Strawberry Graham Poke Cake
Soft cake, strawberry gelatin, and a surprise layer of graham crackers and nuts make this Strawberry Graham Poke Cake the kind of dessert everyone asks about.
As a vintage recipe blog, this site has no shortage of poke cake recipes. This poke cake, called Strawberry Graham Poke Cake from an ’70s church cookbook, was unlike any I’d seen before.
The cake has two layers of graham cracker crumbs + nuts: one inside the cake and one between the cake and the whipped topping. The graham cracker crumbs are seasoned with cinnamon, so there’s a wonderful warm spice flavor that accompanies the crunch of the graham cracker crumbs and nuts.
If you’re looking for a fun twist on poke cake, this may just be the one! (And here are a few others from the archives:)
- Classic Jello Poke Cake
- Layered Lemon Poke Cake
- Coconut Poke Cake
Jump to:
Ingredients
- You’ll need a box of yellow cake mix + the eggs, oil, and water amounts listed on the back of the box. I tend to use Duncan Hines mixes because they are 15.25 ounces, compared to Betty Crocker’s 13.25 ounces.
- You’ll also need a small box (3 ounces) of strawberry gelatin. Other flavors would be fine here, too.
- I buy the graham cracker crumbs already crushed, but you could also blitz graham crackers in the food processor until crumbs form.
How to Make Strawberry Graham Poke Cake
- Mix the cake mix according to package directions.
- Mix the graham cracker crumbs with the butter, nuts, and cinnamon.
- Pour half of the cake batter in a 13×9-inch dish, and top with half of the graham cracker crumbs.
- Pour the remaining cake batter over the top.
- Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Poke holes in the cake with a drinking straw or fork.
Topping the Cake
- Mix the gelatin with boiling water, then add cold water.
- Pour gelatin mixture over the still-warm cake.
- Top with the remaining graham cracker crumb mixture, then refrigerate.
- Top with whipped topping and additional graham cracker crumb mixture. Serve.
Storing and serving
Store the cake, tightly covered, in the refrigerator. Once the gelatin firms up, it’ll be easy to cut neat slices out of it. Serve straight from the fridge.
I don’t recommend freezing the cake. The thawing process will compromise the texture of the gelatin.
Switch It Up
Gelatin + cinnamon swaps: there are so many different flavor combinations that you could do with this cake. Here are a few gelatin + seasoning ideas (to use in place of the cinnamon):
- Strawberry gelatin + lemon zest
- Strawberry gelatin + ground ginger
- Raspberry gelatin + lime zest
- Lemon gelatin + lemon or lime zest
- Lime gelatin + ground ginger
Gelatin only swap: And you can always just switch up the flavor of gelatin. Or even do a half and half (drizzle half the cake with one flavor, and the other half with another flavor).
Whipped topping swap: make your own whipped cream with 1½ cups heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks with 2 tablespoons powdered sugar and a splash of vanilla.
Walnut swap: Leave them out completely or swap with a different nut such as pecans or macadamia nuts.
Lastly, if you don’t have graham cracker crumbs, you can put 10–12 full sheets of graham crackers into a food processor and pulse until fine crumbs form.
📖 Recipe
Strawberry Graham Poke Cake
Ingredients
- 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup finely chopped walnuts
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup melted butter
- 1 package yellow cake mix
- Eggs, oil, and water from the cake mix instructions
- 1 package strawberry gelatin (3 oz)
- 1 cup boiling water
- ½ cup cold water
- 8 oz Cool Whip see notes for whipped cream substitute
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 13×9-inch baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, stir together 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs, ½ cup finely chopped walnuts, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and ½ cup melted butter. Measure out ¼ cup and set aside for the very top of the cake.
- Prepare 1 package yellow cake mix according to package directions. Pour half of the batter into the greased 13×9-inch pan.
- Sprinkle with half of the larger amount of crumb mixture, then pour the remaining cake batter over the top.
- Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool cake in pan for 15 minutes. Prick with a fork, a drinking straw, or the end of a wooden spoon all over.
- Whisk 1 package strawberry gelatin and 1 cup boiling water in a medium bowl until gelatin is dissolved. Whisk in ½ cup cold water and pour over the cake. Sprinkle with the remaining part of the larger amount of crumb mixture on top.
- Chill 3–4 hours. Top with 8 oz Cool Whip, and sprinkle with the final ¼ cup crumb mixture on top before serving.
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