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Easy Strawberry Crunch Poke Cake – Quick, Creamy, and Crowd-Pleasing

Easy Strawberry Crunch Poke Cake Recipe

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Remember that amazing strawberry crunch ice cream bar from childhood? Bring that feeling home with this Easy Strawberry Crunch Poke Cake! Moist, creamy, bursting with strawberry, and topped with an irresistible crunchy layer.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 baked 9×13 white cake
  • 12 ounces evaporated milk
  • 3 ounces strawberry jello, divided in half
  • 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
  • 0.5 cup whole milk
  • 8 ounce Cool Whip or frozen whipped topping, thawed
  • 25 golden Oreos (about 1 package)
  • 0.25 cup salted butter, melted

Instructions

1. First things first, you need a baked cake! Preheat your oven to 350°F (or whatever temperature your cake mix package says) and mix up your white cake batter. Pour it into a 9×13-inch glass baking dish and bake according to the box instructions. Let that cake cool completely.

2. While the cake is cooling, make the milk soak. In a small saucepan, pour in the evaporated milk and heat over medium heat. Once warm, whisk in half of the strawberry gelatin powder. Stir until completely dissolved, then remove from heat and let cool.

3. Once the evaporated milk mixture has cooled slightly, whisk in the sweetened condensed milk and whole milk until fully combined.

4. Once your cake is completely cool, poke holes all over the surface using a skewer, chopstick, or spoon handle. Make holes about an inch apart and poke about halfway down.

5. Carefully spoon the strawberry milk mixture evenly over the cake, making sure it gets into the holes. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

6. Remove cake from the fridge and gently spread the thawed Cool Whip evenly over the top of the cake.

7. Place golden Oreos in a sturdy plastic bag and crush using a rolling pin, can, or hands into a mix of fine crumbs and small pieces.

8. Transfer crushed cookies to a bowl. Pour melted butter over the crumbs, then sprinkle in the remaining half of the strawberry gelatin powder. Mix until evenly coated.

9. Sprinkle the cookie mixture over the Cool Whip layer. Gently press down with the back of a spoon or spatula to flatten. Slice and serve!

Notes

Why you’ll love this recipe: It’s fast (most time passive), easy, giftable, and crowd-pleasing with nostalgic flavor and texture.

Substitutions & Additions: Use vanilla or strawberry cake mix. Try raspberry, cherry, or strawberry-banana jello. Substitute vanilla wafers, shortbread, or graham crackers for Oreos. Use stabilized homemade whipped cream instead of Cool Whip. Garnish with fresh strawberries.

Tips for Success: Ensure cake is completely cool before poking. Poke plenty of evenly spaced holes. Allow cake at least 1 hour to soak (overnight is better). Crush cookies to a mix of fine crumbs and small pieces. Bake cake and make crunch ahead; prepare soak and assemble day of serving.

How to Store It: Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.

 

FAQs:

Q: Can I use homemade cake instead of a mix? A: Absolutely! Just bake your favorite 9×13-inch cake recipe and let it cool completely.

Q: Why do you poke holes in the cake? A: Poking holes allows the milk mixture to deeply soak into the cake, making it moist and flavorful.

Q: Can I make the entire cake the day before? A: Yes! It’s actually better after sitting overnight.

Q: Can I use fresh whipped cream? A: You can, but stabilize it for best results.

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