cool (in the pan) atop a wire rack for 45 minutes, then refrigerate (in the pan) for at least two hours. The fruit puree must be well-chilled to adequately set.
Remove from refrigeration and run the back of a butter knife around the outer and inside edges of your pan to loosen cake. Turn the pan upside down onto a cake plate, centering it before gently lifting the pan.
Place the cream cheese and butter in a deep mixing bowl and beat on medium speed with clean beaters until smooth. Add the Confectioners' sugar, milk, and vanilla and beat again until smooth. If too thick, add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until you arrive at a desired consistency. Garnish the top of the cake with any remaining berries you might have from when you started.
Top with additional fresh lemon zest or Confectioners' sugar if desired. Serve with remaining puree, freshly whipped cream, or ice cream.

Notes

Store Cake in Refrigerator due to the cream cheese glaze. Wrap with plastic film or place under a cake dome. Cake keeps in refrigerator 5 days.

Nutrition