Rainbow Poke Cake Recipe

Course: Cake, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 35

Chill Time: 6

Total Time: 6 50

Servings: slices

Calories: 647kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

This vibrant rainbow poke cake uses colorful Jell-O to create a moist, flavorful dessert that is as fun to look at as it is to eat.

Print Recipe

US Customary - Metric

Equipment

Kitchen Scale (optional)
9x13 Baking Pan
Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer

Ingredients

For the Cake:

26.5 ounces vanilla cake mix (2 (13.25-ounce) boxes)
2 cups water
⅔ cup vegetable oil
6 large eggs room temperature

For the Jell-O Filling:*

3 ounces dry green Jell-O mix (1 box)
3 ounces dry red Jell-O mix (1 box)
3 ounces dry orange Jell-O mix (1 box)
3 ounces dry blue Jell-O mix (1 box)
4 cups water boiling (212°F)

For the Frosting:

2 cups heavy cream cold (35% fat)
½ cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons dry vanilla instant pudding mix

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray. Set aside.
Mix the cake mix, water, oil, and eggs in a large bowl. Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pan.
26.5 ounces vanilla cake mix, 2 cups water, ⅔ cup vegetable oil, 6 large eggs
Bake in the preheated oven for 33-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 30 minutes before moving onto the next step.
After the cake has cooled for 30 minutes, use the round end of a wooden spoon to poke holes throughout the cake (holes about 1 inch apart).
Take 4 small bowls and put 1 package of Jell-O in each bowl. You will have one for red dry Jell-O mix, one for orange dry Jell-O mix, one for green dry Jell-O mix and one for blue dry Jell-O mix.
3 ounces dry green Jell-O mix, 3 ounces dry red Jell-O mix, 3 ounces dry orange Jell-O mix, 3 ounces dry blue Jell-O mix
Pour 1 cup of boiling water into each bowl. Stir the contents of each bowl well until all the Jell-O powder has been dissolved. Let cool slightly.
4 cups water
Alternating colors, pour about a tablespoon of Jell-O into each hole poked in the cake. You won’t use all of the Jell-O in the cake. Put the leftover Jell-O in the fridge to enjoy later.
Wrap the cake well in food-safe plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight to allow Jell-O time to set.
Prepare the frosting just before it’s needed (after the cake has chilled for a minimum of 6 hours). In a large bowl, beat the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla instant pudding mix on high until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes.
2 cups heavy cream, ½ cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons dry vanilla instant pudding mix
Smooth frosting evenly over cooled cake. Add sprinkles if desired.

Notes

*I used lime (green), cherry (red), orange (orange), and berry blue (blue) Jell-O, but any combination of colors/flavors works.

Tips:

Optionally, add 1 tbsp of pure vanilla extract or the zest of half a lemon to the cake batter for a fresher taste.
Do not poke the holes all the way through or the filling will seep out when the cake is cut.
Stick to holes 1 inch apart, and use one color per hole so the colors don't bleed too much into each other.
Make sure the Jell-O has completely dissolved in the boiling water, and let cool slightly to avoid making the cake mushy.
For less mess, you can use a syringe to fill the holes with Jell-O.
If the Jell-O hasn’t set after 6 hours of refrigeration, let it continue to chill overnight. After this point, if it’s still not set, you may have added a bit too much water. Make sure to carefully follow the recipe to avoid this issue.

Make-Ahead: You can bake the cake up to 3 days ahead and store at room temperature until ready to fill. You can fill the cake up to 2 days ahead and store in the refrigerator until ready to frost.

Storage: Store rainbow poke cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Enjoy chilled.

Nutrition