Make This Easy Red White and Blue Jello Poke Cake For Your Party

Made with your favorite boxed cake mix, a red white and blue poke cake is an easy and delicious patriotic cake, perfect for not only Fourth of July, but all summer parties.

You know I love easy to make desserts and there’s nothing fancy to making a poke cake. This is my favorite cake to make and a Red White and Blue Poke Cake is just perfect for any patriotic festivity you are planning for the summer holidays like Independence Day, Labor Day or Memorial Day.

A Red White and Blue Poke Cake is the perfect dessert to bring out after the burgers and hot dogs have gotten cleaned up and you are getting ready for the fireworks. Speaking of fireworks, we love how the red and blue colors create a firework effect in the cake, the perfect way to celebrate those patriotic holidays!

Other tasty and foolproof easy red white and blue recipes you should try include Patriotic Whoopie Pies, 4th of July Cupcakes o r Oreo Truffles.

If this is your first poke cake, you might be wondering why is it called a “Poke Cake”?

Because after you bake and cool your cake, you poke holes in the cake with the handle of a wooden spoon. You then fill your cake with a pudding or other filling, such as jello like in this case.

Tips for Best Results When Making Your Red White & blue poke cake recipe

• Be sure not to completely poke through the cake. The bottom layer of the cake will hold in your liquid. If you poke all the way through, your liquid will end up pooling at the bottom.
• To pour your jello, use a dropper or syringe to be more precise. A measuring cup or squeeze bottle work well too.
• Use separate bowls for the red and blue jello so that you don’t end up with purple.

How to Make This Easy Recipe for a Red White & Blue Poke Cake

In the printable recipe card below, you will find the full simple ingredients list, as well as recommended products that I receive a small commission from with affiliate links when you purchase. You can read my full disclosure policy for more information.

What you will need:

For the Cake-

• White Cake Mix
• Vegetable Oil, Eggs & Cold Water to bake cake according to directions
• 3 oz. Box Blue Jell-o
• 3 oz. Box Red Jello
• ¾ Cup of Water for each color of Jello

For the Frosting-

• 8 oz. Cream Cheese (cold)
• 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
• 2 Cups Heavy Cream (cold)
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• Red White & Blue Sprinkles

In a large bowl, combine cake mix and pour the cake batter into a 13×9 cake pan. Bake jello poke cake according to package directions and allow to cool completely.

With a drinking straw, end of a wooden spoon or wooden skewer, poke even rows of holes across the entire cake. I did 12 rows of 15.

Dissolve the blue gelatin in ¾ cup of boiling water in a small bowl. Repeat with the red gelatin. Pour jello into the holes, alternating colors in every other row.

Cover the cake with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge overnight or for at least 8-10 hours to let the cake cool.

How to Make the Whipped Topping for your 4th of July Poke Cake Recipe

This frosting is like a thick and sturdy whipped cream and is the best part. It is light and creamy like whipped cream but will hold up on a frosted cake in the fridge for a few days.

Like whipped cream it need to be made with cold ingredients and works best if the bowl it is being made in is cold too. You can place the mixing bowl in the freezer for about 15-30 minutes before making the icing.

In the chilled bowl cream together cream cheese, vanilla, and powdered sugar until well mixed and light and fluffy. With a hand mixer on medium speed, slowly pour in the whipping cream and mix until well incorporated and smooth.

Turn the mixer to high and whip until stiff peaks form.

Spread evenly across the top of the cake or pipe it on with an icing bag. Sprinkle with festive sprinkles. Or for a different topping for this easy poke cake, make an American flag on top of your cake out of fresh strawberries and fresh berries. If you find yourself in a pinch, the old standby of Cool Whip will do just fine.

Do you need to refrigerate a poke cake?

Yes, do you. Keep your poke cake covered and refrigerated until ready to serve. Since we are using a cream cheese whipped cream, your cake will need to stay refrigerated for 2-3 days.

Cake mixes make for such an easy dessert, check out my favorites to add to your dessert table! Or these dessert recipes in patriotic colors: Red White & Blue Jello Cake, Veterans Day Sheet Cake, 4th of July Cake