This Strawberries And Cream Poke Cake may look complicated but, it’s not. It begins with a white cake that’s smothered with a cream cheese strawberry filing. Topped with luscious whipped cream and more strawberries it’s certain to be the belle of the dessert ball. If time is an issue just before serving slice fresh strawberries and pile them on top of the whipped cream. Dust with powdered sugar then add a couple of sprigs of mint and voila…dessert magic.
The truth is, no matter how you choose to decorate the top one bite of this masterpiece and no one will care it’s so darn tasty. You can begin this cake with a cake mix or make it using the recipe for my White Buttermilk Cake if you prefer baking from scratch. This luscious poke cake really shows the baking love to those you serve it to, and I always enjoy the reaction when I pull it out at the end of our meal. Strawberries and cream remain a family favorite at my house any day of the year.
You may also like: Strawberry Shortcake Brownie Cupcakes, Strawberry Fool, Strawberry Delight, Strawberry Sugar Cookies and Strawberry Party Punch.
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Helpful Kitchen Items:
Strawberries And Cream Poke Cake
Servings: 16 pieces
Ingredients
- 1 [16.25] oz box white cake mix plus eggs, oil and water to prepare [See Cook's note]
- 1 [14] oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 [8] oz cream cheese softened
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 quarts fresh strawberries divided
- 4 cup sweetened fresh whipped cream or 16 oz frozen whipped topping thawed
- 4 oz white chocolate grated
- few drops pink or red food coloring [optional]
Instructions
- Prepare the white cake in a 9 x 13 inch baking pan per the instructions on the packaging. Use the recommended amount of eggs, oil and water. Remove from the oven and use the back of a wooden spoon or to similar poke holes all over the cake.
- In a medium size mixing bowl, whip together the sweetened condensed milk, cream cheese and vanilla for 2 minutes. Whip until fluffy and fully blended. Whip in 1 cup of sweetened whipped cream. Add a few drops of food coloring, if desired.
- Spread half of the whipped cream cheese filling onto the warm cake filling the holes.
- Hull and cube enough strawberries to equal 2 cups and set aside the desired amount of whole berries to decorate the top.
- Mix the cubed strawberries into the remaining cream cheese mixture by hand then spread this over the top.
- Place the cake into the fridge to cool completely.
- After cooled, frost with the remaining whipped cream and decorate as desired with grated white chocolate and the reserved whole strawberries.
Notes
1) To prepare the cake from scratch use my White Buttermilk Cake recipe.
2) To decorate the cake as pictured additional whipped cream or whipped topping will be needed.
2) To decorate the cake as pictured additional whipped cream or whipped topping will be needed.
Tried this recipe?Mention @melissassk or tag #melissassk!
Joanne V says
This looks fabulous! I love the addition of white chocolate, too.
Melissa says
Thanks Joanne, it is quite tasty! (I’m a bit biased ☺)
Linda says
This is the perfect cake for Valentine’s Day. Thank you Melissa
Melissa says
Linda, come on down I’ll make one. ☺
Melissa says
Hi Sheila, it’s my pleasure.
Shelia H. says
This looks and sounds delicious, Melissa! Thanks for sharing, I can’t wait to try it 🙂
Noreen Thompson says
this looks awesome.
Jess says
I just made this for a family birthday celebration! Looks delicious and I can’t wait to eat it! Thanks for sharing:) I’ll let you know how it turns out!
C-Anne says
Thank you for posting this recipe. I made this for my family Easter dinner and everyone loved it. I’ve been looking for a recipe that tastes like my favorite bakery’s Strawberries And Cream cake for almost a year and this one is even better! I used your buttermilk cake recipe and now I can’t wait to try it again. I might even try it with other fruits like raspberries or pineapple. Just wondering – have you tried frosting it with buttercream?
Melissa says
You can frost this with buttercream, if you prefer. I find with the cheesecake filling it can be a bit heavy and the whipped cream is just right in my opinion. So happy you loved this one we do too!
Anonymous says
I am wondering how much sugar is needed to make the 4 cups of sweetened whipping cream? Should it be stabilized? I am alittle nervous working with whipping cream but am making this as a special birthday cake and want it to be spectacular! Thank you.
Melissa says
Whipping cream can be stabilized in any number of ways. However, it still isn’t something you can make several days in advance. I would say 3-4 Tbsp per cup is a good rule of thumb then taste and add more if needed. One of my favorite ways to stabilize whipped cream is to whip in some marshmallow fluff. The gelatin in the fluff helps to stabilize the whipped cream and doesn’t change the flavor. Start with 1/2 cup then add more if you like. Hope this helps!
Dianne says
I’ve got a couple of dumb questions. Is the 4 cups of whipped cream measured AFTER it’s whipped? If so, about how much heavy cream would I buy to make 4 cups whipped?
And you do mean that the whipped cream is sweetened and whipped before it’s whipped it into the condensed milk, cream cheese and vanilla, right?
Thanks for answering. 🙂
Melissa says
Hi Dianne, those aren’t dumb questions at all, I’m happy to help. Generally, 2 cups of heavy cream will make 4 cups of whipped cream. {Around 3-4 Tbsp pf sugar per cup to sweeten.] In the case of this cake, more won’t hurt. ☺ And, yes, the cream should be whipped. Think of it as if you were adding a cup of Cool Whip to the filing. Hope this helps.
Dianne says
Thanks! I’m sending the hubs to the store. YAY!
Melissa says
My pleasure, enjoy!
Star says
Have you ever tried making this with a chocolate cake? Wondering if it would taste like chocolate covered strawberries. What do you think?
Melissa says
I haven’t but it sounds wonderful. Let me know if you try it!
Marsha Hawes says
would like to follow & print receipe for Strawberries-and-cream-poke-cake looks delicious
Melissa says
Hi Marsha, you can print this recipe by choosing the print option on the recipe template or use the print icon with the share buttons. To follow, choose subscribe and enter your email address and follow the prompts.
Bobbie Cochran says
This looks so delicious, can not wait to try it.
Bonny says
I made your coconut poke cake and loved it but want to make a July 4 version with strawberries instead of pineapple. Could I replace the cheese mixtures with vanilla pudding in this recipe? Have any ideas? Was going to make a flag design on top with fruit. Do not want to use gelatin in cake.
Melissa says
Hi Bonny, have you seem my strawberries and cream poke cake? That might be a better choice and easier to adapt. Have a safe July 4th!
isaac Nelson says
Looks absolutely scrumptious can’t wait to try it
Melissa says
Thank you!
Rebecca Poston says
I did not find these directions easy to follow. I had never stabilized whipped cream so I tried to add marshmallow fluff at the end and had lumps. I also found the cream cheese mixture was too thick to be absorbed into my buttermilk cake. I also found when I added the second layer of topping that contained the strawberries my dish was almost overflowing which made decorating with the whipped cream and strawberries almost impossible. To make it worse, this cake had to transported across town with just waxed paper draped loosely across the top as no cover would fit and I did not want to crush the top. I don’t think I will try again regardless of taste.
Melissa says
Too bad you had so many issues. If your whipped cream was lumpy that indicates over beating. It’s imperative that you use the correct size pan and make the holes large in the cake as the filling has chunks of strawberries in it which would never fill small holes poked with a fork. This particular cake if made like I did in the pictures, would be difficult to transport and perhaps a less involved topping would have been more suitable in this instance. I would have suggested that you frost it simply with whipped cream and perhaps finished the top with berries after you arrived at your destination.
Linda Boatright says
This looks so pretty and tasty ! I will try it. Thanks, where do you find the buttermilk cake recipe? Please
Melissa says
Thanks Linda, if you’ll click on the highlighted words “white buttermilk cake” in the narrative it will take you to the recipe. Otherwise, search the archives.
The Better Baker says
SCRUMPTIOUS and beautiful cake! I want a big piece..NOW! =) Thanks so much for sharing with us at Weekend Potluck!!
Melissa says
Thank you!
Joanne de Jong says
Just starting to make this beauty and wondering if you could use buttermilk instead of water in the box mix?
Melissa says
Yes ma’am EVEN BETTER. I often do that when I use a boxed cake mix to add more flavor. Go for it!
Ashley @ Wishes & Dishes says
What a beautiful poke cake! So excited for fresh berry season!
Melissa says
Me too, Ashley thank you!
Vivian says
You have a recipe for Cool whip frosting
Melissa says
Sure, 1 pint (2 cups) heavy cream. Whip using a mixer with 1 tsp pure vanilla and gradually add 1/4 cup sugar while beating. You can adjust sweetness to your taste. Whip until stiff peaks form being careful not to overbeat.