Jell-O® Poke Cake

An old Southern recipe passed down through my grandmother. You can vary the flavor of gelatin used in order to get a specific color for any holiday, e.g. lime for St. Patrick's day. You can top this cake with berries, sprinkles, or any topping of your choice.

• Preparation Time: 10 mins
• Cooking Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 40 mins
• Calories: 310 Calories

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup boiling water
• ¼ cup cold water
• 1 (15.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 1 (8 ounce) container whipped topping (such as Cool Whip®)
• 1 (3 ounce) package strawberry-flavored gelatin mix (such as Jell-O®)

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.

Step 2

Combine cake mix, water, eggs, and oil in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer on low speed until moistened. Increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes. Pour batter into the prepared baking pan.

Step 3

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 24 to 29 minutes. Let cool completely, at least 30 minutes.

Step 4

Pour cold water into a bowl. Sprinkle gelatin mix on top. Let stand until softened, about 1 minute. Add boiling water and stir constantly until granules are completely dissolved.

Step 5

Poke holes all over the cake using a fork. Pour gelatin mix into the holes. Refrigerate cake until gelatin is set, up to 6 hours.

Step 6

Spread whipped topping over cake.