Red, White and Blue Poke Cake

Red, white and blue poke cake starts with a white cake mix nudged with blue and red jello, topped with Cool Whip, then studded with fresh summer berries all placed in a patriotic fashion!

Why this recipe works

This red white and blue poke cake recipe is fun to bring along to your holiday potlucks and get-togethers whether it be Memorial Day, Fourth of July, or Veterans Day.

The best part about poke cakes is that it uses simple ingredients like a boxed cake mix, Jell-O, and whipped topping. It’s easy, yet impressive! This isn’t the first poke cake we’ve made, see our Watermelon Poke Cupcakes, Banana Pudding Poke Cake, and Boston Cream Poke Cake to name some of our favorites.

Ingredients you will need

Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.

ingredients you need for patriotic american flag poke cake

JELLO – For the red and blue flavors we used berry blue and cherry, but strawberry or raspberry (like our raspberry poke cake) would work well. You will be using UNPREPARED Jell-o for this recipe. The water needed to make these are already included in the recipe card ingredient list, so you don’t need to worry about the ingredients listed on the back of the box. You really only need 1.5 oz. of each flavor of Jell-o. If you add too much of the liquid jello, it starts to puddle on the bottom of the cake. Use the leftover jello to make jello cups or other festive jello treats.

CAKE – We used a white cake mix for this recipe. We suggest white cake as it allows the jell-o colors to shine through while creating a nice contrast. For a truly red, WHITE, and blue cake, be sure to use egg whites only when mixing up the cake mix. Egg yolks will make the cake mix more yellow.

TOPPING – We use Cool Whip for the topping thanks to its readiness and ability to hold up well. You are welcome to use a homemade whipped topping of your own if you prefer. Strawberries and blueberries are what we reached for to create the flag design on top, but you can use blackberries and raspberries as well.

How to Make Red, White and Blue Poke Cake

These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.

Preheat oven to 350°F or as directed on cake mix package instructions.
Beat together cake mix, eggs, oil, and water following the instructions and quantities indicated on the cake mix package.
Pour cake batter into a greased 9×13 glass baking dish and bake according to instructions (approximately 30 minutes).
Allow the cake to cool for 5-10 minutes while you prepare the jello.
For each of the colors of jello – mix 3 oz. with 1 cup of boiling water and stir until dissolved. Then add 1 cup ice water and stir until combined.
Use the handle of a wooden spoon or a chopstick to poke holes all over the cake.
Alternate rows of blue and red jello liquid, drizzling it heavily over the holes in the cake; you will not need to use all of the jello.
Once the cake has cooled completely, gently top with the thawed Cool Whip.
Place blueberries neatly into one top left corner of the cake. Slice strawberries into 1⁄8” slices and place them in rows across the whole cake (except for the blueberry corner), overlapping each slice slightly.
Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving. Slice into 20-24 pieces and serve.

Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips

Can I make red white and blue poke cake ahead of time?

Yes, you can make this patriotic poke cake up to 1 day in advance to save you time the day of.

How do I store this poke cake?

To store this poke cake, tightly cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The fresh strawberries on the top of the cake will start to get liquidy after a couple of days.

Can I use homemade whipped topping and a homemade cake mix?

Absolutely! We have a classic white cake recipe you may like if you’d prefer to make your own in place of the cake mix. You can also whip heavy whipping cream to spread on top of the cake instead of using frozen whipped topping/Cool Whip.

Serving Suggestions

Red white and blue poke cake is great served as a dessert at potlucks, BBQs, or backyard parties. Pair it with easy main and side dishes like grilled shrimp, grilled corn on the cob, or marinated grilled chicken skewers.

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Amanda Davis

President at Amanda's Creative Studio, Inc.

Amanda Davis is the entrepreneurial mom of four grown children and four step children. She and her husband, Chef Antoine, love to cook together creating recipes for this blog. Amanda also make kid's crafts and creates decorative items for her home. She is a crafting expert and guru in the kitchen and has appeared online and in print publications many times over the years. She is also a craft book author five times over and product developer as well as the owner of FunFamilyCrafts.com. You can find her on social media by using the buttons to the left!