You can’t go wrong with this festive cranberry poke cake for the holidays. It’s bursting with the delicious flavor of tart cranberries and sweet cake!

What is a Poke Cake?

A Poke-and-pour cake (poke cake) is a popular dessert made by poking holes, usually with a wooden spoon handle, into a baked boxed cake (homemade cake can be used too). Then a syrup or another liquid is poured into the holes to create a super moist cake. The liquid for the poke cake can be a sweet syrup, liqueur, coffee, condensed milk, or flavored Jello which will enhance the flavor of the cake.

Because a plain cake can be used as the base with various liquids, there are endless flavor variations of poke cake. For this recipe, I’m using a vanilla cake base with cranberry Jello and sauce to create a holiday-themed dessert.

Ingredients for a Cranberry Poke Cake

2 (15.25 ounce) White Cake Mix Boxes
6 Large Eggs
1 cup Vegetable Oil
1 cup Cold Water (cake) + 1 Cup Boiling Water (Jello)
1 cup Whole Milk
1 (3 ounce) Box Cranberry Jello
1 (15 ounce) Can Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce
1 (8 ounce) Tub Cool Whip
Optional – Fresh cranberries and 1 can of whipped cream for garnish

Baking Equipment for Cranberry Poke Cake

Deep 9″x13″ Cake Pan
Hand or Stand Mixer
Nonstick Cooking Spray
Mixing Bowls
Measuring Cup
Wooden Mixing Spoon
Spatula
Fork

How to Make a Cranberry Poke Cake

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 325°F degrees and spray a deep 9″x13″ cake pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. Next, in a large mixing bowl, combine the two cake mixes, eggs, oil, milk, and 1 cup of cold water. Then using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat until there are lumps. The batter will be thin.

Cranberry Poke Cake batter in baking pan.

Step 2. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Let cool for about 20 minutes.

Baking Tip

DO NOT bake the cake any hotter than 325°F or the edges with burn, while remaining raw in the center. Slow and steady wins the game!
For a less thick cake, use one boxed cake mix and cut the remaining cake ingredients in half. Bake the cake at 350°F degrees and check the cake around 20-30 minutes for doneness.
Note: Every oven is different, so adjust cook times if needed.

Poke holes with a wooden spoon handle into the cooked cake.

Step 3. After the cake has cooled, use the handle of a wooden spoon or a similarly shaped object and poke holes in the cake about an inch apart. Be careful to only poke holes halfway through the cake and not all the way to the bottom of the cake.

Step 4. In a mixing bowl, add the Jello and boiling water. Stir until the Jello is fully dissolved. Optional – Place the Jello in a pourable container, like a glass measuring cup. Now slowly pour the Jello over the top of the cake, covering the holes and then the remaining cake surface. Note: a large serving spoon can be used to scoop the Jello mixture onto the cake from the mixing bowl. Then cover the cake with plastic wrap and place the cake in the fridge for 4 hours or until the jello is set.

How to Store

Before storing the cake in the fridge or freezer, make sure it is fully cooled to prevent excess moisture buildup.
The cake can be stored in the fridge in a cake saver or airtight container, for up to 3 days.
To freeze, wrap the cake with plastic wrap and place it in an airtight container for up to 3 months. To thaw, remove the cake from the freezer and place it in the fridge overnight. Frost when ready to serve. Note: The texture of the cake can change slightly when frozen and thawed.

Step 5. Once the cake is chilled, start the cranberry frosting right before serving. In a mixing bowl, add Cool Whip. Set aside. In a separate bowl, add the cranberry sauce and use a fork to mash it until no large chunks remain. It should resemble a homemade style cranberry sauce. Then add the cranberry sauce to the Cool Whip and fold it until combined.

Frosting Tips

For more frosting, just double the cranberry frosting recipe. Cranberry sauce can be substituted with a small box of cranberry Jello or skip it and use plain whipped topping.

Step 6. Just before serving, frost the top of the cake with the cranberry frosting. Slice and enjoy!

If you’re looking for a low-stress, impressive holiday dessert, give this cranberry poke cake a try. It’s sure to become a family favorite and I hope you enjoy it!

Cranberry Poke Cake

Name: Cranberry Poke Cake
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 5 h 35 min
Yield: 9
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 (15.25 ounce) White Cake Mix Boxes; 6 Large Eggs; 1 cup Vegetable Oil; 1 cup Cold Water (cake) + 1 Cup Boiling Water (Jello); 1 cup Whole Milk; 1 (3 ounce) Box Cranberry Jello; 1 (15 ounce) Can Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce; 1 (8 ounce) Tub Cool Whip; Optional - fresh cranberries for garnish; Optional - can whipped topping for garnish

Yield: 9"x13" cake or 12 servings

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Additional Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 5 hours 35 minutes

You can’t go wrong with this festive cranberry poke cake for the holidays. It’s bursting with the delicious flavor of cranberries!

Ingredients

2 (15.25 ounce) White Cake Mix Boxes
6 Large Eggs
1 cup Vegetable Oil
1 cup Cold Water (cake) + 1 Cup Boiling Water (Jello)
1 cup Whole Milk
1 (3 ounce) Box Cranberry Jello
1 (15 ounce) Can Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce
1 (8 ounce) Tub Cool Whip
Optional - fresh cranberries for garnish
Optional - can whipped topping for garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325°F degrees and spray a deep 9″x13″ cake pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. Next, in a large mixing bowl, combine the two cake mixes, eggs, oil, milk, and 1 cup of cold water. Then using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat until there are lumps. The batter will be thin.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Let cool for about 20 minutes.
After the cake has cooled, use the handle of a wooden spoon or a similarly shaped object and poke holes in the cake about an inch apart. Be careful to only poke holes halfway through the cake and not to the bottom of the cake.
In a mixing bowl, add the Jello and boiling water. Stir until the Jello is fully dissolved. Optional – Place the Jello in a pourable container, like a glass measuring cup. Now slowly pour the Jello over the top of the cake, covering the holes and then the remaining cake surface. Note: a large serving spoon can be used to scoop the Jello mixture onto the cake from the mixing bowl. Then cover the cake with plastic wrap and place the cake in the fridge for 4 hours or until the jello is set.
Once the cake is chilled, start the cranberry frosting right before serving. In a mixing bowl, add Cool Whip. Set aside. In a separate bowl, add the cranberry sauce and use a fork to mash it until no large chunks remain. It should resemble a homemade style cranberry sauce. Then add the cranberry sauce to the Cool Whip and fold it until combined.
Just before serving, frost the top of the cake with the cranberry frosting. Slice and enjoy!

Notes

BAKING TIP:

DO NOT bake the cake any hotter than 325°F or the edges with burn, while remaining raw in the center. Slow and steady wins the game! For a less thick cake, use one boxed cake mix and cut the remaining cake ingredients in half. Bake the cake at 350°F degrees and check the cake around 20-30 minutes for doneness. Note: Every oven is different, so adjust cook times if needed.

HOW TO STORE:

Before storing the cake in the fridge or freezer, make sure it is fully cooled to prevent excess moisture buildup. The cake can be stored in the fridge in a cake saver or airtight container, for up to 3 days. To freeze, wrap the cake with plastic wrap and place it in an airtight container for up to 3 months. To thaw, remove the cake from the freezer and place it in the fridge overnight. Frost when ready to serve. Note: The texture of the cake can change slightly when frozen and thawed.

FROSTING TIP: