Cherry poke cake recipe is so moist and delicious with a ton of cherry flavor.  Make this easy dessert for special occasions or to enjoy during the week. The entire family will enjoy this luscious cake.

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A piece of this Cherry poke cake on a white plate with some fresh cherries right next to it.

Cherry Poke Cake Recipe

With just a few simple ingredients, you can make this tasty Cherry Poke Cake Recipe.  It is such a fun dessert to make and a great recipe to let the kids help. 

The kids love to help poke the holes and they always think it is a blast to get to do this. This is really the secret to such a moist and delicious cake.

All of the delicious flavor gets soaked into those holes for a cake no one will be able to resist. It is a must try!

Close up of a piece of this Cherry poke cake on a white plate with some fresh cherries right next to it.

Cherry jello poke cake is super easy to make!

The cake is poked all over to allow the jello mixture to saturate the cake. The flavor gets in the cake for an amazing dessert.

The kids will really enjoy helping with this recipe so get everyone involved! 

What do you use to poke holes in the cherry poke cake?

You can use a fork to poke the cake or really anything you have. The end of a wooden spoon also works as well.

This is such an easy recipe so just use what you have and make this amazing cake.

Ingredients to make this cherry jello poke cake.

What you need for cherry poke cake:

  • white cake mix
  • large eggs
  • vegetable or canola oil
  • buttermilk
  • Almond Extract
  • cherry gelatin (but any flavor will work)
2 pieces of this Cherry poke cake on white plates with some fresh cherries right next to the pieces of the cake.

How to make cherry jello poke cake:

First, preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat a 13×9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Combine cake mix, buttermilk, eggs, oil and almond extract until smooth.

Spread evenly into baking dish, bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes.

Combine gelatin and boiling water and stir about 2 minutes until dissolved, add cold water.

Using a wooden skewer or large fork, poke holes into cake about every ½ inch.

Carefully pour gelatin over the cake. You will want to work quickly as the jello will start to solidify.

The cherry jello mixture being poured over the cake cooked with holes poked in it.

Place in refrigerator at least 3 hours or overnight. While the cake is chilling, prepare the frosting.

Frosting Ingredients:

  • Whipped Topping (Cool Whip)
  • Marshmallow Fluff
  • Powdered Sugar
  • Almond Extract
A piece of this Cherry poke cake on a white plate with some fresh cherries right next to it.

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients.

Starting with ¼ cup powdered sugar and mix until fluffy. You may need to add more powdered sugar depending on how thick you want the frosting.

Spread the frosting over the cake and then decorate.

Store in refrigerator until ready to serve. 

Serve with fresh cherries, canned cherries or sliced almonds.

A piece of this Cherry poke cake on a white plate with some fresh cherries right next to it.

Can you use a cherry pie filling instead of Jello?

Yes, you can use a pie filing instead of Jello in this recipe. If you decide to use a pie filling, you’ll need to poke large holes in the cake and push the pie filling down into the cake.

You will still need the chill the cake before frosting it.

Variations Ideas:

  • Use your favorite jello flavors. We used cherry jello but you can try any flavor gelatin mix you prefer. You can use any jello flavor you have on hand or want to try. Some ideas include: raspberry, orange, lemon and more.
  • Use your favorite flavor of cake mix. Chocolate cake is also amazing and goes so well with vanilla pudding mix. Get creative and make one of these delicious poke cakes today.
  • Use a pudding mix instead of jello. You can use a vanilla pudding mix, lemon pudding mix or a banana pudding mix instead of jello in this poke cake recipe.
  • Change up the topping. You can easily top with some other than frosting. This cake would be great topped with whipped cream or a delicious cream cheese frosting.
A piece of this Cherry poke cake on a white plate with some fresh cherries right next to it with another piece of cake behind it.

How to Store:

Store leftovers in refrigerator covered with plastic wrap. This cake will easily last 5 days in the refrigerator.

You can also freeze this cake for up to 3 months. To freeze, wrap the cake and store in the freezer. Allow the cake to defrost overnight in the refrigerator.

Print this cherry jello coke poke cake recipe below:

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Cherry Poke Cake recipe

4.67 from 6 votes
Cherry poke cake recipe is so moist and delicious with a ton of cherry flavor.  Make this easy dessert! The entire family will enjoy this luscious cake.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Chill 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 35 minutes
Servings 12
Cuisine American
Course Dessert
Calories 363
Author Desserts on a Dime

Ingredients

  • Ingredients
  • 1 white cake mix
  • 4 large eggs room temperature
  • ½ cup vegetable or canola oil
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon Almond Extract
  • 1 small box 3.4 oz cherry gelatin (any flavor will work)
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1/2 cup cold water
  • Frosting
  • 1 8 oz. tub whipped topping thawed
  • 1/2 cup marshmallow fluff
  • ¼ – ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • Topping ideas
  • Additional whipped topping
  • Fresh Cherries
  • Cherry Pie Filling
  • Sliced Almonds

Instructions

  • Cake:
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat a 13×9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray
  • Combine cake mix, eggs, buttermilk, oil and almond extract until smooth
  • Spread evenly into baking dish, bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean
  • Remove from oven and let cool for 15 minutes
  • Combine gelatin and boiling water and stir about 2 minutes until dissolved, add cold water
  • Using a wooden skewer or large fork, poke holes into cake about every ½ inch
  • Carefully pour gelatin over the cake
  • Place in refrigerator at least 3 hours or overnight
  • Frosting:
  • In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients, starting with ¼ cup powdered sugar and mix until fluffy. You may need to add more powdered sugar depending on how thick you want the frosting.
  • Spread over cake
  • Store in refrigerator until ready to serve
  • Store leftovers in refrigerator covered with plastic wrap
  • Serve with fresh cherries, canned cherries or sliced almonds

Nutrition Facts

Calories 363kcal, Carbohydrates 49g, Protein 12g, Fat 14g, Saturated Fat 3g, Cholesterol 60mg, Sodium 372mg, Potassium 97mg, Fiber 1g, Sugar 28g, Vitamin A 149IU, Calcium 153mg, Iron 1mg

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Cherry poke cake recipe is so moist and delicious with a ton of cherry flavor.  Make this easy dessert! The entire family will enjoy this luscious cake. #dessertsonadime #cakerecipes #pokecakerecipes #cherryrecipes

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Hi, I’m Carrie. Welcome to Desserts on a Dime!

I’m on a mission to help you cook delicious meals without busting your budget. Together we are going to cook real food… for real families.

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Comments

    1. I’m so sorry for that confusion. The buttermilk is mixed in with the cake mix at the same time as the eggs. I have corrected the recipe and the post. Thank you!