Poke cake has become an incredibly popular dessert to make and share. And for good reason! They are moist, delicious and take cake to a whole new level. I want to share a patriotic version that I call Patriotic Poke Cake! This is a semi-homemade version because it uses a store-bought cake mix (which you can get for around $1 everyday).
As you could already imagine, Patriotic Poke Cake is red, white and blue!
I can’t believe the 4th of July is right around the corner!
Each year, I have shared some fun patriotic recipes as it is one of our family’s favorite holidays, filled with family, friends and food.
I have a few patriotic recipes to share with you this year too, along with the dozens over the years that I have already shared. You will seriously have a plethora of ideas to pick from! I woke up this morning realizing that we are only a couple of weeks away and I wanted to share these recipes with you!
So I need to get busy with posting and sharing these recipes over the next couple of weeks so that you can have more to add to your selection this year!
I love making fun food on a dime. What is great about many recipes is that you can make fun foods that are a fraction of the cost as store-bought. In addition, I am all about EASY.
This fancy looking Patriotic Poke Cake is just that – cheap and easy!
How To Make Patriotic Poke Cake
Ingredients needed for Patriotic Poke Cake:
- 1 box of white or vanilla cake mix
- 3 whole eggs
- 1/2 C (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 C whole milk
- 1 TBSP vanilla extract
- 1 small (8oz) package of red jello like strawberry (pinkish red) or cherry (darkest red and the one used in this recipe)
- 1 small (8oz) package of blue jello like blueberry (darker) or blue raspberry (lighter – and the one used in this recipe)
- 2 squeeze bottles (these are found at the dollar store – often sold in a 2-pack for $1)
Ingredients needed for Patriotic Poke Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 and spray your cake pan with pam spray, set aside
- Using a standing mixer or hand beater, combine the mix, eggs, butter, and vanilla extract. Mix on medium speed until fully mixed.
- Once mixed, pour batter into the pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Once the cake is baked and cooling, make your jello mixes
- In a medium bowl, mix the red jello with 3/4 C boiling water
- Mix until dissolved and then add 1/2 C cold water
- Set aside for 2 minutes and then mix
- Repeat the jello steps for the blue jello
- Pour each jello into their own squeeze bottle
- Using the bottom of the wooden spoon, poke holes into the cake
- Take the blue jello squeeze bottle and squeeze some of the jello into the top row
- Take the red jello and repeat the process using the next row
- Alternate the jello colors until all the rows are filled
- Place cake into the fridge for at least 4 hours
Ingredients needed for Patriotic Frosting:
- 1 C unsalted sweet cream butter, softened
- 2 1/2 C powder sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3-5 TBSP heavy whipping cream
- Blue and red food coloring
- 3 bowls
- medium star tip and pastry bag
- Large cup to put the piping bag in
Directions for Patriotic Frosting:
- Using a standing mixer, combine all ingredients except the food coloring into the bowl and mix on medium speed
- If your frosting starts looking like powdery rocks, add another tablespoon of heavy whipping cream
- Mix until you see creamy stiffed peaks
- Separate the frosting into three bowls
- Add the red food dye into one bowl and mix until you get the red color you want
- Add the blue food dye into the second bowl and mix until you get the blue color you want
- Leave the third bowl of frosting white
- Fit the star tip into the piping bag and place the bag inside the cup, pulling the bag over the cups edge
- Using a spoon, scoop some of the red icing and put it on 1/3 part of the piping bag
- Repeat with the blue and white frosting
- Twist the top of the piping bag and squeeze the frosting down
- Using the piping bag, pipe stars over the top of the cake
- Place into the fridge for 30 minutes to get a clean slice or serve right away.
*TIP: you can also use store-bought vanilla or white frosting to save time. Simply color 1/3 red and 1/3 blue and frost with the star tip to make a patriotic effect.
See more recipes, including lots more for the
summer and the 4th of July
Vickie@Vickie's Kitchen and Garden
Thanks for the great idea for the Fourth of July. I’m always looking for something fun for the kids to help me with and this they can do!
Liz
This is such a great idea! I’ll definitely be bringing this when my family has our Fourth of July picnic!